When Samsung had their own ‘messaging’ app, it came to my attention when I purchased my Samsung Galaxy S7 back in 2017. This was the first time I purchased a device outside the Google ecosystem. My brother purchased the Note about a month later and we were texting using Samsung’s own messaging app. I remember it being cool but not as smooth as Google’s own app. Almost nearly a year into it, we switched to the Google Messages app and never looked back. That was until we got iPhones later on. Now, almost a decade later, Samsung Messages is being sunset.
Many people saw the writing on the wall for years. Samsung finally got the message. Back in 2024, Samsung stopped pre-installing the app on their phone. Opting to go with Google Messages at the default texting app. I drifted away from the device after dealing with all their bloatware. I would spend hours uninstalling all the stuff I didn’t want.
Don’t get me started on all the stuff from Verizon I worked hard to get rid of. Even then, there were a lot of apps that they wouldn’t let you uninstall. Even if you did, they would reinstall after a software Verizon update.
Samsung Messages Wasn’t Needed in the End
The death nail, in my opinion, was when Apple decided to use RCS in their iMessage app. This allowed them to realize that this was the time. As of now, Samsung has given the end-to-service date as July 2026. After the shutdown, Samsung Messages will not send texts except for emergency contacts and services.
Normally, apps are completely shutdown at the end-of-life. Not so for Samsung. The fine print states that once the 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.”
Samsung also notes that users will no longer be able to download the Messages app from the Galaxy Store once it is discontinued. Newer devices, like the Galaxy S26 series, already do not support Samsung Messages, according to Android Central.
It is, however, worth noting that users on Android 11 or older are not affected by this change. They will still be able to use the Samsung Messages app on their devices. However, why would you? Many of the users undoubtedly switched over to Google already.