In a shocking update, Samsung Messages is shutting down in July according to an end-of-service announcement on the company’s U.S. support website.
The news comes to the dismay of many Samsung smartphone owners who are being 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.
Users are now encouraged to switch to Google Messages from the Play Store to avoid any disruption in their work flow, if not already installed, and set it as the default messaging app.
Some users may receive in-app notifications guiding them via the process.
Users of older Android variants, including Android 11 or earlier, will remain unaffected by the shut down.
To check a device’s Android version, firstly launch the Settings app, select “Software Information,” and scroll to “Android version.”
Meanwhile, owners of the latest Galaxy 26 lineup and other newer Samsung phones cannot currently install the Samsung Messages app from the Galaxy Store.
Following the official shut down in July, all devices will lose access to the app.
The South-Korean based tech giant advised users to check the app for the specific date when service will go offline.
The move reflects Samsung’s shift toward integrating Google’s messaging platform across its devices, aiming for a unified Android messaging experience.
