Earlier today, Samsung engineers managed to send out a notification to Galaxy smartphone owners all over the world.
The notification, which simply read “1”, was reportedly sent out as part of an “internal test” of Samsung’s Find My Mobile feature. The South Korean tech giant has said it is “sorry for the inconvenience.” It’s also reassured customers that the message has “no effect” on the devices in question.
It’s not clear how many users received the message, although it was reported by multiple people (enough to fill at least a 22-page thread).
An explanation from Samsung was posted on its UK Twitter page. “Recently, a notification about “Find My Mobile 1” occurred on a limited number of Galaxy devices,” a Samsung representative wrote. “This was sent unintentionally during an internal test and there is no effect on your device. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers.”
Find My Mobile, as its name suggests, is Samsung’s version of the Find My tool Apple offers for Mac and iOS. It allows users to locate, lock, and wipe devices remotely. Or, you know, receive single digit messages in the middle of the night.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
