A clear end of service announcement was published on Samsung's US support website, stating that "the Samsung Messages application will be discontinued in July 2026. Upgrade to Google Messages as your default messaging app today to maintain a consistent messaging experience on Android". For us in the rest of the world, the statement makes it clear that "applicable to the US market only", at least for now.
As reported by AP News, impacted owners of Samsung smartphones and other devices are being asked to switch to Google Messages.
All Samsung Galaxy phones run on Google's Android operating system, so to switch to Google Messages, Samsung's website gives instructions to download the app from the Play Store - if not already on their phone - and set it as the default. Some people may also receive an in-app notification to guide them through the process.
According to Samsung, switching to Google Messages will give users access to updates like the latest artificial intelligence features from Google's Gemini and the ability to share higher quality photos between Android and Apple iOS devices through RCS-enabled messages.
Users of older Android operating systems (Android 11 or older) will not be impacted by the end of Samsung Messages. And the owners of Samsung's latest Galaxy 26 line-up and other newer phones cannot download the Samsung Messages app from the Galaxy Store. All devices will no longer be able to download Samsung Messages after it's officially discontinued in July, 2026.