- Some iPhone users have reportedly experienced frozen screens when M-PESA STK Push prompts appear after upgrading to iOS 27.
- Affected users say they cannot enter their PINs to authorise transactions.
- Apple has documented a separate touchscreen issue involving Notification Centre and Control Centre, but a link to the M-PESA complaints has not been established.
- Safaricom and Apple had not confirmed the specific problem in the information available.
Some iPhone owners who upgraded to iOS 27 are reportedly facing difficulties completing M-PESA transactions after receiving STK Push payment prompts. The reported glitch leaves their screens unresponsive at the point where they are expected to enter their PINs. This prevents affected customers from authorising payments and completing transactions.
The complaints could affect users who depend on M-PESA for routine payments, including shopping, bill settlement and online purchases. However, the scale of the reported problem remains unclear, and there is no confirmed information on the number of affected devices.
How the Reported STK Push Glitch Affects Payments
M-PESA STK Push enables a merchant or service provider to initiate a payment request that appears directly on a customer’s phone. The customer then enters their M-PESA PIN to approve the transaction, without having to start the process manually through the M-PESA menu.
Users experiencing the reported issue say their phones become unresponsive when the payment prompt appears. If the screen remains frozen, they cannot enter their PIN or proceed with the payment, potentially leaving transactions incomplete.
The complaints have emerged amid reports of touchscreen responsiveness problems following the iOS 27 update. Apple has listed a separate issue in which the touchscreen can become unresponsive when Notification Centre and Control Centre are open at the same time.
However, the available information does not establish that this documented issue is responsible for the M-PESA STK Push complaints. The specific cause of the reported payment disruption remains unconfirmed.
Neither Safaricom nor Apple had confirmed the particular STK Push glitch in the information available for this report. Until further details emerge, it remains unclear whether the problem affects a specific group of iPhones, a wider range of devices or particular software configurations.
