Back in 2021, Safaricom’s M-PESA Super App wowed customers with an offline mode that let users send money and make payments without a data connection. It was a game changer — no more frustrating moments of being stuck without data while trying to send that urgent M-PESA transfer. It’s been three years, and now Airtel Kenya is finally following suit.
Airtel Kenya’s support team recently teased on X that the My Airtel app will soon support offline mode. This comes as a welcome relief to users who, until now, have had to scramble for data to even recharge their bundles. Yes, the irony was thick — how could you reload your data if the app itself needed data to operate?
The move to an offline My Airtel app aims to fix that issue. The company says it has plans to make the app zero-rated, meaning it could be used without eating into your data. Still, no timeline has been offered for this much-needed update.
Hello Steve feedback noted though plans to make it zero rated are underway ^Lulu
— Airtel Kenya (@AIRTEL_KE) October 23, 2024
The news comes at a time when Airtel has been under fire for other app quirks. One big frustration: users can’t access the app if their Android device’s Developer options are enabled. But this upcoming offline feature should score some points with disgruntled users.
This is a huge win for My Airtel users who have been frustrated by the app’s reliance on data.