Question Was gifted a pixel 6 pro. Anyone else having trouble getting to work with bank of america's app for checks?

[bugsbe]

Hi!
I was gifted a google 6 pro, My friend Bob had it on Verizon. Bob is not tech literate. I already have a Samsung note 9 that I actually like a bunch. I guess the original owner of the Google pixel 6 pro didn't like it.
Sufficed to say!
I can use the bank of America app on my note 9 to deposit checks and it goes smoother than a shave pu***. But with this game Google pixel 6 pro the app has a absolute tanrum getting pictures right or something. I have T-mobile. So of course it'd both need to be unlocked and speak T-mobile so to speak (have the right radio bands and be GSM blah blah)
Questions!
Is the pixel 6 pro worth some number of headaches? I mean if already have note 9 that's really good phone and does anything I can want. Gets calls kept up to date. and samsungs skin for Android (version what ever) isn't half bad.
Buut since I got the pixel 6 pro it's been a lot of headaches so far:
-Just trying to figure out if it's locked to verizon. looks ok I guess- can use it to get calls and have the Bank of America app have a tantrum. and... not sure what else I'd do maybe cheese pokemon go or something. But can do that on my Samsung if really wanted to.
-I thought it'd be easy to try out with a E-sim But no. Tmobile had a tantrum, of it's own and took down the online self serve esim service. Although in reality I probably should have just put the physical sim in the pixel
-And now Bank of America's bank app doesn't work right with googles camera or something.

Question 2: I saw a bunch of folks on redit, here, and google help forums had a ton of problem getting the pixel camera and the bank of America bank app to work right. But can't tell:if they've ever been able to fix that, if so what's the solution? Do I need a different camera app? or could be just using my trusty note 9 is good enough. Any suggestions?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! So is the only problem with the B of A app? Banking apps are somewhat notorious for being very finicky with taking pictures of checks. It happens with my Pixel 7 Pro and my wife's Pixel 7 as well -- it sometimes gives up trying to do it automatically and makes me do it manually. Are you unable to take the check pics manually from within the app?

Or are you also having problems using it on a carrier?

Personally, I love Pixel phones because of the fantastic camera, excellent support (the 6 Pro got its last system version upgrade this year, but will continue getting monthly security updates until at least October 2026), and lack of bloatware.

 

[bugsbe]

Weirdly the check that cleared was manual IIRC (I had a migrane), I tried again with the second check today and it was just as fickle, and I tried turning off flash. BofA claims it's processing.It was only the back (endorsement) side where the app was being persnickety. Would a different camera help?

 

[B. Diddy]

I don't think a 3rd party camera app would help, because it's the Camera API that the banking app is accessing, not the camera app itself.

 

[bugsbe]

I don't think a 3rd party camera app would help, because it's the Camera API that the banking app is accessing, not the camera app itself.

Ok! then is it possible to get it to work consistently? if so how? just on paper it'd seem like a camera is a camera if all it needs is contrast to accurately tell a bank: aha this idiot wants to use paper to put money into his account.

and any ideas why it's such a PITA to get to work with this pixel 6 pro but wasn't a issue working on the note 9?

 

[B. Diddy]

Sorry, but no, I don't think there's an easy way to make it work consistently. I think it has more to do with the B of A app and how it's coded. I find that it works best with a dark background and in relatively lower ambient light.

I'd send feedback to the B of A app devs to let them know about the issue.

 

[mustang7757]

Bank of America app been giving issues on mobile deposits lately on multiple devices so look for updates in the play store and definitely report it , I think it's an app issue .

 

[bugsbe]

Bank of America app been giving issues on mobile deposits lately on multiple devices so look for updates in the play store and definitely report it , I think it's an app issue .

Update: I had read on reddit having something in the picture to help the camera focus because of how the app works it's looking for contrast (why not take a color picture in 2024--almost 2025? using some automated scanning software?) not sure what'd work, or if would. Because it's only the back of the check where the app has a problem I just left the pen in the picture. And it worked! I don't know why. FWIW it also looks like the bank didn't have any issue processing the check. I did this on a black table as well. What's weird is my previous phone (note 9) had no problems with mobile deposits. But when I googled this problem, it looks like more people with pixels have a problem than people with other kinds of phones. So clearly a problem. I'd think BofA would know about this issue and want to fix it quickly. -_-.

 

[mustang7757]

Update: I had read on reddit having something in the picture to help the camera focus because of how the app works it's looking for contrast (why not take a color picture in 2024--almost 2025? using some automated scanning software?) not sure what'd work, or if would. Because it's only the back of the check where the app has a problem I just left the pen in the picture. And it worked! I don't know why. FWIW it also looks like the bank didn't have any issue processing the check. I did this on a black table as well. What's weird is my previous phone (note 9) had no problems with mobile deposits. But when I googled this problem, it looks like more people with pixels have a problem than people with other kinds of phones. So clearly a problem. I'd think BofA would know about this issue and want to fix it quickly. -_-.

Nice tip adding a pen in background, I'll try that next time I run into the problem, but yeah send feedback to the Dev of Bank of America through Google play store that way more people respond with an issue they can maybe fix it faster

 

[B. Diddy]

Update: I had read on reddit having something in the picture to help the camera focus because of how the app works it's looking for contrast (why not take a color picture in 2024--almost 2025? using some automated scanning software?) not sure what'd work, or if would. Because it's only the back of the check where the app has a problem I just left the pen in the picture. And it worked! I don't know why. FWIW it also looks like the bank didn't have any issue processing the check. I did this on a black table as well. What's weird is my previous phone (note 9) had no problems with mobile deposits. But when I googled this problem, it looks like more people with pixels have a problem than people with other kinds of phones. So clearly a problem. I'd think BofA would know about this issue and want to fix it quickly. -_-.

That's an interesting comment about the contrast. I notice on my Pixel 7 Pro that when I use the B of A app to deposit a check, the image in the viewfinder often looks really bright, even in relatively low ambient light conditions. The app will often default to turning the LED flash on, and then tells me to turn it off, and then suggests putting the check on a dark background. I wonder if this has to do with the Pixel camera's excellent low light capability working against the app -- i.e., it's gathering so much light that the app feels it's too bright.