Samsung Messages is officially shutting down for good here's what you need
to know

Date:
Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:32:40 +0000

Description:
Samsung has announced that its Samsung Messages app is shutting, with Google Messages the replacement.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Samsung Messages is shutting down in July 2026 The move has been branded "dumb" and "sad" Users are being encouraged to use Google Messages It's time to bid farewell to Samsung Messages: Samsung has announced that it's shutting down the app in the next few months, with users encouraged to make the switch over to Google Messages for their texting needs.

"The Samsung Messages application will be discontinued in July 2026," says Samsung (via 9to5Google ). "Upgrade to Google Messages as your default messaging app today to maintain a consistent messaging experience on
Android." This is far from an unexpected move: last year Samsung said it was "sunsetting" Samsung Messages, although the app remained available in the Galaxy Store. Google Messages has been installed by default on both the
Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S26 phones. Article continues below You may like Google Messages is getting more handy tools keep an eye out for these 3 new
features 9 things we learned from Samsungs first Galaxy Unpacked event of
2026 Samsung is ceasing all Galaxy Z TriFold sales after just three months

Even if it's no surprise though, there are fans of Samsung Messages who will be disappointed the app is finally going away for good. The Reddit reactions include users saying "this is so dumb" and labeling the move "sad" and "annoying". Making the switch The Galaxy S26 phones arrived without Samsung Messages (Image credit: Samsung) Samsung says you can get an exact date for the shutdown by opening up the Samsung Messages app on your phone. It's also provided instructions for switching to Google Messages, which you may need to download from the Play Store .

The first time you open up Google Messages, you should see a pop-up asking if you want to make it the default texting app. You can also do this by heading to Apps > Choose default apps from Settings.

"Once the Samsung Messages app is discontinued, sending messages via Samsung Messages on your phone will no longer be possible, except for emergency service numbers or emergency contacts defined in your device," says Samsung. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our
trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Samsung mentions the benefits of Google Messages on its support page, including full support for the RCS standard and (of course) various AI features. You can also opt to switch to third-party alternatives for messaging, including Pulse . Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too. Today's best phone deals Contract Deals Sim Free Google Pixelsnap Charger
with Stand * Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 (Porcelain) Google Pixel 10 Pro 36
months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 5GB data 50 upfront 38 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 5GB data 50 upfront 53.50 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices Apple iPhone 17 Pro 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 100 upfront 62.37 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/samsung-messages-is-off icially-shutting-down-for-good-heres-what-you-need-to-know


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)