Oculus, the Facebook-owned company that powers the software inside Samsung's virtual reality ambitions (as well as the Oculus Rift headset, sold separately), has disabled its app from working with the Galaxy Note 7 after a number of replacement phones reportedly caught fire over the weekend.
Image from Reddit user Panda_Turtle
As first reported on Reddit, and confirmed by Android Central, Oculus has issued a forced update to its mobile app that, when paired with a Galaxy Note 7 inside a new Gear VR headset, shows the following message:
Customer safety is Oculus' top priority. Oculus is removing support for all Note7 devices on the Oculus platform. Until further notice, Note7 devices will not be compatible with the Gear VR. For more information regarding the Note7, please contact Samsung directly.
While the move has annoyed current Note 7 owners, many of whom don't see the immediate danger of owning a device that Samsung explicitly says should no longer be turned on, we applaud the company's move, even though it probably should have happened the moment the phone was first recalled in early September. Facial burns probably wouldn't be a good PR association for the up-and-coming VR giant.
The software update doesn't appear to affect any other compatible Galaxy devices, like the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, which have not been affected by the battery debacle.
Reader comments
Oculus disables Gear VR functionality on Galaxy Note 7 due to fire concerns
Are you telling me there are still people putting Note 7 on their faces? Are they idiots? You can replace phone, not your eyes, morons!
Good move! It would suck to burn your eyeballs out for using a faulty phone.
Glad I purchased the gear VR thru T-Mobile. Getting a full refund was a piece of cake today.
I'm offering $25.00 for the Gear VR to any of you guys/gals that got one for free with your Note 7 purchase.
I'm sure you would hate to see it go to waste. :D
Now how are people supposed to experience realistic in your face explosions?
"Oh wow, this is so amazing! It really looks like fire! It's like I can even feel the heat!"
"Dude, it is fire. Your phone blew up."
Question 3. Does this mean that even if you have a rooted phone that you can have forced updates that effectively shut it down?
That's a very scary thing if that can happen. Oh, I'm no longer into rooting. Haven't been for years now.
Question 4... why do people who don't do an thing ask questions like it matters?
I have 2 questions.
1. will retailers be told to refund gearvr 2016s if a customer had a note7.
2. will customers who got a free gearvr 2016 have to give them back or keep them and hope they buy s7/edge7?
Mama Nooo!
I'll decide for myself. Not that I'd use oculus.
What exactly are you deciding? They disabled it from working with the Note 7. There really isn't anything to decide..
For your own safety's sake along with the safety of others, please talk to your carrier on exchange options.
I loved using my Note 7, but I can't keep it any longer due to all the negativity surrounding it and me having to watch it like a hawk just in case.
I just want a phone that works and one that doesn't give me concerns over potential issues.
And Samsung should work with the carriers to disable phones because of idiots like yourself.
I wonder if a price drop for the Gear VR is imminent.
Unless one of you guys/gals that got one for free want to let one go cheap. "I got 5 on it..."
glad i didnt pay for my headset otherwise i would be PO. guess i'll put it back in the box
Wow i never would have thought about eyesight and facial burns!!!... Kudos to them for doing this.
Who would have thought this issue would have grown to be this cartographic
I surely didn't see this coming.
Good job Oculus. The only thing worse than these things catching fire is them catching fire near someone's face.
Exactly. That would be horrific.
Can you imagine someone falling asleep watching VR Theatre? Shudder...
Can you imagine waking to be theatre during a horror movie lol?
I can almost hear the scream, lol!
People need to understand that this is no small matter.
Sure, it's only happened to a small number of devices SO FAR, but there's a reason why consumer protection agencies and Samsung have told people to stop using the Note 7. One by one, the device will potentially have its features disabled or limited.
I have complied and will put my SIM in an old One M7 very soon until I purchase a replacement device (possibly an HTC 10 or Axon 7). Ya'll should do the same.
You should see what's still going on over in the Note 7 G+ community. I'm talking total denial. Some members are even going as far too say that Android Central is fear mongering.
Kind of hard to blame AC for spreading fear. It's Samsung issuing the recalls. I'm curious as to where the go from here. If they just write off the note 7 and maybe launch between q1 or 2 a updated version or just skip to the note 8 since the 7 name has been tarnished.
Android Central is doing a very good public service. I wish certain people would wise up and recognize the safety issue with the Note 7.
People won't understand.
Even if Samsung said that their phones will be remotely crippled, some of them will still deny it.
Those are the type of people I try not to talk to.
Do you know the difference between corporate speak and an objective statement on a device's safety?
Remind me why Samsung not only told people to stop using it but also killed the entire phone.
Lawyers
Not saying it isn't real... but most people look at a 1% or less chance and would take their chances, Lawyers see a .005% chance and pull the plug.
1% chance sounds small, huh? If they only sold 2 million devices, 1% of that would be 20,000 guaranteed fires and explosions. That's 20,000 homes that could catch fire. How many children do you think are in those homes? That's 20,000 people with burned, charred flesh. That's 20,000 damaged lungs from smoke inhalation. You think breathing in those toxic fumes don't increase people's chances for cancer substantially?
1% is HUGE. Do you know what 0.005% of 2 million is? It's exactly 1. So, 0.005% is probably statistically indistinguishable from nothing, and likely some amount higher than that would be appropriate.
the actual stat is 5 out of 3 million at this time
There must be another issue that has not been published yet
5 that were publicly known. I imagine the carriers and Samsung had others reported to them that people didn't take to the press.
Add to that the fact that this isn't "failures over the expected life of the device". We're talking failures in the first week or two of use.
Exactly. We saw 100 units combust in the first few weeks and then 10 more replacement units in the week following the replacement. That only appears to be small if you're thinking that it's the overall odds. What you're seeing now is the odds per week.
And seriously, you play odds with things you can afford to lose. You don't play odds with things that can spontaneously combust.
You Sir, are a brave man to enter that Community.
The illogic runs deeps with the "Knights".
I wonder if Yarell got his face burned? Too soon?
Lol
Yarnell has been missing in action. Last I heard from him he said he was taking a tech job that wouldn't let him post on Google+.
The care facility he lives at revoked his Internet privileges.
lol I miss Richard what happened to him? There's also someone (well there's a few, but one particular poster) who makes Richard seem mild - I mean full on real deal zealot who blames Apple, most Android sites, the US media and even Obama (and he's actually serious, he believes it truly, not just trolling)
I seriously completely forgot that G+ was a thing until I read your comment.
I'm on Google+ everyday 100% full throttle. The Android communities are still around.
Nice to see you paying us a visit. Maybe you should stay here with the rest of the snobby peanut gallery.
Android Central made Samsung kill the phone globally. Conspiracy confirmed.
This is the right thing to do.
On one hand I can see that it's a safe move, and I will exchange my (already replaced) Note 7 soon. But on the other hand it was pretty frustrating to put on my Gear VR only to get a message that I could no longer use it. Now I'm stuck with a new Note7, Gear VR and Gear Fit2 - which are all now useless since I have no desire for an S7.
This whole Note 7 debacle has turned into one big dumpster fire with no clear solution. It's really unfortunate because the consumer benefits most when Apple and Samsung are both healthy, competitive brands.
Speaking of competition, there isn't even another high-end Android device with an integrated stylus on the market. In this situation, unfortunately, I believe we as consumers are all on the losing side.
Well said. I definitely agree.
100% with this comment, especially since I am in the same boat. I had the s7 while waiting for my replacement note 7 and it felt like a demotion. I had the s6 edge, original gear vr and sold it as I was getting into the first version of the note 7. Now as I still type on my note, I'm thinking, who is recouping my losses for all of the Note accessories I purchased?! And I really don't want an iPhone in the slightest...
I think most major retailers are accepting returns for any accessories intended for use with the Note 7, and that will probably be made more apparent as it has now been cancelled.
Think it depends on if you spent money on the VR and Gear Fit2 or got them as free promotions like I did. After the initial recall I moved over to the S7Edge. To be honest, I didn't use as much of the stylus as some do. But I like the longer battery life of the edge. And I have no complaints on the phone. Can't even tell a different performance wise. Been with the note series since the Note 4. Guess you could ebay everything...recalls happen.
I am in the similar boat as you. Just got the Gear VR few days ago and now can't even use it? I don't want to get S7 Edge since it only has 32 GB internal space. I'm already using 32 GB internal on my Note 7. All of the Gear VR apps and games can only be installed into internal disk. Not sure how to move it to external SD card.
I watched a 2 and a half hour movie, and played some games on the gear vr with the note 7 and nothing happened. I literally used it from 100%to 0% and no explosions.