Like Maire I will access but not using public wifi. If necessary, I disable wifi and use data.

PC Windows has a much higher risk and exposure. Hackers have been targeting those systems for a long time. Apple computers and PCs operating under Linux are safer due to fewer viruses having been developed for them. Smartphones are new territory for malware so low risk. I have (paid) AV installed on my smartphone anyway and would not access any accounts without it. I would never use WiFi due to the security risks, certainly not for doing business.

I access via my iPhone, my Mac, and my iPad. If I used a Windows phone (which I won't!), I would NEVER access my bank account from it. I do access from work on a Windows computer, but we're so firewalled and protected, I'm OK with that.

Yes, I think it's perfectly safe. Banks shoulder the risk of fraudulent or unauthorized account withdrawals. Beyond that, both browser communications and app communications with financial institutions are encrypted. It is highly, highly, highly unlikely that anyone's hardware contains a financial oriented piece of dangerous malware.

Not that it matters, but both iOS (Apple's device os) and Android are derived from Linux.

I never access any website that requires a password on my work computer. Never. Ever. They track what we do and where we go and I don't need our head office watching my bank accounts and passwords. Use your data if you're on a phone or tablet outside of your home. Otherwise, use your computer/laptop/tablet/phone at home on your very own secure (make sure it's password protected) wifi.

Yes, I think it's perfectly safe. Banks shoulder the risk of fraudulent or unauthorized account withdrawals.

That statement implies that someone can intercept your connection with the financial institution. The fact that the bank is ultimately responsible for the theft isn't the same as being perfectly safe; perfectly safe is if it doesn't happen.

. . . both browser communications and app communications with financial institutions are encrypted.

I think the concern with public wi-fi is the sign on process, isn't it? That someone can intercept your sign-on info, and access your account.

Tens of millions of users enjoy the safety and convenience of banking and other financial apps. I'll stand by my comment, it's perfectly safe. If you choose not to do mobile banking, that's fine with me.

The answer to the original question - are bank sites safe to use on phone or tablet? - comes down to whether the phone or tablet is using public wifi or mobile data. Mobile data is considered relatively safe, public wifi is not. Here is an explanation why public wifi is not safe:
Accessing encrypted websites

It makes me angry that some people will so cavalierly put out bad information.

Another thing about mobile wifi. I've noticed it gets turned on occasionally on my phone, not by me. I'm not sure how it happens. So if you do business on your phone, I'd double check that wifi is off beforehand.

Graywings, my bank, your bank, and everyone else's bank has in-house security experts and outside experts who keep them informed and safe. They incur any losses and they ENCOURAGE the use of their apps. You've cited a random source, likely from a Google search, from someone of unknown qualifications. If anyone is cavalierly putting out information of questionable value, it's you.

Snookums2: One site I found suggested this: Go into mobile network settings disable "Connection Optimizer."

EJF(fSW) - as I wrote earlier, the issue is not who is responsible after the theft occurs, it's avoiding the theft. The point I am making - again - is that using the banking app with public wifi rather than mobile data can be dangerous. If you don't believe the one link I provided, then do a google search of "banking app +public wifi" and see the other 1.1 million responses.

This excerpt is from US News and World Report:

With the growth of consumers connecting to the Internet using their phones, network attacks through public Wi-Fi have become a threat to personal information.

According to security experts, public Wi-Fi can be
easily intercepted. For example, if you connect to public Wi-Fi in an
airport, hackers could replicate this network in another location to
get your data.

"If you are connecting to public Wi-Fi, any of that
information on your phone is just as vulnerable as if you were hooked up
to public Wi-Fi in your laptop," Velasquez says.

If you don't believe the links I am providing, then do a google search of
"banking app +public wifi" and see the other 1.1 million responses on the topic.

I re-read the posts. The original questioner seems to be uncomfortable using bank apps on a phone or tablet, period. Others including me responded about their use and commented on the lack of risk. All useful information.

If someone chooses to avoid use when on a public open network, fine. On a phone, that's easily avoided by staying on the mobile data link at that time. The risk is more theoretical than actual in my mind because it rarely happens, and if it does, the account holder losses nothing

You continue to do Google searches to cite articles regarding theoretical risks but not actual incidents. Be happy, do or don't do as you choose, but please try to avoid fear mongering.

Unquestionable, graywings, and only touching the surface of cybercrime realities, which are only getting worse. It is also reckless to not concern oneself with safe practices because it will be at someone else's expense (the various companies involved), not yours.

Further, all the losses to theft are and will be reflected in our economy and the prices we pay for things.

Huh?

I use laptop and only at home. Feel safe about it.

Public WIFI
Network Safety:

Forbes article:

'The proliferation of public Wi-Fi is one of the biggest threats to consumer data,” says David Kennedy, founder of information security firm TrustedSec. “A hacker can monitor the network traffic of an entire store with an iPad-sized device hidden away in his backpack.” The issue isn’t just that the networks are so easy to attack. With little public awareness that the threat even exists, users routinely expose valuable personal data over Wi-Fi hotspots, making the networks an even more attractive target.'

http://www.forbes.com/sites/amadoudiallo/2014/03/04/hackers-love-public-wi-fi-but-you-can-make-it-safe/#748793a92476

Kaspersky Labs:

'·Avoid
using specific types of websites
It’s a good idea to avoid logging into websites where there’s a chance that
cybercriminals could capture your identity, passwords, or personal information
– such as social networking sites, online banking services, or any websites
that store your credit card information.

·
Consider
using your cell phone
If you need to access any websites that store or require the input of any
sensitive information – including social networking, online shopping, and online banking sites – it may be
worthwhile accessing them via your cell phone network, instead of the public
Wi-Fi connection. '

Their full list of security measures for using public WIFI:

http://usa.kaspersky.com/internet-security-center/internet-safety/public-wifi#.V7nfqvkrK1t

Microsoft:

'Avoid typing any sensitive
information

If possible, save your financial transactions for a secured home
connection. Passwords, credit card numbers, or other financial information are
less secure on a public network.'

Their full list of security measures for using public WIFI:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/safety/online-privacy/public-wireless.aspx

Old Lady Me (who doesn't even use an ATM) wonders how often -- and under what circumstances -- one would need to access financial information by phone or tablet.

I never use public wifi for anything period. If I can't use a secure wifi or my cellphone data, I carry my portable att wifi device which is secure and use it.

On
the infallibility of encrypted data and connections. It is just
like anything else – prone to human error, technological genius and bugs. Some examples:

Internet – Security
& Encryption Vulnerabilities

Feb 2014: Apple:

‘On Friday, Apple quietly issued an updatefor iPhones and iPads that
fixed a big problem: encryption wouldn’t stop an attacker on
the same networkfrom intercepting sensitive
information sent during banking sessions, email sessions or Facebook chats. Then the news got worse. Researchers realized the same problem
applied to other iProducts, such as desktops and laptops. ‘

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/02/24/apples-deafening-silence-on-gotofail-security-flaw/#5ecb60ac7f55

‘Keep your software up to date

Data security is an arms
race, and to keep your defenses up, it is crucial that you’re running the
latest updates for your operating system and web browser. This point was
emphasized just last month, as AppleAAPL +0.25% was
forced to issue
updates to its iOS and OS X users to fix a bug
that compromised SSL encryption.’

Internet – Security
& Encryption Vulnerabilities

2011: BEAST

‘First developed in 1999 as
an improvement over SSL (Secure Socket Layer) 3.0 encryption, TLS 1.0 is used
as part of HTTPS encryption and is now the Web standard for data encryption. Almost all
websites and browsers use TLS to secure information being transferred between
you and the site, and now security researchers Thai Duong and Juliano Rizzo
claim to have cracked TSL 1.0 encryption using just a traffic sniffer and a
simple bit of JavaScript code.’

http://www.pcworld.com/article/240933/hackers_crack_internet_encryption_should_you_be_worried_.html

Note: At
the time of the article, safer protocols had been available since 2006 but were
not implemented due to the time and resources required to implement.

Internet – Security
& Encryption Vulnerabilities

Late
2014: Heartbleed

As is often the case, this
vulnerability was not discovered for two years.
Hackers and malware also can and do go undetected for years.

‘The Electronic
Frontier Foundation,[13]Ars Technica,[14]and Bruce Schneier[15]all deemed the Heartbleed bug
"catastrophic". Forbes cybersecurity columnist Joseph Steinbergwrote, "Some might argue that [Heartbleed] is
the worst vulnerability found (at least in terms of its potential impact) since
commercial traffic began to flow on the Internet."[16]’ (Wiki)

CNN article:

‘The
'Heartbleed' security flaw that affects most of the Internet

Heartbleed
is a flaw in OpenSSL, an open-source encryption
technology that is used by an estimated two-thirds of Web servers. It is
behind many HTTPS sites that collect personal or financial information. These
sites are typically indicated by a lock icon in the browser to let site
visitors know the information they're sending online is hidden from prying
eyes.

Cybercriminals
could exploit the bug to access visitors' personal data as well as a site's
cryptographic keys, which can be used to impersonate that site and collect even
more information.

Heartbleed
is the result of a small coding error but it could have far-reaching
consequences and affect the majority of Internet users.

Researchers discovered the issue last week and
published their findings on Monday, but said the problem has been present for
more than two years, since March 2012. Any communications that took place over
SSL in the past two years could have been subject to malicious eavesdropping.

What makes
the bug particularly problematic is that there is no simple fix. Action needs
to be taken by both the compromised sites and individuals who have visited
them.

Many major websites including Google,
Facebook, Yahoo and Amazon have said they've taken steps to secure their sites.
Security researchers demonstrated the flaw by stealing Yahoo e-mail logins on
Tuesday morning, but Yahoo has since fixed the issue across its major sites,
including Tumblr.

It's not just an issue for major sites.
Smaller online stores and services use OpenSSL, and those sites might take
longer to make the necessary fixes. Websites don't typically publicize whether
they're using OpenSSL, so the process will also be bumpy for consumers.’

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/08/tech/web/heartbleed-openssl/index.html

Searches done using Google or a competitor return word matches, nothing else. They don't provide insight, knowledge, or understanding.

Infallibility is neither a goal nor a standard for human endeavor, and hardly so in the IT world. If normal but remote risks bother you, then avoid them. Most people know how to make reasonable risk assessments without belaboring such judgments and are comfortable moving on and acting accordingly.

Huh?