Samsung announced it will discontinue its long-standing messaging app, Samsung Messages, by July 2026, marking a significant shift in its Android strategy and pushing users towards Google’s increasingly AI-driven communications platform.
Reasons behind the switch
Samsung has confirmed that it will shut down its Samsung Messages application by July 2026. After that date, users will no longer be able to send or receive messages through the service, with the exception of emergency numbers and contacts marked as urgent. The South Korean technology company is urging customers to migrate to Google Messages, with in-app notifications set to guide users through the transition.
The Google Messages app can also be downloaded manually from the Play Store. Upon first launch, users will be prompted to set it as their default SMS service.
Samsung said the decision reflects its intention to “support a stable messaging experience on Android.” The company added that switching to Google’s platform would provide enhanced security features, including AI-driven fraud detection and improved spam filtering.
Once installed, Google Messages enables users to exchange RCS messages, offering a richer messaging experience. The app also integrates AI capabilities via Gemini, allowing for image editing and message generation, as well as synchronisation across multiple devices.
The changes will not affect users running Android 11 or earlier. However, Samsung noted that Galaxy smartwatches released prior to Galaxy Watch4 and operating on Tizen OS will lose access to full message history within the app. Despite this, older smartwatch models will still be able to send and receive new text messages as they arrive.
A long-running default app
Samsung Messages has been a default application on Samsung smartphones since the launch of the Galaxy line in the late 2000s. It received a major update with the release of One UI in 2019, introducing features such as dark mode and a one-handed interface.
Although Samsung continued to install Samsung Messages as the default messaging app with devices like the Galaxy S21, the company began moving away from this approach three years later, starting with the release of foldable devices such as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6. Several months afterwards, the Galaxy S25 series launched without Samsung Messages pre-installed.
