Due to an incorrect software update, owners of a certain type of AEG combi microwave have not been able to use their device for 2 weeks. The error makes the microwave oven think that it is a steam oven, and this problem cannot be solved remotely.

The AEG KMK968000T has smart functions that allow you to preheat the oven remotely, for example. The device may also receive software updates from the manufacturer. At the beginning of this month something went wrong, owners who connected their devices to the Internet noticed. From moment to moment the furnace stopped working,

This was also tested by Elger van der Wel of Utrecht. “Usually you use an oven like this twice a week but we just have a kid and then you use it all day. So I was there at 2am heating a jug and then all of a sudden you only got a steam oven option and error messages.”

Mechanic with USB stick

The next day, it wasn’t the only oven experiencing an identity crisis, though an Electrolux (brand name AEG) spokesperson couldn’t say how many customers were left with a non-working appliance.

It is not easy to fix a software error. At least not remotely, because due to faulty software, scrambled ovens can no longer communicate via WiFi.

“The mechanic should come with a USB stick,” says an Electrolux spokesperson. The company wants to contact all affected users by March 21 to schedule a free appointment. “We find it very troublesome and we want to solve it as quickly as possible.”

The company will evaluate how the faulty update is sent, as well as how to prevent losing Wi-Fi connectivity.