July starts this week and with it, Samsung Messages ends. The announcement was made back in April, but if you haven’t yet gotten around to making sure you’re all set up to move over to Google Messages, we’ve got you.
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Sunsetting of Samsung Messages
Samsung began its push to get customers off Samsung Messages and onto Google Messages two years ago, when it released the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 in the US with Google Messages.
A few months later, it started prompting those with older Galaxy models to move to Google Messages.
This past April, there was an official end-of-service announcement. The company said that the app will be discontinued come July, with the exact date available in the Samsung Messages app.
Samsung gives the reasoning behind the discontinuation as a move “to maintain a consistent messaging experience on Android” that delivers better security with spam and scam prevention, RCS messaging for better media sharing, Gemini features, and improved connectivity with smartwatches and tablets.
How to not lose your old texts
If you have a Samsung phone, you might have already received a message and onscreen instructions about moving over to Google Messages.
If not, you can easily move your existing messages over to Google Messages manually with a few steps.
First make sure that your texts have been locally stored on your phone or if they’re in Samsung Cloud. If they’re in the cloud and you want them moved to Google Messages, go to Settings > Accounts and backup and under Samsung Cloud, select Restore data. Choose the backup with your texts and check Messages > Restore.
Once you’ve done that or if you’re able to skip that step, open or download Google Messages. You’ll get the message, “To use Messages, make it your default SMS app.” Tap the Set default SMS app button, then select Google Messages > Set as default.
Phones with older versions of Android have a few extra steps. For phones with Android 12 and Android 13, Google Messages will not automatically move into the home screen dock after the switch.
To do that manually, press and hold Samsung Messages in the home screen dock and select Remove when the option pops up. Then press and hold the Google Messages app icon and select Add to Home. Then drag the icon into the home screen dock.
Before you delete Samsung Messages, make sure that all of your texts have moved over to Google Messages.
If they have not, a Google Support page suggests restarting your phone after making Google Messages your default. If they are still not there, update both Google Messages and Carrier Services from the Play Store.
