Samsung Messages will go offline in July, leaving millions of Galaxy phone users needing to switch apps and secure their text history.
WASHINGTON — Samsung has confirmed it will permanently shut down its long-running Samsung Messages app in the United States by July, ending the messaging service that has been a staple on Galaxy smartphones since the company’s earliest Android devices. The shutdown date, confirmed in notifications some users have already received, is July 6, 2026.
Samsung is directing affected users to switch to Google Messages to “maintain a consistent messaging experience on Android.”
Who is affected
The Samsung Messages app will continue to function on devices running Android 11 or lower — phones like the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy Note 9 will continue to have the app functioning even after July. For everyone else, once Samsung Messages is discontinued, sending messages through the app will no longer be possible, except for emergency service numbers or emergency contacts defined on the device.
Newer Galaxy phones already come with Google Messages preinstalled, and Samsung Messages is no longer available to download on many newer devices. Owners of the Galaxy S26 and newer devices cannot download the Samsung Messages app from the Galaxy Store at all.
Watch out for scams
The transition has also opened the door for scammers. The rollout of notifications is uneven, with some Galaxy phones showing notices inside Samsung Messages or system prompts, but there is no universal alert reaching everyone at once.
That inconsistency has caused confusion, with some users questioning whether shutdown warnings they received were legitimate. Samsung has published an official end-of-service announcement on its U.S. support website, but if you receive a text urging you to click a link to switch messaging apps, treat it with caution — the real transition only requires downloading Google Messages from the Play Store and setting it as your default, with no link-clicking required.
How to save your old messages
The good news: all messages and conversations will automatically be transferred between Samsung Messages and Google Messages. Depending on how much data you have, it could take up to about 24 hours.
For users who want an independent backup before making the switch, Samsung Cloud can be used to back up messages by going to Settings, then Accounts and backup, then Back up data under Samsung Cloud. Google Drive can also sync message data across devices logged into the same Google account — go to Settings, then Accounts and backup, then Back up data under Google Drive, enable Backup by Google One and tap “Back up now.”
Samsung Smart Switch is another option, allowing users to back up messages to a PC or Mac, or transfer them wirelessly between two phones placed within 4 inches of each other.
What about older Galaxy smartwatches?
Older-generation watches running Samsung’s Tizen operating system cannot support Google Messages. After the Samsung Messages discontinuation, those watches will no longer be able to display full message conversation history, though users will still be able to read and send text messages from their wrist. Newer Galaxy watches running Wear OS will retain full conversation access through Google Messages.
What to do now
With roughly two months until the July deadline, Samsung users still on Samsung Messages should act soon. Download Google Messages from the Google Play Store – if it isn’t already on your device, back up your message history using Samsung Cloud, Google Drive or Smart Switch, and set Google Messages as your default messaging app in your phone’s settings.
Samsung says switching to Google Messages will give users access to AI features from Google’s Gemini, including AI-powered reply suggestions and the ability to share higher-quality photos between Android and Apple iOS devices through RCS.