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Safaricom opens M-Pesa app access to diaspora, rival network users
A phone owner using Safaricom's My One App. The telco has updated its recently launched all-in-one mobile application to allow customers using Wi-Fi and rival mobile networks’ data to access services.
Safaricom has updated its recently launched all-in-one mobile application to allow customers using Wi-Fi and rival mobile networks’ data to access services such as sending money and paying bills.
Phone users with mobile data from networks such as Airtel or Wi-Fi can now log in to the ‘My One App’, easing restrictions that had locked out diaspora customers and users outside Safaricom’s network.
Tests by Business Daily show that the app now supports Face ID and fingerprint verification for transactions, replacing the earlier version that relied solely on manual PIN entry, which had sparked concerns.
Kenya’s largest telco began migrating customers from its standalone M-Pesa application to the new ‘My One App’ last month.
Network shift
The app combines M-Pesa mobile money services such as sending money, bill payments, loans and savings with customer management tools such as home internet accounts, which were previously housed in a separate MySafaricom app.
But the initial rollout drew complaints from users after the app worked only on Safaricom mobile data, effectively locking out customers using Wi-Fi, rival networks such as Airtel Kenya, virtual private networks (VPNs), or those accessing services from outside Kenya without roaming bundles.
Users were unable to access key services including sending money to other M-Pesa users, withdrawing funds from M-Pesa wallets and M-Shwari accounts, paying for goods and services, accessing investment products, and managing home internet accounts.
The restrictions also meant users were automatically signed out whenever they lost Safaricom connectivity or switched to another network, forcing them to reconnect using Safaricom data bundles.
The telco acknowledged the complaints on April 16 and said it was working to resolve them.
The updated version of the app, however, still requires customers to be on the Safaricom network during the initial setup and authentication process.
To activate the app, users must set their Safaricom line as SIM1 on their devices and log into the app while connected to Safaricom mobile data.
Last month, the company automatically logged users out of the old M-Pesa app as part of the migration process, requiring them to re-authenticate their accounts using one-time passwords (OTPs) sent to their Safaricom SIM cards.
M-Pesa supports millions of person-to-person transactions daily. In the year ending March 2026, M-Pesa revenue rose 13.4 percent to Sh182.7 billion, accounting for 45.6 percent of Safaricom’s sales.
Besides M-Pesa, data is also one of Safaricom’s fastest-growing revenue lines. Revenue from mobile data in the 12 months rose 14.4 percent to Sh83.3 billion, while fixed internet revenue from homes and offices rose 12.2 percent to Sh20.2 billion.
The telco hopes that consolidating payments, savings and lending into a single app, amid increased smartphone usage, will boost uptake of its products.
