Is Samsung Messages being discontinued? The rumors are true, Samsung phone users, with Samsung officially announcing it will end support of the Samsung Messages app, meaning Samsung Messages are going away for good.
Not sure how to upgrade your Samsung phone with this latest Samsung news? Here’s what you need to know about when Samsung Messages will be discontinued, what message app you need to upgrade or download on your Samsung Galaxy, and why Samsung messages are shutting down.
Many Samsung Galaxy users are receiving — or will receive — in-app prompts inside Samsung Messages telling them the app is ending. Verizon had previously issued a notice they were no longer supporting RCS support (“Advanced Messaging”) — but Verizon users can still use Samsung Messages. Carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile, plus Boost and Mint Mobile services, have not issued any widespread notices. Here’s what you need to know now.
Yes. Samsung Messages is being discontinued with Samsung transitioning to Google Messages, Samsung said in an End of Service Announcement on their webpage.
The Samsung Messages app will no longer be supported — meaning you won’t be able to use the app on your Samsung phone anymore. The default messaging app will be Google Messages.
Samsung Messages will be discontinued in July 2026, when the messaging app will no longer be functional on your Samsung phone. Samsung advises customers to check the Messages app for the exact cutoff date, which may vary slightly by device or region.
Samsung phones affected include any Galaxy devices running Android 12 or newer. Not affected (for now) are devices running Android 11 or older, Samsung said. You may have already gotten a notice to switch app if you are running Samsung Messages.
Have a newer Samsung Galaxy? Samsung stopped allowing Samsung Messages to be downloaded on their newer Galaxy phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S26 series.
Samsung Messages will no longer send or receive texts, unless for emergency numbers or emergency contacts identified in your phone.
It’s a good time to transition to Google Messages, which Samsung says is the recommended default option. However, Samsung phones do support multiple SMS apps, which can be found below.
Google Messages will be the default messaging app on Samsung phones and are the preferred app to send and receive text messages, Samsung said. However, if Google Messages isn’t downloaded on your phone, here is how to get it and how to set it as your default messaging app:
Google Messages is already the default on newer Galaxy phones and fully supports SMS/RMS, RCS and cross-device syncing. However, Android allows users to choose their own default messaging app, so as long as the app supports SMS/MMS, you can set it as your default.
Alternative apps include Textra SMS, Pulse SMS, and Chomp SMS, which offer full features. Other private apps that offer less Google integration and don’t necessarily support RCS are Fossify Messages, QKSMS and Right Messages.
Older generation Samsung Galaxy watches with the Tizen OD (watches launched before the Galaxy Watch4) cannot support Google Messages. After Samsung Messages is discontinued, older Tizen watches will no longer be able to see full message conversation history on their watch; however, those watches will still allow the user to read and send text messages, Samsung said.
RCS stands for Rich Communication Services and is designed to make texting work with apps like iMessage or WhatsApp. It uses mobile data or Wi-Fi, is built into Google Messages and works only between phones that support RCS.
RCS lets you see if someone read your text message or if they are currently typing, it provides higher-quality photos and videos, better group chats, and better emojis and “like” options.
Then what’s SMS? Short Message Service (SMS) is the traditional text messaging system that has been around since the 1990s and only allows you to send basic text messages without the need for the internet. You are limited to 160 characters and photos and videos are much slower and lower quality. It’s reliable, but old technology.
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based news reporter covering trending news with USA TODAY Network’s Mid-Atlantic Connect Team. She covers health and other news in the Northeast, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Reach her at [email protected]

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