Software updates are normally supposed to improve smart devices, but a recent update for some Samsung refrigerators reportedly had a much more serious effect. As reported by ZDNet Korea, Several owners in South Korea have reported that their Bespoke AI refrigerators stopped working properly after receiving a SmartThings software update on September 22, with some units even losing their ability to keep food cold.

Complaints started appearing on Samsung Members shortly after the update was released. Some owners said their refrigerators became unresponsive, while others experienced problems with interior lighting, displays, automatic doors, and cooling. Restarting the refrigerator or removing and adding it again through SmartThings reportedly didn’t solve the issue for everyone, leaving some customers waiting for an engineer to restore their appliances.

Poor timing for Samsung software issues

The timing has made the problem particularly frustrating for affected customers. The faulty update arrived just before Chuseok, when many households in South Korea had already stocked their refrigerators with food for the holiday. Some users said they returned home to find their refrigerator no longer working and were concerned about what would happen to the food stored inside.

Samsung has since explained that the refrigerators themselves aren’t suffering from a hardware defect, nor is the problem being blamed on a wider SmartThings outage. Instead, the company says software intended for internal testing was mistakenly distributed to customers during the refrigerator update.

Samsung stopped distributing the update after becoming aware of the issue and formed an emergency response team to deal with affected units. The company has also started sending service engineers to customers’ homes, with repairs being provided free of charge. 

Reports suggest that many of the complaints involve Samsung’s RM70F and RM80F Bespoke AI four-door refrigerators, although the company is still working to determine exactly which models received the problematic software. Newer Bespoke AI four-door refrigerators sold from 2024 onward have also been mentioned in reports surrounding the issue.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.