Android Random Recipient Bug Keeps Users on Their Feet
If you currently own an Android device and you use the SMS feature on a daily basis, you may want to forego texting anything personal for now. A recent bug has caused beloved ‘Droid devices to send out SMS or MMS to the wrong contacts. Some people speculate that the problem is caused when a running conversation gets interrupted by an incoming message. Some people say that this issue happens when one has an SMS or MMS exchange with four contacts, some say it only takes two.
Unfortunately, since nobody has been able to reproduce this effectively, the exact cause cannot be determined.
As for the affected mobile phones, it is also anyone’s guess at the moment. Users are reporting this instance happening to a wide variety of models. Anything from an HTC Incredible to a Google Nexus One can be affected by the issue.
Sometimes, the replaced contact can be spotted early on, letting the user switch it back to the correct person. Emphasis on the “sometimes” though. Users still have to be extra cautious when sending out personal or business information because the problem cannot always be detected before sending a message. Sometimes, the switch happens when the message is already on the way to the random recipient.
This has definitely irked some users. And who would not be? After all, SMS and MMS have become such a commonly used feature. Unlike social networking posts and emails, you do not have to fuss over so many fields, making it accessible even to older users and young children.
For now, the Android team seems to be as boggled as the rest of their users, so to avoid possible security risks, it would be best to not send any life changing text messages at all. Better yet, it may be a good idea to delete your conversation threads as soon as you have finished reading the messages.
