Quick Answer
Samsung Messages is shutting down in the U.S. for most Galaxy phones running Android 12 or newer. Switch to Google Messages before the July 6 deadline by making it your default SMS app—your conversations will transfer automatically, though the process may take up to 24 hours.
Samsung Messages was the default messaging app on Galaxy phones for a long time. However, starting in 2022, the company began shipping Google Messages as the default app on its flagship phones in the US and a few other regions. Soon after, in July 2024, it announced that new Galaxy phones won’t come pre-installed with Samsung Messages.
However, at the time, Samsung didn’t reveal its plan to sunset the app — though the signs were there all along. That happened in April this year when it announced that Samsung Messages would be discontinued in the US in July 2026 and asked its users to switch to Google Messages.
It’s July, which means if you live in the U.S. and use Samsung Messages on your Galaxy phone, you have until July 6 (or a few more days, depending on your phone’s model and carrier) to either switch to Google Messages or find another alternative.
After the sunset date, the Samsung Messages app will stop working on Galaxy phones running Android 12 or newer in the US, meaning it won’t be able to send and receive text messages; it will only work for emergency contacts. Those using a Galaxy phone running Android 11 or older won’t be affected and can continue using Samsung Messages.
Why Is Samsung Discontinuing Samsung Messages in the US?
Samsung hasn’t revealed why it’s retiring Samsung Messages in the US. However, the most logical reason behind the move, which many publications have also reported, is poor handling of the RCS infrastructure on the carriers’ end and the lack of a fix to work around it on Samsung’s part.
You see, to bring RCS to Samsung Messages, Samsung leveraged the existing carrier-hosted RCS servers, meaning each carrier, be it AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile, had its own independent backend for handling RCS functionality. It was the traditional approach at the time, since carriers were responsible for handling cellular infrastructure. However, this dependency had a major problem: if these carrier-operated servers went down, it would break RCS functionality in Samsung Messages, and the app would fall back to standard SMS and MMS.
In contrast, Google relies on its own cloud infrastructure (Jibe) to reliably offer RCS services to Google Messages users. As a result, RCS on Google Messages isn’t affected when carrier-based RCS servers succumb to technical issues. In fact, the Jibe platform worked so well that many carriers switched to it to implement RCS services.
How to Switch From Samsung Messages to Google Messages
Transferring your conversations from Samsung Messages to Google Messages is easy. All you need to do is set Google Messages as the default SMS app.
First, download Google Messages to your phone from the Play Store if you don’t already have it. Open the app, and you should see a Set default SMS app button in the center of the screen. Tap it, select Messages on the prompt, and hit Set as default.
That’s it. All your existing messages and conversations will automatically be transferred to the Google Messages app. Samsung says the transfer may take up to 24 hours, so you may not see some of your conversations right away. In case you see a blank conversation list after the switch, don’t worry, your data isn’t lost. Just let the transfer process complete and check after 24 hours.
Now, if you own a Galaxy watch, specifically the ones that run Tizen OS (basically watches launched before the Watch4), you won’t be able to see full message conversations after the switch. You’ll still be able to send and receive messages, though. Those on Watch4 and newer models aren’t affected.
With your default SMS app changed, you must remove the Samsung Messages app icon from the home screen and replace it with Google Messages for easy access. Go to the app drawer, long-tap the Google Messages app icon, and drag it to the home screen.
Samsung Messages Isn’t Going Away in Other Regions — For Now
Samsung Messages packs some really useful features, such as chat customization, message categories, and auto-deleting old messages, which make it a popular choice among many Galaxy users. And it’s disappointing to see Samsung discontinuing Samsung Messages in the U.S. But switching to Google Messages or another messaging app or service is the only way forward if you live in the US.
That said, for those living in other regions, there’s a sigh of relief: Samsung has confirmed that the shutdown is limited only to the US market. As such, if you use Samsung Messages, you’ll still be able to use it. Keep in mind that the app no longer appears to be a priority for Samsung, so it may not receive new features going forward.
Since Google Messages has received some significant updates recently, switching over is a wise choice. With Google Messages, you get features like fully end-to-end encrypted texting with iPhone, built-in voice message transcription, chat themes, Gemini-powered real-time scam detection, and sensitive content warning, which are quite meaningful and can improve everyday usability.
