Samsung to End Native Messaging App in July 2026, Shifts Users to Google Messages

Samsung announced that its default Samsung Messages app will cease operation in the United States in July 2026. The company’s “End of Service” notice makes clear that, after that date, the app will no longer handle regular SMS or RCS traffic on most Galaxy phones.

What users need to know

• Switch to Google Messages: Devices running Android 12 or newer are required to adopt Google’s Messages app for standard texting and Rich Communication Services.
• Older phones unaffected: Handsets on Android 11 or earlier will continue to run Samsung Messages, though only for emergency numbers and contacts.
• Wearables impact: Tizen‑based Galaxy watches released before the Watch 4 will lose full conversation history, though they can still send and read texts.
• Gradual phase‑out: Samsung stopped pre‑loading the app on recent flagships such as the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Flip 6, and S 25 series, signalling a multi‑year consolidation plan.

The move aligns Samsung’s messaging experience with Google’s ecosystem, promising a more uniform Android interface across the market while ending support for a service that has been bundled with Galaxy devices since the line’s Android debut.