How to switch from Samsung Messages before the July deadline

Samsung Messages has been living on borrowed time for a while now. If you’re still using it, this is your cue to start thinking about what comes next.

A couple of months ago, Samsung confirmed it would discontinue Samsung Messages in July 2026. At the time, there was plenty of breathing room before the deadline arrived. Now that July is about to begin, that deadline is no longer something Galaxy users can comfortably ignore.

The good news is that, for many people, the transition has already happened without them even realizing it. Samsung has spent the past couple of years nudging Galaxy users toward Google Messages, making it the default messaging app on newer devices. If you’ve upgraded to a recent Galaxy phone, like a Galaxy S26 series device, there’s a good chance you’ve been using Google Messages all along.

That gradual shift wasn’t simply Samsung retiring one app in favor of another. It was part of a bigger move toward a better messaging experience. Google Messages is built on RCS (Rich Communication Services), the modern successor to SMS, bringing features like read receipts, typing indicators, group chats with proper support, emoji reactions, and higher-quality photo and video sharing. If you’ve ever used WhatsApp, the experience will feel instantly familiar. Samsung’s app also supported RCS at one point, but this was contingent on carrier support. By contrast, Google Messages broadly supports the modern texting standard.

So, if you haven’t made the switch yet, the process is fairly straightforward. First, make sure Google Messages is installed on your phone. Open the app, then tap Set default SMS app when prompted. Select Google Messages, then confirm your choice by tapping Set as default once again. Once that’s done, Google Messages will become your default texting app. The switch itself is quick, but your message history might need a little more time. Samsung says the migration process can take up to 24 hours, so it’s normal if your conversations don’t show up all at once.

That said, not every Galaxy user needs to rush to make the switch. Samsung says devices running Android 11 or earlier will continue supporting Samsung Messages, meaning the July cutoff only affects newer phones. And if Google Messages isn’t your preferred texting app, you can always switch to an open-source alternative if you’d prefer something more customizable.

Samsung has been preparing users for this moment for years, so the shutdown itself isn’t surprising. But with the deadline now just a day away, this is probably the last good opportunity to make the switch before Samsung Messages fades into history.