Samsung Messages app to stop working soon, here’s what users need to do

Samsung has confirmed that it will shut down its default messaging app, Samsung Messages, in July 2026. This hasn’t really come out of nowhere, especially since the company has already been moving users towards Google Messages over the past few years. Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ Review: A safe bet

For a lot of Galaxy users, this is the end of something they’ve been using for a long time. At the same time, the shift has been happening slowly, so it doesn’t feel like a sudden change. Also Read: Samsung launches 'Trips' feature in wallet app: How it is different from Apple wallet and Google wallet

What Samsung has announced

Samsung has said that the Messages app will stop working sometime in July 2026. The exact date may differ, and users will likely see a notification inside the app closer to the shutdown. Also Read: Big relief for smartphone buyers: Aadhaar app won’t be forced on your device

Once that happens, you won’t be able to send messages through the app anymore. Some basic features, like emergency contacts, may still remain accessible.

Samsung is also asking users to switch to Google Messages so that messaging services continue without any issues.

Why this change is happening

Over the years, Samsung has started replacing its own messaging app with Google Messages on newer Galaxy phones, making it the default option right out of the box. In some cases, Samsung Messages was no longer pre-installed at all.

The aim here is to keep messaging more uniform across Android, instead of having different apps doing the same thing.

Who will be affected

Not everyone will feel this change in the same way. If you are using an older device running Android 11 or below, Samsung Messages is expected to keep working.

On the other hand, users with newer devices running Android 12 and above will need to move to Google Messages once the app is shut down.

For users on newer Galaxy phones, this may not really change anything. A lot of these devices already come with Google Messages as the default, so for a lot of users, this change has already happened without them really thinking about it.

What users need to do

If you are still on Samsung Messages, the switch is simple. Just download Google Messages from the Play Store and set it as your default app.

Once you do that, things will continue as usual. You also get features like RCS chats, which bring read receipts and better media sharing compared to regular SMS.

What this means for Galaxy users

Samsung Messages has been there on Galaxy phones for years, so it might feel like something familiar is going away.

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At the same time, this shift hasn’t happened overnight. It has been building up over time, and many users have already moved to Google Messages along the way. So it doesn’t feel like a sudden change, more like the last step in a transition that was already in progress.