Samsung Messages shuts down in favor of Google Messages on July 6 [U]

As announced earlier this year, the Samsung Messages app is about to shut down,

Samsung Messages has been the pre-installed SMS app on Galaxy phones for years, but the rise of RCS has slowly pushed the company away from its own app. Google Messages became the default texting app on Galaxy phones in 2022. In 2024, Samsung stopped pre-installing its own app on Galaxy devices sold in the US, and the company actively pushed usersto Google’s app later that year. In 2025, there was a brief resurgence for Samsung Messages, including RCS support and some new features, but Samsung ultimately decided to pull the plug.

In April, Samsung confirmed that its Messages app would shut down in favor of Google Messages,and now that time has come.

Samsung Messages will officially shut down on July 6, an in-app notice confirms as noted by usersover the past few weeks.

Advertisement - scroll for more content

Samsung Messages will cease to work on Galaxy devices running Android 12 or newer. Older Galaxy devices running older Android versions can continue using Samsung Messages.

On Galaxy devices running Android 14 and newer, Samsung Messages will “automatically shift” to Google Messages, including the icon on your homescreen.

In a poll of 9to5Google readers, Samsung’s app layout and features were the primary reason users didn’t want to switch over, with themes also having been a notable reason.

Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram