Samsung Messages regains its lost RCS support on the S25, despite Samsung peddling Google’s alternative
Summary
- Despite a recent announcement of discontinuing Samsung Messages, Samsung has reintroduced RCS messaging support for the app.
- Samsung has been indecisive about keeping or discontinuing Samsung Messages, with Google Messages becoming the preferred default app.
- Samsung’s future actions might determine which messaging app it truly wants consumers to use.
It seems like Samsung can’t figure out whether it wants to keep its stock messaging app, Samsung Messages, or permanently sunset it. The South Korean tech giant has been going back and forth on it. The app enjoyed its days of glory until 2021 when Google Messages slowly began to take over. Over the past few years, Samsung devices began to come preloaded with Google Messages instead, and Samsung Messages lost support for RCS messaging, too.
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The company’s flagship S25 series also offers just Google Messages as the preloaded default messaging app, with Samsung Messages as an afterthought available to download on the Galaxy Store. Considering this rich past of Samsung actively trying to push Google Messages, the fact that it recently gave Samsung Messages RCS messaging support again is confusing.
Samsung can’t make up its mind about its messaging app
As per a 9to5Google report, Samsung recently started supporting RCS messaging on Samsung Messages again (via SamMobile). The report shows the app currently working with T-Mobile and Verizon on the Galaxy S25 series.
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It’s especially confusing that Samsung would take this step because it very recently issued a statement to Android Authority announcing its doing away with the app.
With the close collaboration between Google and Samsung, we have opted to migrate all services to Google Messages and are sunsetting Samsung Messages. It’s no longer available in the PlayStore; however, those who chose to utilize Samsung Messages are still able to do so. We believe that the added functionality of RCS messaging on Google Messages creates an enhanced user experience for both Android-to-Android messaging and across platforms.
What’s more interesting (confusing) is that Samsung is using Google’s version of Samsung Messages. The notification reminder that prompts users to enable RCS messaging on Samsung Messages is a very Google-coded pop-up.
The company’s next few actions will tell what it really wants consumers to use. At the moment, it’s kept both options open. Users can continue using Samsung Messages with regained RCS support or switch to Google Messages if they want.
