Here Are 5 Things Every Galaxy Owner Must Know Right Now

Samsung has confirmed that its long-running Messages app will be discontinued in July 2026, ending a texting platform that has shipped on Galaxy devices since 2009 and forcing millions of remaining users to migrate to Google Messages before the cutoff arrives. Here’s what Android owners need to understand about the shutdown and how to prepare.

1. The shutdown is scheduled for July 2026, with some users reporting a specific date. Samsung’s official End of Service notice, posted on its U.S. support website, states plainly that “the Samsung Messages application will be discontinued in July 2026,” directing users to “upgrade to Google Messages as your default messaging app today to maintain a consistent messaging experience on Android.” While Samsung’s public messaging has stuck to the broader monthlong window, at least one specific date has surfaced through device notifications sent directly to users. A screenshot obtained by NBC Chicago showed one notice reading, “Samsung Messages is being discontinued on July 6 2026.” Samsung has advised users to check the Samsung Messages app itself for the exact shutdown date applicable to their device, suggesting the rollout may be phased or staggered rather than occurring all at once.

2. Once the cutoff hits, the app won’t disappear, but it will stop functioning as a texting tool. According to the fine print in Samsung’s notice, “sending messages via Samsung Messages on your phone will no longer be possible, except for emergency service numbers or emergency contacts defined in your device.” The shutdown also extends to a feature some users have come to rely on for cross-device texting: Samsung’s Message Continuity service, known as “Call & Text on Other Devices,” which allows people to send texts from a paired tablet or PC, will also be disrupted once Samsung Messages is formally discontinued.

3. The change is currently limited to the U.S. market, and not every device is affected equally. Samsung’s notice specifies that the discontinuation applies to the U.S. market only, with no confirmed shutdown date announced for other regions at this time. Within the U.S., devices running Android 11 or lower are explicitly excluded from this particular end-of-service deadline and will continue functioning as before. However, availability of the app itself has already been shrinking ahead of the formal cutoff: owners of the Galaxy S26 and newer devices cannot download Samsung Messages from the Galaxy Store at all, and once the app is officially discontinued in July, no other devices will be able to download it from the Galaxy Store either. On devices released before 2022, switching messaging apps may temporarily disrupt ongoing RCS conversations, though Samsung says those conversations can resume once both parties have switched to Google Messages, with standard MMS and SMS messaging remaining available throughout that transition period.

4. The shift is part of a broader, years-long move toward Google Messages and RCS standardization, not a sudden decision. Samsung stopped making its own Messages app the default texting platform on Galaxy phones back in 2021 and stopped pre-installing it alongside Google Messages starting in 2024. The July 2026 shutdown formalizes a shift the company had already been making in practice for years. Industry observers have tied the change closely to Google’s broader push for Rich Communication Services, or RCS, a messaging standard often described as Android’s answer to Apple’s iMessage. Google Messages offers RCS features including read receipts, real-time typing indicators, higher-quality photo and video sharing, end-to-end encryption in supported chats, and integration with Gemini-powered AI tools such as suggested replies and an experimental image-generation feature. Samsung has framed the consolidation around streamlining the texting experience, stating in its announcement that the goal is to “maintain a consistent messaging experience on Android.” The company has also emphasized that the discontinuation is limited specifically to messaging and does not affect other core Galaxy apps or services.

5. Scammers are already exploiting confusion around the transition, so verify any notice independently. As word of the shutdown has spread, fraudulent text messages designed to mimic Samsung’s official notifications have begun circulating, targeting confused Galaxy phone owners. One reader from Running Springs, California, who goes by Gilberto, described receiving a suspicious text warning him that Samsung Messages would end on a specific date and urging him to switch apps immediately. While the underlying shift to Google Messages is genuine, security experts have cautioned that unsolicited texts urging immediate action, particularly those containing links, should be treated skeptically. The safest approach is to ignore unexpected links entirely and instead verify any notice directly through a device’s own settings or by checking the Samsung Messages app, rather than clicking through a text message claiming to be from Samsung.

For most users, the actual process of switching should be straightforward when it comes to standard text messages. Google Messages draws from a device’s standard SMS and MMS database, meaning older text conversations typically carry over automatically without requiring any manual export. Users can switch by opening or installing Google Messages, then selecting the option to set it as their default SMS app. Samsung has said many Galaxy phones will display in-app notifications within Samsung Messages guiding users through that transition before the cutoff arrives. The shutdown also extends to Tizen OS smartwatches, where Samsung Messages is similarly being discontinued, though those devices will retain basic read and send capability even as full conversation history access is lost; Galaxy Watch models running WearOS are handled differently and will retain full conversation continuity through Google Messages across phone, tablet and watch.

With the July deadline approaching, Samsung is encouraging all remaining Samsung Messages users, particularly those on devices still capable of running the app, to complete the switch to Google Messages well ahead of the cutoff date rather than waiting until service is formally discontinued and texting capability becomes limited to emergency contacts only.