Samsung phones could soon unlock a faster way to find your Google Messages texts

Google Messages could soon work with Samsung's Finder app, the system-wide search tool on phones like the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Code in the latest Google Messages beta points to Finder searching your texts, something the Pixel 11 series can already do with its own search.

Google Messages beta code hints at Samsung Finder support

The discovery comes from a new report by AssembleDebug, who has spent years digging through Google's apps for features that aren't live yet. While going through Google Messages beta version 20260921, he found code that would let Samsung's Finder (formerly S Finder) search through the conversations stored in Google's texting app.

Right now, Google Messages doesn't even show up in Finder's list of supported apps, so what we're looking at is groundwork for a future update, and there's nothing to switch on today.



As with anything spotted in an APK teardown, there's no guarantee the feature ships. Still, Google and Samsung tend to work closely on this kind of integration, so I'm guessing it has a decent shot at making it out of the beta.

Why Galaxy owners in the US lost Finder text search

Samsung moved its US users over to Google Messages and sunset its own Samsung Messages app, as we covered when the switch was announced. Finder could dig through texts in Samsung's app, but it has no hook into Google Messages, so anyone who searched their conversations from Finder was left out of luck.

If this ships, you'd be able to type a name or a phrase into Finder and land straight on the right message, without opening Google Messages first and searching inside it.

Of course, Samsung is playing catch-up here. The Pixel 11 series launched with a new Pixel search app that, according to this report, can surface text messages, emails, and photos straight from the app drawer's search bar.

Interestingly, that same app also turned up on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra, so some foldable owners may already have a way around this. Apple's Spotlight search has pulled results from apps like Messages on the iPhone for even longer.

So if you're on a Pixel 11 or an iPhone, this news doesn't change anything for you. Google has no reason to worry either, since it wins both ways as the company behind the Messages app.

Who gets the most out of Finder searching your texts

The people who stand to gain the most are US Galaxy owners who relied on Finder before Samsung Messages went away, along with anyone who picked up a newer Galaxy phone that ships with Google Messages as the default. If you'd rather not wait, the search bar inside Google Messages still does the job, just with a couple of extra taps.

A small Google Messages upgrade I'd happily take

This isn't the most exciting feature Google Messages has in the works, especially with the redesign we spotted in the beta last week. However, finding a text without hunting for the right app first is the kind of small convenience that ends up becoming a habit.

I'm hoping this one leaves the beta soon, and I'd personally love to see Google bring the same hook to other phone makers' search tools down the line.

More on Google Messages and the Galaxy S26:

• See the Google Messages redesign in the works
• Everything to know about the Galaxy S26 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

• Follow me on X and Threads

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