Samsung admits its bad software update bricked a lot of soundbars

Jay Peters is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.

Samsung has confirmed to The Verge that a “software update error” is what broke “certain 2024 soundbar devices,” per a statement from Jim Kiczek, head of audio at Samsung Electronics America. Kiczek says that Samsung is “offering free repairs for all affected units – regardless of warranty status.”

Last week, many owners of Samsung soundbars, including its flagship HW-Q990D, reported that their devices were unresponsive and inaccessible from Samsung SmartThings after getting the update. Users also weren’t able to factory reset their soundbars. People reported problems with Samsung’s HW-Q800D and HW-S801D soundbars as well.

This error seems particularly bad, as it appears that it’s only something that can be fixed with a physical repair instead of another software update.

Earlier this week, Samsung told What Hi-Fi? that it was “investigating the cause of the issue” and “taking immediate action to resolve the firmware error.”