Playstation 4 message ‘bricks’ device, but here’s how to fix it

Some Playstation 4 users are complaining about a message they received on the device that subsequently “bricks” their consoles. It is still unknown whether the Playstation network was hacked or if the issue is a bug.

The problem was first brought to light in a PS4 forum on Reddit. That’s where users said that after receiving the message, their consoles were “bricked,” meaning they were no longer responsive.

PS4 messaging glitch bricks users’ consoles

“A lot of people are probably going to do a factory reset, and lose all their games and saves. However it sounds like deleting the message via PS app or website, and then doing a database rebuild is sufficient and you won’t lose anything important,” a message on a Reddit thread about the issue says.

For its part, Sony Interactive Media, which makes the Playstation, has been mum about the issue. An official Playstation account, however, did respond to a user about the problem, saying, “We are aware and investigating, but it doesn’t reset your console to factory settings.”

How to fix the PS4 bricking glitch

To fix the PS4 issue caused by the malicious message, here’s what the company recommends:

• Download the PS4 app: If you don’t already have it, download the PS4 messaging app and log in.
• Delete the message: This is where you select the message and delete it.
• Reboot PS4 in safe mode: “Use Option 5 in Safe Mode to sort your console out,” an official Playstation account says on Twitter. Here’s how to boot in Safe Mode.
• Set your Playstation messages to private: This way, random people can’t send you messages.

Like any device, your personal information on the Playstation network is only as secure as the safeguards you put in place to protect it. Here are two ways to stay safe.

How to keep your Playstation 4 info safe

Make sure you have a strong password: Your Playstation password shouldn’t be one that you use with other devices or platforms. Use an assortment of letters, numbers and special characters to stay safe. Here are more tips on password safety.

Never share your password: Playstation says, “PlayStation will never ask you for your password, so if you are asked, do not give your password to anyone for any reason.”