On Saturday I sent out a tweet expressing my frustration on how annoying the new Safaricom Nyakua Bonus Flash SMS is. The flash message alerts you on your daily data spend target and pops every time you’re browsing or even after a call.
First, let’s understand what Flash SMS mean. Instead of being saved in your SIM or phone memory like other text messages, a Flash SMS pops up on your phone’s screen, without you the user taking any action.
When dismissed the message is usually gone i.e. it appears directly on the main screen.
That flash SMS feature from Safaricom is annoying ?
— Kanali (@NicKanali) March 5, 2022
Well of course not so many of us like pop-ups as expressed by almost everyone who engaged with my tweet. Most users find them irritating but anyone in marketing will tell you that a flash SMS proves to be more effective than a usual SMS in case an advertiser in this case Safaricom wishes to catch your attention immediately.
— Kanali (@NicKanali) March 6, 2022
The good thing is you can always opt-out by simply dialling *544*100# from your Safaricom line and following the following steps.
- Dial *544*100#
- Select option 6 ‘’Opt Out’’
I believe Flash SMS are ideal for emergency notifications, for example, not sending advertisements. These kinds of messages are quite intrusive, let’s just stick to regular SMS. They are the better choice.
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