Samsung just confirmed that Samsung Messages will be discontinued in July 2026 and Google Messages is taking over. Samsung posted an official End of Service announcement.

So, July 2026 is the deadline, and if you’re still on the stock messaging app that shipped with your Galaxy phone, it’s time to move.

Once the cutoff hits, Samsung Messages stops working for standard texts. You’ll only be able to send messages to emergency services and defined emergency contacts.

Users on Android 11 or lower are exempt, which tells you something about the demographic Samsung expects to still be running its own messaging client at this point. For everyone else, Google Messages is the mandated replacement.

RCS is the real story here

Most users never noticed the difference between Samsung Messages and Google Messages. But the gap has widened considerably, and its own app has fallen behind on features that carriers and Google have pushed aggressively, particularly RCS.

Apple opened iOS to RCS last year, which meant the last excuse for fragmented messaging across Android and iPhone finally collapsed. Google Messages is the primary vehicle for RCS on Android and that’s why it’s being prioritized.

RCS Messaging across OS

Additional features

Google Messages brings AI-powered scam detection and spam filtering. Gemini integration is also baked in, giving you smart replies and photo remixing tools.

Multi-device support lets you pick up conversations across your phone, tablet, or Galaxy Watch without interruption. High-quality photo and video sharing through RCS, along with typing indicators and read receipts.

Tizen Watch users

If you own a Tizen OS watch, a Galaxy Watch 3 or earlier, you’re losing full conversation history on the watch. Those watches won’t support Google Messages. You can still send and receive texts, but the thread view goes away.

How to switch?

Most users will get an in-app prompt inside Samsung Messages, walking them through the transition. If you want to do it manually, open Google Messages, and it’ll immediately ask you to set it as your default SMS app.

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