Samsung shuts down Messages app as poll asks why users still use it

Samsung’s decision to pull the plug on its native Messages app comes just as the company is rolling out a slew of hardware upgrades, from the rumored Galaxy S27 Pro’s “Ultra” camera stack to expanded Google Cast support on its TVs, according to recent coverage by 9to5Google. The timing has sparked a surprisingly vocal backlash from longtime Galaxy users who have grown accustomed to the app’s deep integration with Samsung’s One UI theme ecosystem. While the shift to Google Messages has been “largely on par” in terms of core SMS and RCS functionality, many fans lament the loss of the visual customizability that Samsung cultivated through theme packs—something the Google‑native solution simply does not offer, the outlet notes.

The retirement plan is straightforward: as of July 2026, Samsung Messages will cease to operate except for emergency calls, and devices running Android 12 or newer will be redirected to Google Messages. The move reflects a broader industry trend where RCS support has become almost synonymous with Google’s messaging stack, a shift that left Samsung’s own app in the shadows after it briefly resurfaced with RCS support and a handful of new features in 2025. “Over the years, Samsung Messages has been prioritized less and less in new Samsung releases,” 9to5Google writes, highlighting how the app’s relevance dwindled even as the company continued to push other One UI enhancements.

Fans who cling to Samsung Messages point to a very specific pain point: the ability to skin the app with Galaxy Store‑downloadable themes. Screenshots of those themes, which the outlet says are “blocked” by the store, have become a kind of digital folklore among power users. Without that level of personalization, many feel forced into a one‑size‑fits‑all experience. “The most common complaint I’ve been seeing is over the loss of customizability,” the article adds, noting that even third‑party messengers cannot tap into RCS on Samsung devices, effectively locking the richer messaging experience behind Google’s own app.

The poll launched alongside the announcement asks a simple question—why were users still using Samsung Messages?—and has already drawn a mixed bag of responses. Some respondents simply “hate handing over control to Google,” while others cite the practical inconvenience of re‑configuring contacts, backup settings, and notification preferences. A minority mention nostalgia for the app’s UI quirks, but the dominant narrative revolves around the aesthetic freedom that Samsung cultivated through its theme packs. The poll’s results, while still in flux, underscore a broader tension in the Android ecosystem: the balance between open‑source flexibility and the curated experiences that OEMs like Samsung have historically offered.

Industry observers see this as a natural consolidation rather than a dramatic coup. With Google Messages now the de‑facto standard for RCS across Android, Samsung’s withdrawal removes a redundant layer of software maintenance and aligns the company with the broader Google‑centric roadmap that powers services like Google Cast and the upcoming One UI 8.5 updates. Yet, as 9to5Google points out, the decision “came as a bit of a surprise” given the brief revival the app enjoyed just a year ago. Whether the move will accelerate adoption of Google Messages among the remaining holdouts—or simply push a subset of users toward alternative, perhaps less integrated, messaging solutions—remains to be seen. The poll will likely serve as a barometer for how much brand loyalty can survive when a core piece of the user experience is stripped away.