Samsung Messages App now has a clear end date, and Samsung says the app will be discontinued in July 2026. In its notice, the company is directing users to move to Google Messages and to check inside the app for the exact shutdown date. The move affects long-time Samsung users who still rely on the app, while newer Galaxy devices have already shifted away from it.
What Samsung confirmed
The company has put the final timeline in writing: Samsung Messages will be discontinued in July 2026. Samsung Messages App users are being told to switch to Google Messages to keep a consistent messaging experience on Android. Samsung also says the exact shutdown date is available inside the app, which points to a phased or region-specific rollout rather than one universal cutoff.
For devices running Android 12 and 13, Samsung has provided instructions for switching to Google Messages. On those phones, users need to manually move the Google Messages icon or shortcut to the home screen dock. On Android 14 and newer, the process is simpler because on-screen instructions guide users through setting Google Messages as the default messaging app, and the phone can automatically move the Google Messages icon to the dock.
Who is affected now
Samsung says the change does not affect devices running Android 11 or older. Those devices will continue to support Samsung Messages, although Samsung also notes that older smartwatches face limits, especially models running Tizen OS. Smartwatches released before the Galaxy Watch 4 do not support Google Messages, so after the July discontinuation they will not show full conversation history and will be limited to reading and sending text messages.
Newer phones are already moving in a different direction. The recently launched Galaxy S26 and upcoming flagship devices are unable to download Samsung Messages, which means the discontinuation announcement does not change their setup. For devices launched before 2022, Samsung says RCS may face interruptions after switching to Google Messages, while SMS and MMS will remain unaffected.
What changes for users
Samsung says messages will no longer go through after discontinuation, except for emergency service numbers or emergency contacts defined in the device. The company also says RCS can be restored if both parties switch to Google Messages. Samsung Messages App users are being pushed toward Google Messages because Samsung highlights features such as advanced spam filters, scam detection, multi-device connectivity, and AI features alongside RCS.
That makes this less of a surprise move and more of a formal final step. Samsung announced in July 2024 that Galaxy phones would switch to Google Messages as the default messaging app, and the company has been aligning newer devices around that setup ever since.
What happens next
The immediate next step for anyone still using Samsung Messages App is simple: open the app and check the exact shutdown date, then move to Google Messages before July 2026. Samsung has made clear that the discontinuation is coming, and the last stretch now depends on how quickly users complete the switch.
