Overview
- Samsung announced in April that it will discontinue the Samsung Messages app in the U.S. and the shutdown is expected in early July, so users with the app should prepare to move their conversations.
- Devices running Android 12 or newer will lose Samsung Messages functionality while phones on Android 11 and earlier can continue using the app.
- On phones with Android 14 and later Samsung Messages will automatically shift to Google Messages, including replacing the home-screen icon; phones on Android 12 and 13 require users to install and set Google Messages as the default manually.
- After the shutdown users will only be able to send messages from Samsung Messages to emergency service numbers or emergency contacts, so installing Google Messages is the most complete way to retain regular texting and RCS features.
- The change follows a multi-year realignment—Google Messages became the default on many Galaxy models in 2022, Samsung stopped preloading its app on flagships in 2024, and Samsung highlights Google Messages’ RCS interoperability, spam detection and AI features as the rationale for the move.