Samsung users in the United States face an important deadline this July as the company prepares to discontinue support for Samsung Messages, ending a service that has been a default texting app on Galaxy devices for years.
The move forms part of Samsung’s broader transition toward Google Messages, a strategy the company first began implementing in 2021 when newer Galaxy smartphones started shipping with Google’s messaging platform as the default option.
According to guidance published by Samsung, users must manually switch to Google Messages or another supported texting application before the shutdown takes effect. While the migration process is straightforward, message history and conversations will not automatically transfer unless users complete the required steps themselves.
Samsung has not announced an exact shutdown date in July. However, the company confirmed that once support ends, Samsung Messages will only allow communication with emergency services.
The change will affect users who still rely on Samsung Messages as their primary texting application on supported Galaxy devices.
Samsung said users running Android 11 or older versions will not be directly affected by the service shutdown. Nevertheless, the company still recommends moving to a supported messaging platform.
Why Samsung Is Moving Users to Google Messages
Samsung’s transition reflects broader changes in the Android ecosystem, where Google Messages has emerged as the standard messaging platform across most Android devices.
The company highlighted several features available through Google Messages, including Rich Communication Services (RCS), which offers typing indicators, improved group chats and higher-quality photo sharing.
Google Messages also includes AI-powered spam detection, spam filtering, multi-device synchronization and Gemini-powered artificial intelligence features.
Samsung stopped making Samsung Messages the default texting app in 2021. In 2024, the company stopped preinstalling Samsung Messages alongside Google Messages on newer devices.
The latest Galaxy S26 series no longer supports downloading Samsung Messages, and Samsung said users on older devices will lose access to downloads after the July shutdown.
Industry analysts say the shift aligns Samsung more closely with Google’s efforts to modernize messaging services and expand RCS adoption across Android platforms.
Galaxy Watch Users May Notice Changes
Samsung also warned that some smartwatch users could experience limitations after the transition.
Owners of older Galaxy Watches running Samsung’s Tizen operating system will lose access to complete conversation histories because those devices do not support Google Messages integration.
The company said these watches will still allow users to send and receive text messages.
However, Galaxy Watch 4 models and newer devices running Wear OS will continue to support full conversation synchronization through Google Messages.
To complete the transition, Samsung advises users to download Google Messages if it is not already installed and select it as the default SMS application when prompted.
The shutdown marks the end of a messaging platform that served Samsung users for more than a decade and signals the company’s full commitment to Google’s messaging ecosystem.
For millions of Galaxy users, the coming weeks represent the final opportunity to preserve message history and ensure a smooth transition before Samsung Messages reaches the end of its service life.
