'Mcrib_Test...' McDonald's fans get mystery phone push and they think it could only mean one thing

A number of McDonald’s fans have woken up to a phone notification which may have given away an upcoming new menu addition that is big in America.

The famed fast food chain is currently in the midst of celebrating its 50th birthday and has already brought with it a bunch of special burgers, sides and drinks, including a take on the viral Grimace Shake which appeared on the menu for one week only.

Not content with just that, it appears McDonalds are now teasing another surprise after ‘mistakenly’ sending a push notification to members of its Rewards app, which is used to order and collect food as well as earn loyalty points for free burgers and merch.

READ MORE: The Greater Manchester restaurant where it's 'near impossible' for customers to visit

A message sent this morning, disguised to be a test notification, simply popped up on user’s screens saying: "McRib_Test.notification_16.10.24 [TEST]". As the name would imply, many have suggested this means the McRib - another viral item - could be on its way.

On the Rewards app itself, an 'errored' image notification also mentioned the name of the burger alongside a date of October 16 - seemingly the date it could be returning to the menu.

The burger was first introduced in US stores back in 1981 but was eventually dropped from the menu four years later. But, in the years since, it has made infrequent returns with people hyping it up each time.

The American version features seasoned boneless pork dipped in a tangy BBQ sauce and is usually topped with slivered onions and tangy pickles on a toasted homestyle bun. Here in the UK, it was last available in 2015 - marking almost ten years since customers have been able to order it.

Sharing screenshots online of the received notification this morning, people have been getting excited about the potential return of the burger. One person said: “Don’t… don’t give me hope….”

The same person also jokingly said: “I feel that Grimace and the Hamburgler are on their way over to mine to offer money for silence.”

Another said: “Holy **** did McDonald’s just accidently announce they’re bringing the McRib back???”. One other person said: “So the entire country has just gone into meltdown.” One other added: “That exciting moment when @McDonaldsUK sends a test #McRib notification accidentally.”

Of course, the idea that it was sent in mistake wasn’t convincing to everyone with a lot of people convinced it was a clever marketing stunt. One person said: “Very clever marketing, @McDonaldsUK. A “test” notification that leads to a fake 404 page to make everyone think you messed up and released it early.”

Another posted: “Either someone is getting sacked or this is the beginning of one of the biggest advertising pushes in fast food history.”