Samsung has announced it will discontinue its Messages app for Galaxy phones in July 2026, urging users to switch to Google Messages. The app will stop working entirely except for emergency services after that date. Older Galaxy Watches on Tizen will lose access to full conversation history.
Samsung is ending support for its Messages app on Galaxy phones in July 2026. The company has provided instructions for users to transition to Google Messages, which offers features like RCS texting with typing indicators, improved group chats, higher-quality image sharing, AI-powered spam detection, multi-device access, and built-in Gemini AI capabilities. Samsung stopped making its app the default in 2021 and ceased preinstalling it in 2024. The Galaxy S26 does not support downloading the app, and it will be unavailable for others after the shutdown. Users on Android 11 or earlier are unaffected but encouraged to switch for better support. A Samsung representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the exact shutdown date in July. Once deactivated, the app will only allow messaging to emergency services. For wearables, older Galaxy Watches running Tizen will retain send-and-receive functionality but lose full conversation history, as they cannot use Google Messages. Newer models from Galaxy Watch 4 onward, which run WearOS, will maintain access to complete message histories.
