If you’ve been using Samsung Messages for years on your Galaxy phone, here’s some news you’ll want to sit with for a moment: the app is officially on its way out. Samsung has made it formal — and if you haven’t made the switch yet, you’ve got about 12 weeks to get ready.
It’s Official: Samsung Messages Is Getting Retired
Samsung quietly posted an end-of-service announcement confirming that Samsung Messages will be discontinued in July 2026. The notice recommends switching to Google Messages to keep texting without interruption. After the cutoff date, the app will likely disappear from both the Galaxy Store and Google Play Store entirely.
To find your exact regional end date, open Samsung Messages on your phone — it should be right there waiting for you.
How to Switch to Google Messages (It Takes About 60 Seconds)
Switching isn’t complicated, and you won’t lose your SMS history. Here’s how to do it:
- Download Google Messages from the Google Play Store
- Open the app — it’ll prompt you with a “Set default SMS app” button on the home screen
- Tap it, choose “Messages” from the pop-up, then hit “Set as default”
Done. Google Messages is now your default texting app.
One thing worth knowing: if you’re on an older device running Android 11 or lower — like the Galaxy S9 or Galaxy Note 9 — Samsung Messages will keep working even after July. These older phones may not fully support the latest Google Messages app, so Samsung is leaving things as they are for them.
Honestly? This Has Been Coming for a While
This didn’t happen overnight. Samsung has been steering toward Google Messages for some time now.
Back in early 2025, the company signaled it would make Google Messages the default on new Galaxy devices. The Galaxy S25 family launched with Google Messages as the default — Samsung Messages was still around, but it was already playing second fiddle. Then the Galaxy S26 series arrived with Samsung Messages gone entirely. You couldn’t even download it from the Galaxy Store on those phones.
The writing, as they say, was on the wall.
So Why Did Samsung Actually Make This Call?
The honest answer is RCS — Rich Communication Services, the modern messaging standard that makes texting feel a lot more like iMessage.
Google Messages delivers full RCS support no matter which carrier you’re on. Samsung Messages, by contrast, made RCS availability dependent on your mobile network — which meant the experience varied wildly from one user to the next.
But it goes beyond just RCS. Google Messages brings things Samsung’s app simply never had:
- Built-in AI-powered scam detection that flags suspicious messages before you even open them
- Multi-device connectivity, so you can text from your tablet or PC seamlessly
- Real-time location sharing
- A trash folder (finally)
- Upcoming video calling support
Samsung’s app was reliable, but it was also standing still. Google Messages kept moving.
One Thing to Keep in Mind
Even after Samsung Messages is discontinued, Samsung’s announcement notes that the app will still function for emergency service numbers and emergency contacts configured on your device. So that piece of safety functionality won’t just vanish.
The Bottom Line
Is it a little bittersweet to see a longtime Galaxy staple go? Sure. But this is genuinely the right move. Google Messages has grown into one of the better messaging apps on Android, and consolidating around it means Galaxy users get a more consistent, feature-rich experience — regardless of their carrier or device.
If you haven’t switched yet, now’s the time. July will be here faster than you think.
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