Bambu Lab

Bambu Lab has implemented firmware changes that gate previously available printer features behind mandatory cloud authentication, effectively altering the terms under which customers purchased their printers. Owners who update to the new firmware lose the ability to use third-party slicers and accessories without routing through Bambu's proprietary middleware, Bambu Connect.[[5]]( Features restricted behind the new authentication path include: The authorization system rendered numerous third-party products incompatible with Bambu printers, including the popular Panda Touch accessory from Big Tree Tech (BTT) and the widely used OrcaSlicer software. BTT urged its customers not to update their firmware, as doing so would permanently break compatibility with the Panda Touch.[[7]]( OrcaSlicer's lead developer, SoftFever, was not provided API keys for Bambu Connect and stated publicly that direct print sending from OrcaSlicer would no longer be supported.[[8]]( section excerpt Bambu Lab A1 NTC thermistor fire and meltdown hazard .[edit ] The Bambu Lab A1 NTC thermistor fire and meltdown hazard is an ongoing product-safety defect in which the negative-temperature-coefficient thermistor on the AC distribution board of older Bambu Lab A1 3D printers overheats to approximately 140 C according to independent measurements[[11]]( and Bambu Lab has acknowledged that a damaged NTC can reach 160 C and soften or melt nearby plastic.[[12]]( Bambu Lab acknowledged the defect in January 2026 but attributed it to external power-grid surges, claimed the confirmed incidence rate was "well below 50%," and stated there had been "no reported cases of fire." [[12]]( In February 2026, a consumer reported that a stock A1 Mini caught fire mid-print.[[13]]( The company added the PTC thermistor from older manufactured boards in the third quarter of 2025.[[12]]( On May 4th a video was posted to Instagram by the user "moreiras3d" showing a Bambu Lab A1 printer that seemingly burned down due to the same issue.[[14]]( The owner of the printer was present during the fire and was able to extinguish it before it could cause more harm. This incident is described in more detail in a video published on YouTube by the channel 3D Musketeers.[[15]]( This new authentication mechanism resulted in numerous designed-for and compatible third-party products, both software and hardware, being made incompatible with the printers going forward. The chief products affected were (including but not limited to): Panda Touch, OrcaSlicer, any third-party product making use of the MQTT protocol. Soon after the updated software was released, users managed to extract necessary security keys from it to continue using their third-party products. Amendments have presently been made that would allow some or all of these products to work with workarounds or extra software or tools from Bambu embedded into these products. Bambu Lab later responded to public outrage and controversy over these changes, stating that feedback has been provided and they would amend the firmware's new security measures with developer options that would unlock the use of the 3D printer without connecting to Bambu Lab's services.[[17]]( However, the wording of these updates has been widely criticised by consumer rights conscious people as implying these were good-will gestures or extra granted rights, or that restriction of functionality was never on the roadmap. Bambu Lab vocally spoke out against the public's reaction, calling many of the valid concerns "unfortunate misinformation", "false accusations" and "baseless allegations".[[18]]( The company's initial blog post announcing the firmware changes was also edited after publication to include an FAQ section addressing whether users could remain on old firmware, a section that was not present on the day of the announcement when community members first raised their concerns.[[5]]( section excerpt Bambu Lab cease and desist against OrcaSlicer fork developer .[ed