Samsung confirmed the Samsung Messages app will disappear in July 2026, ending pre‑installation on newer Galaxy handsets such as the S26 series. Users can still send texts until then, but the app will vanish from the Galaxy Store afterward, leaving a gap for anyone who relies on RCS‑enabled SMS.

Google Messages is the only Android client that fully supports RCS, making it Samsung’s official fallback. The platform already ships as the default on most phones and adds typing indicators, high‑quality media sharing, reactions and spam filtering. It lacks Samsung’s deeper chat customization and UI flexibility, but for users who value cross‑carrier features it remains the closest match.

Those unwilling to stay on RCS can turn to WhatsApp, Instagram DMs, Telegram or Signal. WhatsApp offers universal reach but faces recent privacy scrutiny; Instagram removes the phone‑number requirement yet is dropping end‑to‑end encryption; Telegram provides massive groups and cloud sync but encrypts chats only in secret mode; Signal delivers default encryption with minimal data collection. With Samsung Messages gone, users must pick the app that aligns with their security and feature priorities.