Samsung says goodbye to texting app, advises users to switch to Google

Samsung is discontinuing its proprietary messaging application, Samsung Messages, directing users to Google Messages instead.

The tech giant announced the end of service for its namesake app, effective July, via an end-of-service notice published on its U.S. support website.

Owners of Samsung smartphones and other devices are being advised to transition to Google Messages “to maintain a consistent messaging experience on Android.”

All Samsung Galaxy phones operate on Google’s Android operating system. To make the switch, Samsung’s website provides instructions: users should download the Google Messages app from the Play Store if it’s not already installed and then set it as their default messaging application. Some users may also receive an in-app notification to guide them through this process.

Samsung says switching to Google Messages will give users access to updates like the latest artificial intelligence features from Google’s Gemini — which includes an experimental feature called “Remix” to generate images during conversations and AI-powered reply suggestions — and the ability to share higher quality photos between Android and Apple iOS devices through RCS-enabled messages.

Users of older Android operating systems (dating back to Android 11 or older) will not be impacted by the end of Samsung Messages, the company noted. To check what Android OS you have on a Samsung device, open the settings app, click on “software information” and scroll to “Android version.”

Meanwhile, owners of Samsung’s latest Galaxy 26 lineup and other newer phones cannot download the Samsung Messages app from the Galaxy Store today.

All devices will no longer be able to download Samsung Messages after it’s officially discontinued in July, the company noted. Samsung said users can check their app for the exact date for when service will go offline.

Beyond the U.S., Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for further information about whether its guidance for Samsung Messages was the same globally.