Xbox ‘Mobile Test Message’ Glitch Flooded Phones; Xbox Apologizes and Says It’s Fixed

Xbox’s “Mobile Test Message” Flooded Phones. Here’s What Happened — And What Xbox Says Now

On February 25, 2026, Xbox app users on iOS and Android were suddenly hit with rapid‑fire push notifications labeled “Mobile Test Message,” prompting confusion, spam complaints, and questions about account safety. By evening, Xbox acknowledged the incident, apologized, and said the test alerts were sent in error and had been resolved. (gamespot.com)

“This is a dummy message sent via Braze, please capture a screenshot once you receive it. This should take you to the recently added gallery.” (learn.microsoft.com)

What users saw

• Multiple identical Xbox mobile notifications arriving within minutes
• Message copy referencing a “dummy” test and “Braze,” a customer‑engagement platform used for cross‑channel messaging
• Tapping the alert typically opened the Xbox app without any special destination, according to user reports on Reddit and Microsoft’s Q&A forums. (reddit.com)

Xbox’s official response

Xbox Support said it was aware of “errant messaging” from the Xbox Mobile App and that engineering teams were investigating. Later, the company posted an apology noting the app “got a little too enthusiastic” with test notifications and that the issue was resolved. These statements were shared publicly and reported by multiple outlets. (gamespot.com)

Was it a hack or a scam?

There’s no indication users’ accounts were compromised; reporting points to an internal test notification escaping intended safeguards. Xbox apologized and said the problem was fixed. Community threads and Microsoft’s own support forum corroborate the widespread but short‑lived nature of the alert storm. (gamespot.com)

Why “Braze” appeared in the message

Braze is an enterprise customer engagement platform that brands use to orchestrate push notifications, in‑app messages, emails, and more. Its name in the copy signals the tooling involved, not a separate app installed on your device. In typical workflows, test alerts are confined to staging environments or whitelisted devices. (braze.com)

The timeline at a glance (Eastern Time)

• Around 12:30 p.m., Feb 25: Reports of repeated “Mobile Test Message” alerts begin surfacing. (kotaku.com)
• Afternoon, Feb 25: Xbox Support acknowledges “errant messaging” and says engineers are investigating. (adslzone.net)
• Later the same day: Xbox apologizes, says the test notification surge is resolved. (gamespot.com)

What you should do if you received the alerts

• You can safely dismiss the notifications. There’s no evidence of account compromise tied to this incident. (gamespot.com)
• If spam continues, temporarily disable Xbox app notifications (iOS/Android) and re‑enable later.
• Keep the Xbox app updated; outages and misfires are often fixed server‑side but may be accompanied by app updates.
• For lingering issues, sign out/in of the Xbox app and clear cache (Android) or reinstall; check @XboxSupport for status updates. (adslzone.net)

How a test can become a spam storm, in general

Push notifications are delivered over Apple Push Notification service (APNs) and Google Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM). A misconfigured audience segment, production toggle, or API key mix‑up during testing can route a test campaign to a live user base at scale. While Xbox hasn’t detailed root cause beyond “errant messaging,” the behavior fits a classic “test in prod” misfire pattern seen across consumer apps. (Context based on industry documentation of engagement platforms.) (braze.com)

Why this matters for Xbox’s mobile push

The episode arrives as Microsoft expands Xbox’s mobile capabilities. Recent updates brought a fuller store experience and wishlist syncing to the Xbox app (first in beta on Android), underscoring how central mobile has become to Xbox’s ecosystem — and how crucial reliable, well‑governed messaging is to that experience. (androidauthority.com)

Bottom line

• On Feb 25, 2026, an internal Xbox test message was erroneously broadcast to many users via the Xbox mobile app.
• Xbox apologized, called it “errant messaging,” and said the issue is resolved. There’s no sign of a security breach tied to the alerts. (gamespot.com)
• If you were affected, you can ignore the messages; normal notification behavior should already be restored. (gamespot.com)