Safaricom’s M-PESA app keeps getting better following the number of updates it receives.
The app was released for the masses in early 2021, following a test period for the better part of 2020.
It is so popular that many customers have actually chosen to use it all the time in place of the cumbersome STK.
It is also one of the most downloaded Kenyan apps, alongside its utility sibling, mySafaricom.
There are many reasons why the app is liked. First, it is cosmetically appealing. You can also install it on a second device in case you have multiple phones, and it does not even need you to insert your Safaricom in the second device for you to transact.
The app is also complemented with mini-apps, which are utility services that you can access from the app without the need for another app. Some of the mini-apps in the M-PESA app include BuuPass for booking buses, Madaraka Express, and Pro Gas.
That is not all: Safaricom has been trying to port features from the abandoned M-Ledger app to the app.
One of the features is access to your M-PESA transaction records, but the app has only until now, allowed users to access and export statements from the last six months only.
However, the current update fixes that because you can now export statements older than six months.
Here are the other changes:
- The biometrics system allows users to only access the app by using their face or fingerprint. While the security system is required, and is actually very fast, Safaricom now allows customers to the app without logging in every time by enabling fast log in the settings. The process still secures your information.
- You can now share your information to mini apps after consenting to do so.
So far, the app has been very good, but there are two instances where it fails. First is when it takes too long to process a task, such as pulling the name of a person you are sending cash to or when completing a pay bill transaction. Heck, there are times it fails completely, which shouldn’t be the case now.
The other issue is when the app fails to pull statements from the archives with the ‘error to access statements’ error message.
Otherwise, the app has been good, and I hope the folks at Safaricom’s development team keep polishing it up.
