A bug is causing Samsung Messages to send pictures without user permission

While last year’s SMS-stopping bug caused quite the hassle for Samsung users, the latest Messages bug could see the app sending random photos to contacts without the user’s permission. Worse yet, those affected might not even realise what’s happened until approached about it by a recipient.

So far, Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ and Note 8 users have been caught by the bug, seeing at least one of their photos or an entire gallery being sent to contacts on their smartphones. There’s nothing to suggest that users of other models aren’t similarly affected, however, meaning all Samsung owners should be aware.

If you’ve been lucky enough not to indulge in an awkward conversation about just how random or sensitive the nature of your photos are, there is a way to check if you’ve been affected. Taking a look at the log files within your phone's account helps to identify if your device has already bugged out. Even if the log is empty, however, it’s always worth checking your current phone bill, as carriers will still charge for the MMS if it breaches standard package deals.

Unfortunately, Samsung has yet to publicly address the issue, making it difficult to tell just how long the South Korean handset maker will take to patch it out. In the meantime, users are urged to change their permissions for Samsung Messages within the settings menu, turning off the phone’s permission to access its storage.

KitGuru Says: While this is not as much of a safety risk as stopping messages entirely, relationships and friendships are inclined to suffer a lot more if the wrong types of things are sent to certain people. Samsung could find itself in trouble for privacy concerns if it doesn’t quell the issue soon.

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