**NatWest Customers Frustrated as Mobile App Outage Causes Widespread Disruption**
Customers of NatWest Bank were left struggling to access their finances on Friday following a significant outage affecting the company’s mobile banking app. Many account holders woke to find themselves locked out of their accounts, unable to make essential payments, transfer funds, or even check balances through the mobile platform. The disruption has prompted an official apology from NatWest, which is now urging customers to use alternative methods while technical teams work on a fix.
The incident began early on Friday morning, with complaints quickly surfacing on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter). Users expressed concerns about missed payments, difficulties processing salaries, and being unable to move money between accounts. For many, the timing of the outage proved especially unfortunate, coinciding with payday for numerous households across the UK.
In a statement released to the press, a spokesperson for NatWest acknowledged the issue: “We are aware that customers are experiencing difficulties accessing the NatWest mobile banking app this morning. We are incredibly sorry for the disruption and are working to resolve it as swiftly as possible.” The spokesperson reassured customers that they remained able to use online and telephone banking services, or visit a branch should urgent assistance be needed.
Despite this guidance, some customers reported challenges with online banking as well, intensifying frustration for those with urgent financial needs. One user wrote, “@NatWest_Help your app isn’t working and you keep telling people to use online banking to make payments and that isn’t working either. When will everything be back up and running? Some of us have urgent things that need paying.” Others echoed these sentiments, disclosing that they were unable to pay car tax, complete vital transfers, or access funds required for essential journeys—including medical appointments.
As the morning progressed, social media was flooded with comments highlighting the knock-on effects of the disruption. For those relying on the app for day-to-day management of their finances, the outage was more than a minor inconvenience. Many aired their frustration with the frequency of recent outages impacting high-street banks, noting the sector’s increasing reliance on technological infrastructure to deliver basic services. One customer summed it up succinctly: “I have seriously got to ditch @NatWest_Help. The app is down AGAIN!”
This incident comes amid a broader pattern of technological reliability issues facing UK financial institutions. According to figures from the Treasury Committee published earlier this year, nine of the UK’s largest banks and building societies have collectively experienced over 33 days of unscheduled system outages within the last two years, causing widespread disruption for millions of customers.
Industry analysts point out that as digital banking becomes more ubiquitous, expectations for 24/7 service availability rise accordingly. For high-street lenders like NatWest, such outages risk damaging customer trust and eroding the reputation they’ve built over decades. The pressure is mounting on financial institutions to bolster their digital platforms and ensure robust contingency measures for when technology fails.
While NatWest has assured customers that all hands are on deck to restore the app’s functionality, the bank faces a potential backlash if disruptions become a recurring feature. For now, customers are advised to explore alternative access routes to banking—though this is understandably cold comfort to those who depend on the convenience and simplicity of the app in their daily lives.
The precise cause of the outage has not been disclosed by the bank, and there remains no official timeline for full resolution. As such, customers are urged to stay updated via NatWest’s official communication channels and to seek assistance in person or by phone if they need to manage urgent financial matters. The incident serves as a stark reminder of both the benefits and challenges posed by the ongoing shift to digital-only banking.