[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Samsung Electronics will end its proprietary text and chat service Samsung Messages for Galaxy phones in July and replace it entirely with Google Messages.

Samsung Electronics recently posted an End of Service Announcement on its official website and announced it will stop supporting the Samsung Messages app in July.

Samsung Electronics is strongly recommending that current Samsung Messages users switch their default messaging app to Google Messages. The notice included guidance saying, "If you are still using Samsung Messages, we recommend changing your default messaging app to Google Messages."

It highlighted that switching to Google Messages allows users to use features based on RCS, the next-generation messaging standard. That provides an expanded messaging experience compared with SMS, including high-resolution image and video sharing, group chats and typing indicators. It also noted that some Galaxy users may face limits on detailed customization features that were available in Samsung Messages.

Google Messages instead supports generative AI functions based on Gemini. For example, users can use features such as "remix" to modify or reconstruct images within chats, and message syncing across smartphones, tablets and smartwatches also becomes more seamless.

The decision is seen as an extension of a strategy to gradually scale back Samsung Messages. Samsung Electronics has already shifted its policy starting with the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Flip6, and later in the Galaxy S25 series, by removing Samsung Messages as the default app and pre-installing Google Messages.

The Samsung Messages app is still available for download on the Galaxy Store, but Samsung Electronics said, "The exact time of the service shutdown will be announced later through an in-app notice." The industry sees a strong possibility that the move will further reshape Android's messaging ecosystem around Google.