Overview
- Samsung retired the Samsung Messages app in the United States on Monday, July 6, 2026, and the app now only functions for emergency calls and texts on affected devices.
- The shutdown applies to Galaxy devices running Android 12 or newer while phones on Android 11 or older remain able to use Samsung Messages.
- Samsung is directing U.S. users to install or set Google Messages as their default, which triggers an automated transfer of existing message histories and media into Google Messages.
- Samsung and Google say the move delivers unified RCS features plus Google’s AI-powered scam detection, spam filters and Gemini-driven messaging tools, though some Samsung-specific UI customizations will not carry over immediately.
- The change follows a multi-year shift that saw Google Messages become default on many Galaxy models since 2022 and Samsung stop preloading its app on recent flagships, and Samsung says the retirement currently applies only to the U.S.