Key Takeaways
- Samsung Messages will no longer be preinstalled in new Galaxy phones, leaving Google Messages as the only option.
- Users can still download Samsung Messages from Galaxy Store, but the push is towards Google Messages.
- Samsung Messages will still be preloaded on devices in Europe and Canada but not in the US.
As first reported by 9to5Google, Samsung Messages will no longer come preinstalled on new Galaxy phones. Google Messages had already taken over as Samsung’s messaging app of choice and will be the only messaging app preinstalled on new Galaxy phones, with the RCS features turned on by default. It means that the Samsung Messages app will no longer be found on your Galaxy phone out of the box.
It will still be possible to download Samsung Messages from the Galaxy Store if it’s your messaging app of choice, but the intent is clearly to nudge users towards using Google Messages instead. The change isn’t completely global, however; users in Europe and Canada will still find Samsung Messages preinstalled on their new Galaxy phones.
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Samsung Messages will be missing starting with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6
Google Messages was already the default option on newer phones
The change was first spotted by analyst Max Weinbach, who posted a screenshot on X of a message found in the Samsung Members app.
As the message indicates, starting with the Flip 6 and Fold 6, and for all newer models, the Samsung Messages app will no longer be preloaded on devices, meaning you aren’t able to select it as the default messaging device. If you want to use it, you’ll need to download it from the Galaxy Store and then set it as the default. It also indicates that some features will be excluded from the Samsung Messages app going forward, although it’s not clear exactly what those features are.
Google Messages was already the default option on Galaxy phones since the Samsung Galaxy S22, although it was possible to change the default option to the preinstalled Samsung Messages app instead. For all new phones, however, you won’t have this option unless you manually install the Samsung Messages app yourself.
Max Weinbach also noted in his post that RCS messaging will be turned on by default in Google Messages. Samsung Messages did offer support for RCS, but the features were hit-and-miss depending on your carrier, with RCS Chat features disappearing for many users. It’s not clear whether this is the reason for ditching the app, or if it’s due to a push by Google to make Google Messages the default RCS messaging app.
Samsung Messages will still be available outside the US
The app will still be preloaded in Europe and Canada
According to Android-focused journalist Mishaal Rahman, Samsung Messages will still come preinstalled in Canada and Europe. Only units sold in the US will no longer come with the Samsung Messages app included.
This means that if you’ve preordered a new Samsung Galaxy Fold 6 or Samsung Galaxy Flip 6 outside the US, you should find that you have the option to select Samsung Messages as the default messaging app without having to download it from the Galaxy Store. However, with Samsung ditching some features from the Samsung Messages app, it may not be long before we see it phased out completely, as the focus does now seem to be all-in on Google Messages.
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