Recently, a TechnoFino Community member reached out to me in distress. He’s a visually impaired credit card enthusiast who has been navigating the digital world with the help of screen readers like Google TalkBack. But after the latest update of the IndusInd Indie app, he – and many others in the visually impaired community – have suddenly found themselves locked out of their own bank accounts.
This isn’t just an inconvenience - it’s a digital blockade for users who rely on these tools for basic access to their financial lives.
Blocking them is not just a design flaw - it’s a violation of several important policies and laws, including:
The responses? Just generic replies and copy-paste instructions - nothing meaningful or actionable.
To make matters worse, the app blocks screenshots and screen recording, making it nearly impossible to share evidence of the issue with support teams.
If true, this is a huge oversight, and one that needs to be corrected urgently.
IndusInd Bank, we urge you to act immediately. Please don’t let your technology become a barrier for the very people it’s meant to serve.
What Happened?
After an app update rolled out on Android, the Indie app now displays a pop-up error saying:This message appears the moment someone tries to log in with TalkBack or any other screen reader enabled. There is no way to skip, bypass, or ignore this warning. The only option is to press “OK”, which then closes the app entirely. As long as a screen reader is running, the app becomes completely unusable.
This isn’t just an inconvenience - it’s a digital blockade for users who rely on these tools for basic access to their financial lives.
Why This Is a Big Deal:
Screen readers like TalkBack are not third-party hacks or unknown software. They are built into the Android operating system and are designed specifically to help users with visual impairments access apps, websites, and services.Blocking them is not just a design flaw - it’s a violation of several important policies and laws, including:
- RBI's Guidelines on inclusive digital banking
- The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which requires all digital services to be accessible to people with disabilities
No Help from IndusInd So Far:
Our community member has already done everything possible - reaching out to IndusInd’s customer support, Indie app team, premium care team, even the Managing Director’s office. He also messaged them on Facebook and Twitter.The responses? Just generic replies and copy-paste instructions - nothing meaningful or actionable.
To make matters worse, the app blocks screenshots and screen recording, making it nearly impossible to share evidence of the issue with support teams.
The Suspected Root Cause: Onespan App Shield
A disability rights activist investigating this issue believes the problem lies in a misconfiguration of Onespan App Shield, a security tool used by many banking apps. The tool is supposed to prevent tampering - but it seems it has been wrongly configured to flag built-in accessibility tools like TalkBack as "threats".If true, this is a huge oversight, and one that needs to be corrected urgently.
What Needs to Be Done:
- IndusInd Bank must immediately fix this issue and roll out a patch to make the app usable for visually impaired users.
- Engage with the community of people with disabilities and accessibility experts to ensure future updates are inclusive.
- Publicly acknowledge the problem and share timelines and commitments for resolution.
Accessibility Is Not Optional:
This issue is not about convenience—it’s about basic digital rights and dignity. In today’s world, banking is a necessity, and no one should be denied access just because of how they interact with technology.IndusInd Bank, we urge you to act immediately. Please don’t let your technology become a barrier for the very people it’s meant to serve.
