Thousands of Samsung Galaxy users have experienced endless phone reboots after updating the SmartThings app, which is needed to control TVs and other Samsung devices. The issue affected older Galaxy models including the Galaxy S10, Note 10, M51 and A90 series.
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According to TechSpot, the bug affected devices around the world, including the US, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, Belgium, France, Indonesia, the Philippines and Germany. Reddit users reported that after installing the update, their phones got into a BootLoop – a cyclic reboot. Attempts to correct the situation, other than a complete reset to factory settings, do not yield results. However, this action will lead to complete loss of user data, including videos and photos. “I just want my photos back,” wrote one Reddit forum member, emphasizing the importance of regularly backing up your data.
Some users in South Korea reported that they were able to fix the problem at service centers without losing data. However, for example, customers in the US found it difficult to contact support without receiving any assistance at all. Meanwhile, Samsung representatives tried to minimize the scale of the problem in the information space. In an interview with Ars Technica, they said that the problem affected a “limited number” of devices.
The company has reportedly already fixed the bug and released a corrected update. However, this did little to help those whose devices were unable to boot. The only option in this case is to return to factory settings and then restore the data from a backup (if available). You can then download the corrected update.
It’s worth noting that the bug only affected devices running Android 12. Users who updated to Android 13 or newer versions are said to be unaffected.