Samsung Messages Is Ending: How to Save Your Data First
▼ Summary
– Samsung Messages will stop functioning for US users in July 2026, and unmigrated text history will be lost.
– Samsung recommends switching to Google Messages, providing setup instructions for phones on Android 12 and 13.
– Google Messages offers features like RCS typing indicators, AI spam detection, and multi-device access.
– After the July cutoff, Samsung Messages will only work for emergency services, and new phones like the Galaxy S26 cannot download it.
– Users of older Galaxy Watches on Tizen OS will lose full conversation history when switching, but WearOS watches retain it.
There is a firm deadline approaching for Samsung Messages, and it arrives sooner than many users expect. The app will stop functioning for U.S. customers in July 2026, and unlike many software transitions, this one leaves little room for delay. Once the service ends, any unmigrated text history becomes permanently inaccessible. The logical replacement is Google Messages, and Samsung has streamlined the migration process for those who begin ahead of time. The real risk lies in treating this as a low-priority task and realizing in July that years of conversations failed to transfer.
On a dedicated support page detailing the switch, Samsung provides step-by-step instructions for moving to Google’s messaging platform, including guidance for phones still running Android 12 and Android 13. Historically, Samsung preloaded its own Messages app on Galaxy devices, but the company began pivoting toward Google Messages as early as 2021.
To motivate users to make the change, Samsung’s migration guide highlights features exclusive to Google Messages, such as RCS-enabled texting with typing indicators, streamlined group chats, and the ability to send higher-quality images. Google’s app also includes AI-powered spam detection and filters, multi-device message access, and built-in Gemini AI capabilities. It has become the default texting app for most Android phones, including Samsung’s latest Galaxy S26. For those who prefer alternatives, the Google Play Store offers other SMS apps beyond Google’s own.
Samsung has not specified an exact date in July when messaging will cease within its app. A company representative did not respond to a request for clarification. Once the app is deactivated, only emergency services messaging will remain functional on Samsung Messages.
Although Samsung stopped making it the default texting app in 2021, the company did not remove it entirely from new devices until 2024. The Galaxy S26 cannot download Samsung Messages at all, and other phones will lose the ability to install it after the July shutdown.
Samsung notes that users on Android 11 or older are not affected by the service termination, though they would still benefit from switching to a supported app like Google Messages. To begin the transition, the company advises downloading Google Messages if it is not already installed and setting it as the default SMS app when prompted after launch.
The announcement also addresses users of older Galaxy Watches running Samsung’s Tizen operating system. These devices will lose access to full conversation history, as they cannot use Google Messages. Samsung confirms they will still be able to send and read text messages, but only newer watches (Galaxy Watch 4 and later) running WearOS will retain access to complete conversations.
(Source: CNET)
