Updated
Updated · CNET · Apr 25
Samsung deactivates Messages app and ends legacy texting platform in July
Updated
Updated · CNET · Apr 25

Samsung deactivates Messages app and ends legacy texting platform in July

10 articles · Updated · CNET · Apr 25
  • From July, Samsung Messages will only support emergency messaging, requiring users on Android 12 and 13 to switch to Google Messages or risk losing chat functionality.
  • Samsung provides migration instructions and highlights Google Messages features like RCS texting, AI-powered spam detection, and Gemini AI integration, while older Galaxy Watches lose conversation history access.
  • Samsung began shifting to Google Messages in 2021 and stopped preinstalling its own app in 2024; users on Android 11 or lower remain unaffected but are encouraged to switch.
Samsung is forcing millions to Google Messages. Is this a necessary upgrade or the end of user choice?
Your older Galaxy Watch might lose its message history. Is your smartwatch about to become dumber?
As RCS messaging aims to kill SMS, will it become the new standard for business communication over email?
With Apple finally adopting RCS, are your private chats with iPhone users actually secure from prying eyes?
Google's AI will now scan your texts for scams. What is the real price of this powerful new privacy trade-off?