I think the best thing for cases like this is to see if the applications you want to use allow you to do what you want to do just using the web browser. Oftentimes there's a progressive web act that will function well enough, or the desktop site can be accessed on mobile with enough function to make it through.

Can you do your banking through their website? Can that government app be used similarly through desktop?

That's ridiculous. "See our message? Download our app so we can message you there!"