When you first open Aware, it asks for permission to read your SMS messages. That’s a big ask. This post explains exactly what happens when you tap Allow — and what doesn’t.
What Aware reads
Aware reads SMS messages from two senders:
- MTN Mobile Money — the official MTN MoMo sender ID
- Airtel Money UG — the official Airtel Money sender ID
Every message from these senders contains a transaction record: an amount, a recipient or sender name, a reference number, and a timestamp. Aware parses those fields and adds the transaction to your on-device ledger.
That’s it. Two sender IDs. Nothing else is read.
What Aware never touches
Your messages to friends and family are never accessed. Messages from your bank, your boss, or anyone else are never read. Aware filters at the SMS inbox level — it only requests messages where the sender ID matches the two MoMo providers.
The code that does this filtering runs entirely on your device. There is no server involved.
Where your data goes
By default, Aware stores your ledger in a local SQLite database on your phone. No financial records are uploaded unless you choose to turn on cloud backup.
With cloud backup enabled, processed transaction details, budgets, categories, profile details, and selected settings sync to Aware’s Supabase database under your authenticated account. The original SMS text is removed from every cloud payload and stays on your phone.
Google may be used to sign you in to Aware. Google receives the identity information needed for authentication, but it does not receive your SMS content or financial records.
Why this matters
In Uganda, mobile money is how most people move money. Your MoMo history is a complete picture of your financial life. We take that seriously. The permission model is designed so that you can trust Aware with the minimum required access — and nothing more.
If you have questions, email us at hello@useaware.xyz.