The reckoning is here. Well, almost here, and maybe a little less dramatic than we're making it sound. Samsung has confirmed it will shutter its proprietary Messages app in favor of Google's, forcing users on Samsung phones running Android 12 or newer to make the switch in July - whether they like it or not.
This sunsetting ends a nearly 16-year run for the platform, which somehow built a cult following despite competing with a pre-installed Google alternative. Nobody should be surprised: two years ago, Samsung started shipping Galaxy phones with Google Messages as the default, and you can't even download Samsung Messages on the Galaxy S26 series anymore.
The prevailing theory is simple: Samsung no longer wants to manage its own messaging servers. Handing the reins to Google, which has billions of Android users, makes sense from practical, security, and financial standpoints. Basically, Samsung decided it had better things to do.
If you're the sentimental type who wants to back up years of texts, you've got options. The most secure is a local transfer to an external SSD. Connect it to your phone, open Smart Switch (via Settings > Accounts and backup > Smart Switch), tap the storage icon, select Back up, and tap Messages. Your texts will be packaged into a readable file. This is also a good time to delete all those 2FA codes and receipts you don't need.
Cloud backups are more convenient, thanks to Samsung Knox security. You've got two native options: Samsung Cloud (5GB free) or Google Drive (15GB free). ZDNET recommends Google Drive, since it's more accessible across devices. You can back up to both if you're paranoid. Just go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Back up data and sign in. Your settings page should show today's date as the last backup time.
With your messages safe, start testing Google Messages before Samsung pulls the plug in July. ZDNET's author is switching to Google Messages, citing advantages like a universal RCS system, Gemini integrations, smart replies, native AI image generation, and a more reliable spam detector. New features may arrive as soon as later this month. Farewell, Samsung Messages. You were... a messaging app.