- 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 you’re a Samsung Messages user then you’re probably already aware that the app is soon shutting down in the US — and if you’re not, you need to be, because there are steps you’ll need to take to preserve your messages and continue being able to chat.
While the exact shutdown date hasn’t been confirmed by Samsung, the company has said that it will be switched off at some point in July, and it’s looking like it will probably happen on July 6, as some users reported getting notifications with that date.
So, you don’t have long to get your messaging house in order. With that in mind, we’ve detailed the five things you should do before Samsung Messages shuts down.
1. Check if you’re affected
Oddly, it seems that right now at least, Samsung isn’t shutting down its messaging app everywhere. In fact, initially, it’s only shutting down in the US.
Even then, it will seemingly continue working on devices running Android 11 or older, so if you’re outside the US or running a very old version of Android, you don’t necessarily need to do anything (though you might still want to, as detailed below).
But Android 11 is likely to have numerous security vulnerabilities these days, so if you are still running that version of Google’s software, it’s worth updating your device or getting a new one anyway if possible.
2. Consider switching even if you’re not affected
While Samsung has said that it currently has no plans to shut down Samsung Messages outside the US, it’s hard to imagine this isn’t something the company is at least considering.
We’d think it’s likely that the US shutdown is just the first step, with other regions potentially following sometime later, and even if it isn’t shut down elsewhere, this move rather suggests that Samsung Messages isn’t a priority for the company, so you might find it doesn’t get updated as much as alternative apps.
All of which is to say it could be worth switching messaging apps anyway, even if you don’t actually have to yet.
3. Choose and download a new messaging app
Assuming you either have to switch or have decided that now’s the time, you’re going to need to choose an alternative.
Handily, there’s no need to give this much thought, as Samsung is directing users to Google Messages, so if you’re 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 you’ve 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
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 don’t panic if they don’t immediately appear.
But if you choose to switch to Beeper, then the process is a bit more involved, as you’ll 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.
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