Serious question, has anyone else been completely misunderstanding a basic app feature for months?

I just realized I've been using my bank's mobile app wrong for like 6 months. I always tapped the big green 'Pay' button to send money to a friend, but it turns out that button is only for bills. To send to a person, you have to tap a tiny 'Transfer' tab first. I only found out because my roommate asked why I was paying him as a utility company. The design makes the common action way harder to find. Is this a case of bad labeling, or should I have just explored the menu more? What's a clearer way they could have laid this out?

3 comments

3 Comments

eva_rivera11d ago

Ugh, I did the exact same thing with my credit card app!

amy_reed7911d ago

Honestly, is this even a big deal? You got the money to your roommate, right? That's the whole point of the app. So what if it looked a little weird on his end. These apps are never perfect, and we all just click around until something works. Maybe they could make the transfer button bigger, but you also could have spent two minutes looking at the menu.

rileyh1011d ago

Yeah, I used to just blame myself for not reading the fine print, but hearing this from you and @eva_rivera shows it's a real design flaw. Why hide the thing most people need to do every day? If paying a person is a common task, that button should be front and center, not a secret menu item. It's not about exploring more, it's about them making the right choice obvious. They basically built a door but put the handle where nobody can find it.