The death date for Samsung Messages is now set in stone, and it's happening in days

Samsung has started notifying Samsung Messages users of the exact shutdown date: July 6, 2026, this coming Monday. The company announced the discontinuation back in April without a firm date, and now everyone still on the app is being pushed toward Google Messages on devices like the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Samsung confirms the exact shutdown date

Samsung has started pushing an in-app notice spelling out the shutdown date: July 6, 2026, this Monday. A new report notes the notice has been arriving on devices since Samsung's April announcement.

We reported this exact date last month from Samsung's own support page. However, seeing it arrive as a notice within the app hits differently for anyone who put this off.



Samsung's own end-of-service notice doesn't leave room for interpretation:



After the cutoff, the app will only handle emergency contacts, and it's gone from the Galaxy Store on any Galaxy S26 or newer device.

What the switch actually costs you

For Galaxy owners still on Samsung Messages, the switch is now mandatory. The app only handles emergencies after Monday, and Google Messages brings the reliable RCS Samsung's app could only offer when a carrier cooperated.

One real loss is customization. Samsung Messages let you set a photo background and adjust bubble opacity, where Google Messages stuck to a plain color toggle for years. That's changing, though, as Google's Chat themes feature rolls out with its own wallpapers and palettes.

If you're on an iPhone, none of this touches you, though Apple's RCS support in iOS 18 already means richer cross-platform chats either way. The shift here is entirely on Samsung's side.

Who needs to act, and how

Anyone on a US Galaxy phone running Android 12 or higher and still on Samsung Messages needs to act. Android 11 or older means Samsung Messages continues to work as it always has.

How to switch to Google Messages before Monday

1. Open Google Messages, downloading it from the Play Store if needed.
2. Tap "Set default SMS app," select Google Messages, then tap "Set as default."
3. History transfers automatically, though it can take a day.

My take on Samsung finally pulling the plug

Three days isn't much runway, but this isn't exactly a surprise. Samsung's been stepping away from its own messaging app since 2021, and July 6 is just the last domino in a sequence anyone paying attention could see coming.

Google Messages isn't perfect (that folder system was genuinely useful, and I hope it gets copied over eventually), but reliable RCS across the board is worth it. If you've been putting this off, Monday's as good a deadline as any, and I'll admit I'm a little relieved to see this one finally wrap up.

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