Google Messages has developed a privacy problem, with a newly reported bug causing the app to send old texts to the wrong recipients. While the messaging service continues to gain new features, it has also been affected by a series of bugs and issues, including group chats that have not been functioning as intended.
Sending an SMS through Google Messages is normally straightforward: you open the app, select a contact, type your message, and tap send. According to the latest reports, however, the app is sometimes attaching old, unrelated chats to new messages and delivering them to people who were never meant to see them.
What users are reporting
Complaints have appeared on platforms such as Reddit and Google’s own community forum. One user who says they own a Google Pixel 9a reported that when sending a text to one person, the app occasionally pulled a random message from a conversation held years earlier with someone else and sent it to the wrong recipient.
Another user described an awkward situation in which a sex-related conversation held with a date was sent to their mother. A separate video, shared by a user who appears to own a Pixel 11 Pro, showed a message reading “We changed the door code” being automatically replaced with text from an old chat that read “Bloody red porcupine” before being sent.
Further comments indicate the bug has also sent old verification codes and other personal details to unintended recipients, turning the app into a significant privacy concern for those affected.
Google responds with a fix
Google has confirmed it is aware of the problem. In a statement, the company said it is aware of an issue affecting some Google Messages users when transferring to a new device, and that it is currently rolling out a fix that will reach everyone over the coming weeks.
The issue appears linked to the process of moving data to a new handset, according to Google’s own description. Until the update is fully distributed, affected users may continue to see old chats attached to outgoing messages.
Google has stated that the fix is being deployed gradually rather than all at once, meaning the timeline for a complete resolution depends on when each device receives the update over the coming weeks.
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Image: phonearena.com
