Samsung accidentally sends out 'Find My Mobile' push notification to Galaxy phones worldwide [Update]

By Babu Mohan
last updated

Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Galaxy Note 10 Plus (Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Samsung Galaxy smartphone owners across the world are receiving a weird 'Find My Mobile' push notification.
  • This isn't the first time that a smartphone maker has "accidentally" pushed out a weird notification to users across the globe.
  • Samsung hasn't issued any official statement about the slip-up yet.

Update: Samsung UK has confirmed that the push notification was sent to a "limited" set of devices erroneously:

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Samsung Galaxy smartphone owners worldwide are reporting that they received a weird "Find My Mobile" push notification. The notification only has the number "1" and disappears when a user taps on it.

Galaxy Z Flip Find My Mobile Push Notification

Source: Nirave Gondhia / Android Central (Image credit: Source: Nirave Gondhia / Android Central)

It looks like the notification may have been sent out accidentally, similar to how OnePlus sent out garbled push notifications to OnePlus 7 Pro owners last year. According to a Samsung Care Ambassador, it was a test on the company's end to "assure services are working."

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In addition to Samsung's latest devices such as the Galaxy Z Flip and the Galaxy Note 10 series, several users with Galaxy S, Galaxy A, and Galaxy J series phones have received the same push notification. Weirdly, users who haven't registered for Samsung's "Find My Mobile" service on their phone also claim to have gotten the push notification.

Similar to Google's Find My Device app, Samsung's Find My Mobile service allows users to find their phone in case they lose it. In addition to remotely locating your lost Galaxy phone, you can also lock the screen, block access to Samsung Pay, and back up data stored on the device using the service.

Did you get the notification on your Galaxy phone? Let us know in the comments below.

Babu Mohan
Babu Mohan
News Writer
44 Comments
  • Got notification on Note8 with Xfinity mobile and S9 with Sprint. Took screenshot.
  • Got my S9 as well. I have " Prey " on my phone. I thought perhaps it was the issue so I'm glad to see this news. I even turned " location" off wondering wtf.
  • "limited number of devices" my ass
  • I was a little bit freaked out that my account may have been compromised. Was all set to change my password on whatever app sent this out. Luckily this article came up first. Sprint Samsung Galaxy S10+
  • Got this notification on my Samsung Galaxy tablet just now, along with a notification from Google Find My Device.
  • I got this notification on my Tab A sometime in the last 7 hours. When I clicked on it, it went away and appeared to do nothing. However, 10 minutes later, I got another notification from Google Play Services that said "Device Located. Find My Device has located this device." Note: I searched my apps and found nothing under "find", "my" or "device" so now I'm concerned about security implications. Is Samsung limited to sending me push notifications against my will or is it being even more nefarious?
  • Similar situation for me. Dont have the app but still got the alert. Only difference is I did not get an alert from google. Cant wait to switch to a stock google android device!
  • I also got the message on my Tab A 10.1 (2019). Clearly it isn't just phones
  • Find My Device is part of Google Play Services (which only really sends notifications if I'm tracking a device and it's a system app so it won't just show in your app drawer) but I only got the Find My Phone notification for all 3 of my devices. It was a little suspicious considering Samsung did skip the Galaxy 11, but it seems like people are getting scared for nothing.
  • That concerns me too... It might be worth reading the fine print before accepting the conditions when installing the app...
  • got it on my S9+.
  • Got it on my Galaxy S8. I was wondering what happened. Now I know.
  • I got this on my Galaxy A90 5G and wondered what was going on, cheers for clearing it up.
  • Anyone else find it odd that "Find My Mobile" is not even an app anymore or a service that you can still use, but it's still somehow baked into even the newest devices. And now they are sending erroneous notifications? Had two devices receive this. But like I said, doesn't exist in the play store or even in the Galaxy store. But still on your devices to track you. But you can't track it yourself or use this to find your devices! Things that make you go hmmmmm...
  • You can use it from their web site to find your phone. It's been very helpful for me, but now I can't use it because Verizon blocks it (they want to sell their own service)
  • I had no idea Verizon blocked this service. That is pretty annoying. Just tried myself and got "Your service provider doesn't support the Find My Mobile service on your phone. Only Samsung Pay features are supported."
  • I got the notification on my S10e sometime before 11pm and then on my Galaxy Tab A at 2am (US Central time zone here). I use Find My Device. I do not have Find My Mobile on either device, as far as I can tell. If this were a limited number of notifications sent "accidentally," then why would one household get the notification on two devices more than three hours apart from each other? Update: I found more info on Find My Mobile. It's not a separate app, but instead is built into Settings > Security. I was able to turn it off on both devices.
  • I received the "push notification" on my Samsung phone the other day. I politely chose the option to block and delete the text, because I had not registered my phone to do such a feature. I thought it was weird, and hope that my personal information was not compromised. We shall see in the future months/years ahead.
  • I manage around 1000 samsung galaxy tab A's at work, and every single one of them got it...
  • Received it on my SM-T830 WiFi Galaxy Tab S4, so it was sent to tablets too.
    Thanks for posting this! I would have been fairly certain someone was trying to hack my device and/or track me.
  • 2 Samsung Galaxy s9plus with outlook for Android, outlook will open but when trying to open a message it closes program. Can't get outlook to open a message.
  • Note 10+ Verizon got the message
  • What's interesting is that Verizon doesn't allow users to use Samsung's Find My Phone service (they block it) but this happened on my Verizon Note 10+
  • Just a reminder as to how they know everything we are doing with the phones...
  • Time to put on your tin foil hat....Could this "Accidental" location push been a market study to see how many active Samsung devices are out there, and where they are? That could be a valuable bit of information for marketing purposes.
    I received it on a Note 10 as well as a Tab S4.
  • I got the same push notice on my S8+ phone, though I never signed up for find my phone. Whether they said it was a mistake or not, that is their opinion. I believe it is not a mistake and just swiping or tapping, they are already in your phone spying at everything you are doing.
  • Note 9 tmobile, I got it. And yes, find my phone is still an app and works just fine.
  • Add me to the list of getting freaked out and thinking my account may have been compromised.
  • I recieved it on my 9+ same as everyone else. Was so worried because I've never signed up for any find my phone anything and location was off, so I'm calling my son @12:45 A.M to come over and check it out.. then after messing around he saw the release from Samsung and told me it was them. I relieved and worried at the same time. Why are they getting into our phones, I don't remember signing up for random intrusions.
  • Got it on my Tab S3 and Galaxy S9+. Maybe it's time to start asking "If you have a Samsung device, did you NOT get the notification?"
  • I didn't get one on either of my devices, or on both of roommate's Samsung phones.
  • Got this message at least twice on my Galaxy Note 8, Swisscom (provider), I have signed up for find my device though...
  • I got it on my Samsung A50 phone at 3 in the morning. It didnt wake me, and I thought I hit something while I was asleep.
  • Yes I got it on my s9+ in australia just thought my kids pressed some buttons on my galaxy watch
  • S8 plus and got it. Just switched back to Android. I see it is still as creepy as ever. Never signed up for find my phone but low and behold it was activated along with googles location data. Not to mention my phone randomly allowing apps access to permissions I previously denied.
  • Yes on my note 10+ and sons a50
  • Limited my foot. I bet this went out to virtually all Galaxy owners worldwide. I don't know of any Samsung user who didn't get this
  • I got the notification too. I searched for "find my mobile" in my phone and found out that they turn that particular app on. I immediately turn it off. I don't want outside source using my phone. I already had my identity stolen before.
  • Got the notification on a Galaxy S8.
  • I received it on my Note 9 and my father got it on his s8.
  • I received the notification too, nothing in my apps though, how do I get rid of it?
  • I received this on my galaxy s 7. Never signed up for app until then. Thought at first someone hacked my phone. Glad to know that wasn't the case.
  • Just got an update of the "app" now via the Samsung store, surely related to this "glitch"
  • Paid so much for a phone, only to have ads being pushed out with out wanting them. Wtf is that. Sure you can turn off notifications but the app still runs in the background using your data and memory (high frequency). You can only clear cache not all the data either. Plus you can't disable it. Wtf? Didn't Google or Amazon have something like that.. Ads on your phone for a reduced phone price? I sure didn't get a discount on my phone!.. Surprised no one cares or AC never mentioned this "virus like app"... Samsung Push Services!