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Last checked: 18 August 2026. There was no reliable evidence of a widespread First Direct outage at that check. HSBC UK’s official service-status page showed mobile banking, online banking, payments, the website, chat, phone banking and card transactions working normally. An independent monitor also showed First Direct available, with no reports in the previous 24 hours. That does not rule out a short-lived, regional, device-specific or account-level problem.
Is First Direct down for everyone?
Use more than one source before treating a failed login as a bank-wide outage. First Direct’s own service-updates page is JavaScript-driven and did not expose a detailed incident message in the accessible check. The relevant group-level check is HSBC UK’s official service-status page.
| Check | Result on 18 August 2026 | What it can and cannot show |
|---|---|---|
| HSBC UK official status | Mobile banking, online banking, payment services, website, chat, phone banking and card transactions reported as working normally | Strong official evidence, but group-level and not proof that every customer or function is working |
| First Direct service updates | No detailed incident was visible in the accessible page text | Does not prove that no brief or regional issue exists |
| Independent monitor | Service available, zero reports in the previous 24 hours and 100% reported availability at the check | Useful corroboration, not an official diagnosis: SiteStatus.UK |
A normal status page cannot exclude a problem affecting one location, network, device, account or authentication system. Conversely, one social-media post, app-store review or failed payment is not enough to establish a widespread outage.
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Customers may encounter an app that crashes, a login page that will not load, rejected credentials, an “information unavailable” message, missing balances or transaction history, failed or pending payments, unavailable chat, or a Secure Key or other authentication failure. The website may work while the app does not, or the reverse.
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If access works on mobile data but not on Wi-Fi, the likely cause is local connectivity, DNS, a VPN, router filtering or a captive public network rather than a First Direct-wide failure. A locked account, fraud control, insufficient funds, incorrect recipient details or a stale browser session can also produce symptoms that resemble an outage.
What to try first
- Check the official status pages. Start with First Direct and HSBC UK before changing security or app settings.
- Switch channel. If the app fails, try First Direct Online Banking. If the website fails, try the official app.
- Change connection. Move from Wi-Fi to mobile data, or to a trusted Wi-Fi network.
- Restart the session. Force-close and reopen the app, then restart the phone or computer if necessary.
- Update software. Check the device’s official app store and install the latest First Direct app version.
- Use a supported browser and device. First Direct currently lists Chrome 92 or later, Edge 92 or later, Firefox 90 or later and Safari 13 or later. Its published mobile requirements are iOS 14 or later and Android 9 or later; Android Go is not supported. The stated minimum online-banking download speed is 5 Mbps. Requirements can change, so verify them on First Direct Online Banking.
- Avoid repeated credential attempts. Multiple failed logins can trigger extra security checks or an account lock.
If only the mobile app is failing
Install any pending update, confirm that the operating system is supported, and retry on a reliable connection. A corrupted session, failed biometric check, keyboard or accessibility conflict, screen-overlay permission, or public Wi-Fi sign-in page can prevent the app from working.
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First Direct says some mobile-banking services require registration and the latest version of its app; see its service-quality information. Do not delete and reinstall the app as a first response. Reinstallation can require fresh activation or Secure Key details that you may not have available.
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- Type the official First Direct address manually; do not follow a social-media or unsolicited message link.
- Try a private or incognito window and a supported, up-to-date browser.
- Temporarily disable script blockers, ad blockers and privacy extensions that may interfere with the login page.
- Clear cookies and site data for the First Direct domain if the page remains stuck.
- Set the device’s date and time to update automatically.
- Try another trusted device or network.
Never use a search advertisement or an unofficial “login help” page to reach your account. During service disruptions, criminals may create fake status pages or support accounts and ask for passwords, Secure Key codes, one-time passcodes or full card details. First Direct will not need those secrets through social media.
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What to do when a payment failed or is pending
An error message does not prove that a payment was rejected. Authentication may have completed even if the confirmation screen failed.
- Check completed, pending and scheduled transactions in the app or Online Banking.
- Record the attempted payment’s amount, recipient and time.
- Do not immediately send the same payment again if the first attempt may have gone through; duplicate payments are harder to recover.
- Contact the merchant or recipient only after checking the account status.
- For an urgent or unclear payment, call First Direct using a number from its official site or your card documentation.
An app or website problem does not automatically disable card purchases, cash withdrawals or Faster Payments. Those services can have separate systems and statuses. First Direct publishes a £50,000 daily limit for payments to other UK accounts through its app, Online Banking and Open Banking, but that limit is not an outage workaround; details are available in its Help and FAQs.
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How to contact First Direct safely
- UK telephone banking: 03 456 100 100
- From abroad: +44 113 234 5678
- Digital support: chat through the official app or Online Banking where available
Contact arrangements and opening times can change, so confirm them on the Online Banking support page or Help centre. Telephone lines may be busy during a digital incident. Call promptly if you suspect fraud, an account lock or an unsafe payment; otherwise, avoid repeatedly redialling while status information is being updated.
Technical fault, account problem or security issue?
More likely local or technical
- Only one device or network fails.
- The other channel works.
- Changing connection, browser or app session fixes access.
- Official status pages remain normal.
More likely account or security-related
- Correct credentials are repeatedly rejected or the account appears locked.
- Secure Key or authentication prompts behave unexpectedly.
- You receive suspicious messages or see an unrecognised transaction.
More likely a broad incident
- Both app and website fail on several devices and networks.
- Independent reports rise sharply across locations.
- First Direct or HSBC posts an incident notice.
Do not speculate about a cyberattack, maintenance or server failure without an official explanation. Never disclose passwords, Secure Key codes, one-time passcodes or complete card details to anyone claiming to provide support through social media.
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Does an outage automatically mean compensation?
No. A complaint, reimbursement or compensation claim depends on what happened, how long it lasted and the financial loss involved; an unavailable app alone does not guarantee payment.
First Direct publishes operational-incident information under FCA requirements. Its page reported zero incidents affecting telephone, mobile or internet banking from 1 April to 30 June 2026, and one incident in the 12 months from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. Those figures are reported for HSBC UK Bank plc as a group and may include HSBC UK, First Direct, M&S Bank or HSBC Innovation Bank customers. They are historical group figures, not evidence for or against a live First Direct outage on 18 August 2026.
Keep the status updateable
When reporting a later incident, put the exact UK date and time of each check at the top. Separate official statements from third-party reports, identify whether the failure concerns login, payments, cards or telephone banking, and revise the headline once service has recovered. A normal status page means “no confirmed broad incident at that check,” not that every customer’s problem is imaginary.
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