January 22, 2026 at 11:35 am

Devices At The Office Seem To Have Minds Of Their Own, And Then An Helpful Employee Figures Out What’s Going On

by Ashley Ashbee

People at meeting desk looking at devices

Pexels/Reddit

When a bunch of people need to use their devices at the same time and together, weird and annoying tech issues are bound to happen.

See why this bizarre incident unsettled workers at the office.

The cursed office

Im not in IT currently, but I have a good relationship with IT at CurrentCompany and sometimes i help them solve issues in my department.

At some point during 2020 our IT realized that remote desktoping into work computers was too convenient for users and gave us all terrible laptops to work from home that came with Bluetooth keyboards and mice.

It seems that the laptops are haunted.

I’m told theres 2% a week failure rate.

We work in quasi-open offices. which is to say large rooms housing ~10 people each, but not a fully open environment.

At one point a conference happened where everyone involved had to bring their laptops with them.

They left their peripherals at their desks and just used the built in trackpads and keyboards.

Once they returned, they started noticing strange issues. Their mouse would move on their own and their keyboard would type on their own. It would only happen in one specific office and not in others.

So they called IT. It couldn’t identify the issue and asked if I know something about it. I didn’t but i went to check it out anyway.

Turns out it wasn’t a curse after all.

As I wasn’t focused on the “affected” machines, I noticed that the inputs are identical to what other colleagues are typing.

The left over peripherals had managed to pair themselves in such a way that every item was controlling at least two computers at once.

IT spent an hour manually unpairing everything and repairing correct devices to lift the curse of that office.

And now i always turn off Bluetooth devices when i step away from the desk.

Here is what folks are saying.

This guy has seen some things.

Screenshot 2025 12 30 at 2.36.10 AM Devices At The Office Seem To Have Minds Of Their Own, And Then An Helpful Employee Figures Out Whats Going On

I can understand.

Screenshot 2025 12 30 at 2.38.56 AM Devices At The Office Seem To Have Minds Of Their Own, And Then An Helpful Employee Figures Out Whats Going On

I don’t quite see it either as I usually need to hold a device button down to pair it.

Screenshot 2025 12 30 at 2.39.30 AM Devices At The Office Seem To Have Minds Of Their Own, And Then An Helpful Employee Figures Out Whats Going On

I love my Bluetooth headphones!

Screenshot 2025 12 30 at 2.40.22 AM Devices At The Office Seem To Have Minds Of Their Own, And Then An Helpful Employee Figures Out Whats Going On

I get it, too. But people need to clean them.

Screenshot 2025 12 30 at 2.40.42 AM Devices At The Office Seem To Have Minds Of Their Own, And Then An Helpful Employee Figures Out Whats Going On

I would have said it was the ghost of my Grandpa visiting to mess with the office.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.

Ashley Ashbee | Contributing Writer, Workplace & Culture

Ashley Ashbee is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter specializing in workplace dynamics, employee advocacy, and professional culture. Drawing on her real-world experience as a software consultant, she brings a unique, insider perspective to navigating office conflicts, toxic management, and trending professional dilemmas.

Holding a degree in Professional Writing from York University, Ashley combines her formal editorial training with her corporate background to deliver highly engaging, empathetic narratives. She excels at breaking down complex workplace dramas and translating them into stories that truly empower and validate modern workers.

Based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Ashley balances her time between the tech and publishing worlds with her love for the outdoors. When she isn’t consulting or writing, she can usually be found exploring local walking trails or experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.

Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn and Twitter/X.