For the Croatian National Bank we developed a modern, stable and security-enhanced version of the mHNB mobile app for Android and iOS. This application delivers up-to-date currency exchange rates, financial indicators, archived data and official news from the central bank. The primary objectives were reliability, high responsiveness, an intuitive user interface, and full compliance with technical, security and branding standards of the Croatian National Bank.
By making publicly relevant financial data digitally accessible, the app supports HNB’s mission as a transparent and technologically advanced monetary authority.
Real‑time currency exchange information
A core feature of mHNB is the dynamic display of current exchange rates for domestic and foreign currencies using HNB’s daily mid‑rates. Rates are presented in a mobile‑friendly layout, with sorting by currency, alphabetical order, or publication time.
Data is fetched securely via official HNB APIs, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Background updates occur seamlessly, eliminating delays or freezing during use.
Built‑in currency converter
The integrated currency converter enables quick bidirectional conversion between currencies based on official HNB mid‑rates. Users can enter values with decimal precision, and conversions update automatically even with limited internet access.
This module benefits citizens, international users and business professionals who need instant currency calculations within the app.
Financial news and official HNB announcements
The app displays the latest news, press releases and official statements from HNB, covering monetary policy changes, regulatory decisions, publications and economic reports. Content is integrated from HNB’s CMS, formatted for mobile readability, and includes unread notifications.
High contrast typography and adjustable text sizes support users with visual impairments, enhancing readability.
Interactive charts and statistical insights
mHNB* offers interactive visualizations for exchange rates and economic indicators over selectable time frames (e.g. 7 days, 1 month, 1 year). Users can hover for tooltips showing exact values and view minimums, maximums and averages.
Support is provided for line, bar and mixed graph formats, with easy toggling between views—ideal for trend analysis and data‑driven decision making.
Notifications and alerts
The app includes a customizable notification system to alert users about significant rate changes, new news items, updated statistics or regulatory amendments. Users control which notifications to receive and via which channels—push notifications or in‑app alerts.
All notifications follow privacy regulations and are delivered securely without exposing sensitive data.
Access to historical data and archives
Users can access archived exchange rates and financial statistics by currency, date range or data type, with graphical export options (e.g. PNG). This benefits economic researchers, students, journalists, and professionals requiring long‑term data analysis.
Structured data is properly sourced and export‑ready for reports or academic use.
Potential enhancements and feature expansion
Owing to its modular architecture, mHNB supports future enhancements such as bookmarked currencies, language and thematic settings, and customized news feeds.
Integration is also possible with financial databases, fiscal reporting platforms, and European monetary sources via APIs—enabling enriched data features in future versions.
Impact of technical factors on development cost
Development cost varies with complexity. Key drivers include currency converter integration, notification logic, interactive charts, and archive access—all requiring specialized modules, rigorous testing and effective collaboration between design and development teams.
Cross‑platform deployment (native iOS + Android or using Flutter/React Native) further affects resources needed for development, maintenance and testing. High UI/UX standards—accessibility, branding consistency—add to design investment.
API integration with HNB’s existing systems (exchange‑rate services, CMS, statistical repositories) demands detailed documentation, security alignment and two‑way interface development.
Long‑term value and institutional sustainability
The mHNB app provides a solid foundation for the Croatian National Bank’s digital transformation in mobile services. Through scheduled maintenance and planned feature expansion, HNB ensures citizens and professionals have a reliable source of financial data. Beyond improved public awareness, the app enhances transparency of monetary policy and modernization of user communication.
Future developments may include multilingual support, two‑way engagement (e.g. surveys or feedback), integration with e‑Government portals, and continuous user‑centric evaluation. This ensures the app remains effective, relevant, and aligned with real user needs.