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Android bug that sends SMS messages to random recipients is being ignored by Google

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 6:58PM EST
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According to a report from ZDNet blog Hardware 2.0, Google’s Android platform is being plagued by a bug that Google is, for the most part, ignoring. The bug causes SMS messages to be delivered to the wrong recipient and occurrences appear to be random. Relegated to “Priority-Medium” on the Android developer forums, the bug was first reported to Google over six months ago in June, 2010, and yet it has still not been addressed. Perhaps the simplest description of the issue comes from the developer who first reported it:

  • Send SMS message to RecipientA.
  • Message appears to be successfully sent to RecipientA.
  • RecipientX receives message.
  • ‘View Message Details’ in RecipientA thread, shows ‘To’ field as being RecipientX’s MSISDN (phone number).

Numerous subsequent posts on the thread confirm the bug. In an on-site poll, Hardware 2.0 also asks readers if they have been affected by this SMS bug. At the time this post was written, 30% of poll-takers indicated that the bug has affected their Android phones at some point.

[Via Hardware 2.0]

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Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 15 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.