Samsung Message app to be discontinued, move to Google's Android Messages app

Historically, Samsung has produced a really good number of premium Android phones, but it had a nasty practice of pre-loading duplicate applications. In recent years, it has made strides in reducing the number of third-party apps. And, some apps can be uninstalled permanently from the phone.

In the latest move, the South Korean phone maker has announced to kill one of its apps-- Samsung Messages-- on Galaxy phones. It is slated to be discontinued later this year, in June 2026.

The company has urged Galaxy phone users to move to Google's vanilla Messages app. And, device owners can make the transition with less hassle.

Depending on the operating system of the Galaxy phone, users will receive an in-app notification from Samsung Messages to help guide them through the process. They have to follow the on-screen instructions to complete the switch.

Samsung Messages app to be discontinued soon.

To switch to the Google Messages app manually, follow the procedure below:

Step 1: Open Google Messages. The first time the user opens the app, a message appears: “To use Messages, make it your default SMS app."

Step 2: Tap the ’Set default SMS app’ button.

Step 3: Select Google Messages. Google Messages is the white icon with the blue conversation bubble.

Step 4: Tap ’Set as default’. And, Google Messages will become the default messaging app.

With the Google Messages app, users get cybersecurity alerts whenever a criminal sends malware-laced text or multimedia content to the phone.

With support for advanced messaging protocols, RCS (Rich Communication Service) capability, users can share high-quality photos and videos, see real-time typing indicators, and do more on the Google Messages app.

Also, the app comes deeply integrated with Google Gemini AI. It can help churn out images or stickers in an instant with just text queries and share the AI-generated multimedia content instantly without leaving the messenger app.

Also, with multi-device connectivity, Google Messages gets synced with all Android devices, such as phones, tablets, and Chromebooks. Users can message on one device and resume texting on the other devices at the same point. However, the devices have to have the same Gmail ID.

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