Venmo’s redesigned app helps you connect with friends

Venmo has grown into much more than a simple payment platform, and the company has redesigned its app to reflect that. The company has introduced a revised app for Android and iOS that focuses not just on its budding social element, but on plugging the rapidly ballooning list of new features. Venmo has tossed the global feed in favor of a friends feed that shows what’s happening with your close connections.

The new bottom navigation section, meanwhile, is built to expose features you might not have considered before. A Cards button plugs both credit and debit options, while a dedicated Crypto button unsurprisingly invites you to start cryptocurrency trading.

There is a strictly practical improvement. You now get a “complete” view of your wallet, activity and settings through your personal feed. Venmo is also eager to point out recent privacy upgrades, although those won’t change much with the redesign. New payment types and widened purchase protections unveiled last month should start rolling out this week, too.

It may take a few weeks for the refreshed Venmo app to reach your device. It’s too soon to say if the interface changes will be more helpful to you or to Venmo. There’s little doubt they reflect the firm’s shifting priorities, though — money transfers represent just one part of a larger strategy to handle as much of your financial life as possible.