If you’re a Samsung user with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 or Galaxy Z Fold 6, you may have noticed a popular Samsung app missing. According to Max Winebach on X (formerly Twitter), Samsung has removed the preinstalled Samsung Messages app in favor of moving everyone over to Google Messages with RCS enabled default.
Winebach posted the full message from the Samsung Members app, which suggests that the change only applies to the Flip 6, Fold 6, and newer models, which would be anything upcoming in Samsung’s future lineup, like the anticipated Galaxy S25 series. Digital Trends’ mobile section editor Joe Maring also confirmed that Samsung Messages is not on the Fold 6 or Flip 6 by default.
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I checked my Galaxy S23 Ultra to confirm the news. I still have both Samsung Messages and Google Messages installed on my devices, which seems to confirm the change doesn’t apply retroactively. The Samsung Messages app will also remain available for download through the Galaxy Store, though according to Samsung, “some features will be excluded.”
Samsung Messages is no longer pre-loaded! Google Messages (with RCS enabled by default) only pic.twitter.com/GoMqyM2p4Z
— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) July 20, 2024
This change also varies by region. According to Mishaal Rahman, the Samsung Messages app is still preinstalled in Canadian and European versions of the device. Currently, only U.S. unlocked/carrier units don’t come with it preinstalled.
It’s pretty clear that Samsung intends to sunset the Samsung Messages app sooner rather than later, and there’s really no reason for you to keep using Samsung Messages, although both technically support RCS. Google Messages has RCS support enabled, meaning you get better group chat functionality, support for images, videos, and file sharing, along with quality-of-life features like read receipts, real-time typing indicators, and end-to-end encryption.
With the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 now available for preorder, you should be able to see the app changes yourself soon once the devices start shipping.
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