FAB Mobile App | Registration, & Benefits 2026

FAB Mobile is First Abu Dhabi Bank’s official banking app for iPhone and Android, and it is the fastest way to run a FAB balance check, move money, and manage your cards without visiting a branch. The FAB app supports English and Arabic, works on up to three devices per customer, and covers current and savings accounts, salary accounts, and debit and credit cards. This guide walks through registering, what the app actually does in 2026, what it costs, how secure it is, and what to do when something will not work.

One thing to settle early, because it trips people up: using FAB Online Banking does not register you for FAB Mobile. The app uses a separate, stronger verification method, so existing online banking customers still have to register in the app once.

What You Need Before You Register

Registration goes smoothly when you have these ready, and stalls when you do not. Existing FAB customers need:

• Your Customer Number, which FAB sends to your registered email address, or your debit card number, or your credit card number.
• Your Emirates ID, which the app scans as part of verification.
• A smartphone running a supported OS (see below) and a stable Wi-Fi or mobile data connection.

If you have no FAB product at all, you do not need any of the above. You can open an account through the app with just your Emirates ID, choosing the account or card you want and completing the security verification during signup.

Supported Devices and Operating Systems

FAB Mobile runs on the latest OS version and the two versions before it, on both iOS and Android. So if the newest Android release is version 10, the app supports version 8 upward. If your phone is older than that, the app may not install or may lose features, and updating the OS is the fix. You can confirm compatibility on your app store listing before downloading.

How to Register on the FAB Mobile App

FAB Mobile app registration is a one time process built around Emirates ID verification and a short video selfie, which is what replaces the older password only approach.

1. Search for FAB Mobile on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or Huawei AppGallery, and install it.
2. Open the app and begin registration using your Customer Number, debit card number, or credit card number.
3. Verify your Emirates ID when prompted.
4. Complete the video selfie step, which confirms it is you rather than someone holding your details.
5. Set your login PIN, then enable biometric sign in (Face ID or fingerprint) if your phone supports it.

Once registered, you can add the app on up to three devices in total. After registering on mobile, note that you will also approve your Online Banking transactions through the app.

What You Can Do in the FAB Mobile App

Check Your Balance and Read Your Spending

To check your FAB balance, the dashboard shows your balances the moment you sign in, which is why the app beats every other method on speed. Transaction history has been rebuilt around clarity rather than raw lists: entries carry merchant logos, sort into 23 spending categories, and can be narrowed with search filters. Alongside that, Spending and Cashflow Insights summarise where your money actually goes, and Smart Transactions and real time alerts keep you current without opening the app at all.

Transfer Money and Pay Bills

You can move money between your own FAB accounts, send to other UAE banks, and make international transfers, including by SWIFT. Beneficiaries can be saved so repeat transfers take seconds. Bills for utilities, telecoms, credit cards, and government services are paid in the same place, and zakat can be paid instantly from the app.

Approve Payments Without an OTP

This is one of the more useful recent additions. Rather than waiting for a text message code, you can approve an online payment with a single tap inside FAB Mobile. It is quicker than an OTP and harder for a fraudster to intercept, since approval happens on your registered device rather than over SMS.

Control Your Cards

Card controls sit under the Cards tab and give you switches most people do not realise they have:

• Freeze Card: tap the Cards tab, select the card, then Freeze Card to block it temporarily.
• Block and Replace: for a lost or stolen card, block it and order a replacement in one step under the Cards tab.
• Enable or disable in store, online, international, and ATM transactions individually, so an unused channel cannot be abused.
• Travel alerts: set these before you fly so the card stays active abroad for the whole trip.
• Manage credit limit: under Cards, then Services, you can lower your credit limit to keep spending in check.

Open Accounts and Apply for Cards

New products can be opened inside the app with a few taps, including current, savings, and Islamic accounts, plus the credit card range. Eligibility varies with the product, with entry level personal current and savings accounts starting around a 3,000 monthly income or average balance, and premium accounts requiring considerably more.

Update Your Own Records

Keeping your details current matters, because OTPs and alerts go to the number FAB holds on file. From the menu at the top right of the home screen, tap Edit Profile, then Personal Details to change your mobile number or email. Under the Documents tab in the same place you can upload a renewed passport, visa, or Emirates ID, which FAB then processes within three to four working days.

Is the FAB Mobile App Free?

The app itself is free to download, and most services inside it cost nothing to use. That said, it is not accurate to call the app entirely free, because certain transfers do carry charges. International transfers in particular attract fees, and the exact amount depends on the transfer type and destination. Checking balances, viewing statements, paying bills, and managing cards do not cost anything.

Security, and What FAB Will Never Ask For

FAB registers each user through Emirates ID and a video selfie precisely so that a stolen password is not enough to reach an account. On top of that, sign in can be locked to your fingerprint or face, and payment approval happens on your registered device rather than through an interceptable SMS code.

Using FAB Mobile Outside the UAE

The app works overseas. You can sign in and reach your accounts and cards anywhere you have Wi-Fi or a roaming data subscription through your operator. This is what makes it the dependable option while travelling, since SMS banking to 2121 is built for UAE numbers and often will not respond on roaming. Setting a travel alert before you leave also keeps the card itself active for the duration of the trip.

FAB Mobile App Compared With Other Balance Check Methods

Method	Internet needed	What you get	Best for
FAB Mobile app	Yes	Balances, history, transfers, card controls	Everyday banking and the fastest balance check
Online banking	Yes	Full detail on a large screen, statements	Downloading statements, longer sessions
FAB ATM	No	Balance and a mini statement	When you are withdrawing cash anyway
SMS banking	No	Balance only, by reply	Basic phones, no data, UAE numbers
Phone banking	No	Balance read out to you	When you would rather speak to someone
PPC portal	Yes	Prepaid and Ratibi card balances	Cards not held in the app

The app wins on breadth and speed. The offline methods win when you have no data. Prepaid and Ratibi holders may find some app features limited and use the prepaid card portal or the Payit wallet instead.

Common FAB Mobile App Problems and Fixes

Problem	Most likely cause	What to do
Cannot log in, or a system maintenance error	Outdated app, or temporary downtime	Update the app, then try again shortly. Contact FAB if it persists.
Forgotten PIN, or locked out	Too many wrong attempts	Tap Forgot PIN on the login screen and follow the steps to unlock instantly.
App will not open or keeps closing	Old version, or an unsupported OS	Update the app and your phone’s OS, then restart the device.
OTP not arriving	Wrong number on file, or weak signal	Check the registered number under Edit Profile, wait a minute, and retry.
Not registered despite using online banking	The two are separate	Register in the app with your Emirates ID and video selfie.
Cannot add the app to a new phone	Three device limit reached	De-link an old device, then register the new one.

FAB Mobile App FAQs