Samsung will eliminate messaging application

NEW YORK (AP).— Samsung reported on its website that its Samsung Messages text messaging application will no longer be available next July.

Meanwhile, owners of Samsung smartphones and other devices are asked to switch to Google Messages “to maintain a consistent messaging experience on Android.”

All Samsung Galaxy phones run on Google’s Android operating system. To switch to Google Messages, Samsung’s website offers users instructions to download the app from the Play Store, if it’s not already on their phone, and set it as the default. Some people may also receive an in-app notification that guides them through the process.

Samsung maintains that switching to Google Messages will give users access to updates like the latest AI features from Google’s Gemini—including an experimental feature called Remix to generate images during conversations and AI-powered reply suggestions—as well as the ability to share higher-quality photos between Android and Apple iOS devices using RCS-enabled messages.

Users of older Android operating systems (Android 11 or earlier) will not be affected by the end of Samsung Messages, the company said. To check which Android operating system you have on your Samsung device, open Settings, click “software information” and scroll to “Android version”.

Meanwhile, owners of Samsung’s latest line of Galaxy 26 phones and other newer phones cannot download the Samsung Messages app from the Galaxy Store.

The company indicated that after it is officially discontinued in July, no device will be able to download Samsung Messages again. Samsung stated that users can check their application to find out the exact date the service will go offline.

Outside the United States, Samsung did not specify whether its guidance for Samsung Messages was the same globally.

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