A single invisible text message can crash the calling service on some Android phones, and that includes calls to emergency services. This bug was detailed by independent researcher Mark Blaszczyk, who calls the bug “SMS of Death.”
Why does this matter? The message never lands in your inbox, makes no sound and needs no tap from you. An attacker only needs your phone number. In Blaszczyk’s tests, each message cut off cell service for a second or two and ended any call in progress.
He tested the bug on a Google Pixel 9 and several Samsung Galaxy phones. Sending around 30 messages in quick succession left a phone crashing every time it restarted. Carriers keep resending texts a phone never confirms. One test phone had on-and-off calling trouble for up to a week. A factory reset only helped for a while.
Blaszczyk argues the repeated crashes could leave a phone unable to reach emergency services at all. That claim comes from his own testing, and so far no attacks in the real world have been reported.
Google’s fix and who still needs it
Reports differ on what Google did. CyberInsider says Google called the problem a non-security issue and declined to fix it. But Blaszczyk’s write-up says a fix reached the October 2026 Android security update. Phones with that update or a newer one are protected. It covers Android 14 through 17.
Phones on Android 12 and 13 are the weak spot. Blaszczyk says they run the same code but won’t get the fix.
How to check your phone
Open Settings and look under About phone for your Android security update date, though the exact menu varies by brand. If it says October 2026 or later, you have the fix. If not, check for updates now, since Samsung and other makers send them out on their own schedules.
Updating beats recovering. Blaszczyk says getting a phone out of a crash loop takes a computer and technical steps that most people can’t do.
If your phone is stuck on Android 12 or 13, it’s worth asking your phone’s maker whether it will ever get this fix.
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