Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Owners of older Galaxy phones are being prompted to switch from Samsung Messages to Google Messages.
- It looks like the Galaxy S20 series, Galaxy S21 series, and Galaxy S22 series are affected by this move.
- This comes a while after Samsung confirmed that Google Messages would be the default texting app on new phones.
Samsung confirmed earlier this year that Google Messages would be the new default texting app on some smartphones, replacing Samsung Messages. The company noted at the time that this change only affected new devices. However, it looks like a similar change is coming to older phones.
Users on Reddit and Threads (thanks to reader Jayson B for the tip!) have reported that they’re being prompted to switch to Google Messages as the default texting app on their older phones. Some of the affected models appear to be the Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy S21 Ultra, and Galaxy S22 Plus.
It looks like users can still stick with Samsung Messages if they wish. Nevertheless, it’s clear Samsung is now actively pushing users to switch from its messaging app to Google Messages.
Do you use Samsung Messages or Google Messages on your Galaxy phone?
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This change comes after Samsung switched to Google Messages as the default preloaded texting app on new phones. This applied to the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Galaxy Z Fold 6, and newer devices, although users could still download Samsung Messages from the Galaxy Store.
Samsung told Android Authority at the time that this move would accelerate the adoption of the RCS standard, which picks up where SMS left off. Samsung Messages supports RCS if the device’s carrier supports it, while Google Messages supports RCS regardless of the carrier.