Moving towards Google

Samsung increasingly abandons Samsung

Samsung's own digital assistant Bixby gets less space with the Galaxy S25 models.

Ove Kaufeldt

Published 24 January 2025 - 00:06

Samsung has now confirmed that they are phasing out their own messaging app, Samsung Messages, and instead replacing it with Google Messages as the default app for messages on Galaxy phones. This decision, announced last summer, aims to create a more unified messaging platform within the Android ecosystem.

This means that Samsung Messages will no longer be pre-installed on new Galaxy devices and that the app has been removed from the Play Store. A Samsung spokesperson states that all services and features have been transferred to Google Messages. By implementing RCS (Rich Communication Services) in Google Messages, the user experience is expected to improve significantly, both in communication between Android devices and between Android and other platforms like iOS.

For users who still prefer Samsung Messages, there is the option to continue using the app for the time being. However, no further updates or support will be provided, which means the app may disappear over time.

At the same time, the launch of Samsung's Galaxy S25 models means that Bixby, the company's digital assistant, will have a less prominent role. The Galaxy S25 models will be the first not to have Bixby as the default assistant; instead, Google's Gemini is now used as the default assistant.

Bixby will still be available, but not as prominent as before.