Tyranny of the apps' Has the revolution gone too far?

From banking to gigs to food and drink, they can save you time and money - but also make life harder for millions without a smartphone or tablet, writes Rupert Jones

- Rupert Jones

Michael is in his late 50s and is among the millions of people in the UK who cannot or do not want to use mobile apps, and feels he is being penalised for his choice. He does own a smartphone - an iPhone he bought secondhand about three years ago - but says: "I don't use apps at all. I don't download them for security reasons."

Apps have burrowed their way into seemingly every aspect of our lives and there are lots of reasons why companies are pushing us to use them. With an app, it is often "one click and you're in", rather than having to faff around online finding the website and remembering passwords. It is also all about the "push notifications" that mobile apps send to grab our attention and get us to buy stuff. Many tech experts also argue that apps are generally more secure than websites and allow banks and others to carry out sophisticated ID verification using face, voice and fingerprint biometrics.

But millions of people who cannot afford a smartphone or have an older device that does not support some services are increasingly being locked out of deals, discounts and even some vital services, say digital exclusion and pro-cash campaigners.

They are missing out on everything from savings on their weekly shop, to some of the best interest rates on their cash. And not signing up to the app revolution is making activities including paying for parking and going to concerts increasingly challenging.

"It's the tyranny of the apps," says Ron Delnevo, the chair at lobby group the Payment Choice Alliance. "In this country we're being treated like sheep," he says. "We're always being told there's no alternative."

But when a new smartphone can set you back hundreds of pounds, it is "an expensive passport to participate", Delnevo says.