Samsung has confirmed that an update to the SmartThings app has caused serious issues with older Samsung Galaxy smartphones. 9to5Google first reported that Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 series devices were bricked by this update, which was rolled out by Samsung over the past few days. The publication also found that some users reported the same issue on Galaxy M51 and A90 models. Reports say that after downloading the update, your device will go into a bootloop and won’t turn back on completely.
Affected devices can be factory reset to restore functionality, but this is not a complete fix. This will make your phone usable, but you will lose any data that has not yet been backed up.
In a statement sent to Engadget Friday, a spokesperson acknowledged the issue and said, “A limited number of Galaxy smartphones running Android 12 may be experiencing continuous restarts while updating to the latest version of the SmartThings app. “We are aware of this,” a spokesperson told Engadget. “Once discovered, we immediately paused the update and are working to resolve the issue. Affected customers can contact the Samsung Contact Center for device support.”
Software support for older models can be an issue for any hardware manufacturer. The Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ are now five years old, an age at which companies may stop providing regular updates.
Update, Oct. 4, 1:10 p.m. ET: This article was updated after publication with confirmation from Samsung and a detailed description of the issue.
