Samsung’s Google Messages rival isn’t dead after all – in fact, it’s just been upgraded

• Despite previous reports, Samsung Messages has not been discontinued
• Samsung's native messaging app even had RCS support reinstated
• Samsung Messages is now only available via the Galaxy Store

Despite a previous statement widely interpreted as a discontinuation announcement, Samsung’s Google Messages rival is still available for Samsung Galaxy smartphone users – in fact, it just got a new update.

Samsung Messages, which is now only available via the Samsung-run Galaxy Store app, has been upgraded to include Google’s implementation of RCS, or Rich Communication Services.

As we previously reported, RCS enables iMessage-style media sharing and group chats for phones of any platform. Samsung users have had access to RCS via Google Messages for years.

Samsung Messages previously offered a proprietary implementation of RCS – though, as Android Authority notes, this was pulled last year as part of the switch to Google Messages as the default messaging app for Galaxy handsets.

We recently reported that Samsung Messages had been discontinued, and would be made totally unavailable for users of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra.

This was due to a statement from Samsung, originally reported by Android Authority, which read (in part): “We have opted to migrate all services to Google Messages and are sunsetting Samsung Messages. It’s no longer available in the Play Store; however, those who chose to utilize Samsung Messages are still able to do so.”

Though our coverage, as well that by others like PhoneArena, interpreted “sunsetting” as a lighter way of saying “shutting down”, Samsung later informed us that this wasn’t exactly the case.

A later statement provided to us by Samsung directly, said: “Starting with the new models, the Samsung Messages app will no longer be preloaded. Instead, Google Messages will provide a new and enhanced experience to express your emotions, making communication safe and fun. The Samsung Messages app is still available for download from the Galaxy Store with some features excluded.”

The new models in question are the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, Galaxy S25 Ultra, and presumably the new Galaxy S25 Edge. Rather than losing access to Samsung Messages completely, it seems owners of the newest Samsung Galaxy phones will have to seek out the app on Samsung’s own Galaxy Store.

There’s been some back and forth about the future of Samsung Messages, but an official update like this suggests it is sticking around for a while, if only as a sidelined alternative to the now-default Google Messages. As a video from Sammyguru’s Jeff Springer demonstrates, Samsung Messages remains unavailable from the Google Play Store.

In any case, it’s unlikely that a messaging app reshuffle will stop the Galaxy S25 series from picking up spots on our lists of the best phones and best Samsung phones.

You might also like

• New OnePlus Mini 13 leak suggests its camera setup won't be as impressive as we thought
• Android 16 tipped to get big health monitoring upgrade – and your Fitbit could be the first to take advantage
• The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 could be as slim as the Special Edition and still support the S Pen