Samsung Messages is shutting down in July: here are 5 things you need to do

Date:
Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Description:
If you're in the US, then Samsung Messages won't work for much longer, and
its days could be numbered elsewhere, too.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Samsung Messages is shutting down for US users in July Google Messages is the suggested alternative, but there are other options You should switch to a new app before the shutdown date to ensure you keep your chat history If youre a Samsung Messages user then youre probably already aware that the app is soon shutting down in the
US and if youre not, you need to be, because there are steps youll need to take to preserve your messages and continue being able to chat.

While the exact shutdown date hasnt been confirmed by Samsung, the company
has said that it will be switched off at some point in July, and its looking like it will probably happen on July 6, as some users reported getting notifications with that date . So, you dont have long to get your messaging house in order. With that in mind, weve detailed the five things you should
do before Samsung Messages shuts down. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: 1. Check if youre affected Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus users in the US are among those losing access (Image credit: Future/Rami Tabari) Oddly, it seems that right now at least, Samsung isnt shutting down its messaging app everywhere. In fact, initially, its only shutting down in the US.

Even then, it will seemingly continue working on devices running Android 11
or older, so if youre outside the US or running a very old version of
Android, you dont necessarily need to do anything (though you might still
want to, as detailed below). You may like Samsung Messages is officially shutting down for good Galaxy owners react angrily to Samsungs decision to phase out its messaging app Google Messages bug causes chats to disappear during Samsung transition

But Android 11 is likely to have numerous security vulnerabilities these
days, so if you are still running that version of Google 's software, its worth updating your device or getting a new one anyway if possible. 2. Consider switching even if youre not affected While Samsung has said that it currently has no plans to shut down Samsung Messages outside the US, its hard to imagine this isnt something the company is at least considering. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Wed think its likely that the US shutdown is just the first step, with other regions potentially following sometime later, and even if it isnt shut down elsewhere, this move rather suggests that Samsung Messages isnt a priority
for the company, so you might find it doesnt get updated as much as alternative apps.

All of which is to say it could be worth switching messaging apps anyway,
even if you dont actually have to yet. 3. Choose and download a new messaging app Google Messages (Image credit: Google) Assuming you either have to switch or have decided that nows the time, youre going to need to choose an alternative. What to read next Samsung MAX VPN goes offline today, leaving Android users searching for alternatives Phone update support explained: how long Apple, Samsung, Google, and Motorola phones will last iPhone owners
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Handily, theres no need to give this much thought, as Samsung is directing users to Google Messages , so if youre happy with that, you can download it from Google Play and skip to the next step.

But you might want to consider other options too, such as Fossify Messages , Textra SMS , Beeper , or Pulse SMS .

However, be aware that only Google Messages and Beeper support RCS (Rich Communication Services) the others are limited to SMS, which has fewer features and is less secure. 4. Set it as your default messaging app Next,
set whichever app youve chosen as your default messaging app. In most cases, you should see a prompt asking you to do this when you launch the new app for the first time, but if not, just head to Settings > Apps > Choose default
apps > SMS app, and then tap the one you want to use. 5. Wait for your chats to move across Beeper is an alternative to Samsung Messages (Image credit: Beeper) In most cases, once you download a new messaging app and set it as your default, your previous conversations from Samsung Messages will move across to it automatically, though this can take up to 24 hours, so dont
panic if they dont immediately appear.

But if you choose to switch to Beeper, then the process is a bit more involved, as youll first need to download Google Messages anyway and move
your conversation history over to that. Then you can connect Beeper to your Google account to give it access. Today's best Samsung phone deals Contract Deals Sim Free Samsung Galaxy S26 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 30GB data 30 upfront 37.26 /mth View at EE See all prices gift Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus 24 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 500GB data 45 upfront 37.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk See all prices Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 30GB data 30 upfront 56.59 /mth View at EE See all prices Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 25GB data 30 upfront 66.96 /mth View at EE See all prices Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 25GB data 30 upfront 42.84 /mth View at EE See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/samsung-messages-is-shu tting-down-in-july-here-are-5-things-you-need-to-do


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