If you received a test notification from Airbnb, you are not alone. In the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 17, the Airbnb app for Android sent a test notification to users who had the app of the company installed.
The notification itself just read "test dev," and it served no purpose at all. In fact, those who clicked on the notification said that the message simply opened up the Airbnb app on its homepage.
Based on the tweets and posts by Airbnb customers, the notification was sent widely to those who had the app installed on their Android phones.
Why Airbnb Sent a Message
According to 9to5Mac, the message sent to Airbnb customers was a simple and honest mistake. Many have speculated that a developer accidentally used the wrong credentials when testing something in the company's app.
Thus the notification was sent to the production version of the app. There is no other reason behind it, and Airbnb is also not testing a new feature that it has not announced yet.
Also Read : How to Spot Airbnb Hidden Cameras, TikTok User Claiming to be an Ex-Hacker Exposes on Viral Video
Customers of Airbnb with the app on their Android phones can relax, as the company assured everyone that it wouldn't cause any issues at the end of the day, according to Metro UK.
Meanwhile, the company announced new tools for its rentals that will help identify users at high risk of throwing parties in the rentals and causing a problem for hosts.
The new tools will automatically push the users toward hotels or rooms, where a host is more likely to be nearby instead of private homes.
Airbnb Anti-Party Tool
One of the new tools that Airbnb is pushing is the Anti-Party tool. In June, the company announced that its temporary ban on parties because of the pandemic would become a codified policy.
Now, the company is introducing new anti-party technology in the US and Canada to help prevent parties at rentals, according to Mashable.
The anti-party technology will look for the history of reviews, the length of time the guest has been on Airbnb, the length of the trip, distance to the listing, whether they stayed during the weekend or the weekday, and more.
Airbnb says it has piloted a similar system variation in Australia since 2021, where it has been very effective.
The company says it has seen a 35% drop in incidents of unauthorized parties in the areas of Australia where the new rule has been in effect.
The new technology is created to prevent a reservation attempt from going through. Guests who can't make an entire home booking because of this system will still be able to book a private room or a hotel room via the Airbnb app.
Airbnb states that the system is "more robust and sophisticated" compared to its under-25 system that has been in effect in the US and Canada since 2020.
The new system also focuses mainly on guests under the age of 25 without positive reviews who are booking locally.
The company is optimistic that this technology will positively impact the safety of the community, and its goal is to reduce unauthorized parties.
It is still unclear if the anti-party tool will be rolled out globally or will only be available in some regions.
Related Article: Airbnb Makes Ban on Parties Permanent, Guests Who Violate the New Rule Will Be Suspended
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
