Samsung Messages Is Shutting Down—Why You Need to Act Now
Samsung has confirmed that its long-running Messages app will be retired, with users on phones running Android 12 or newer being moved over to Google Messages starting in July. That may sound like a simple app swap, but it comes with a serious risk: losing years’ worth of texts, photos, and one-time passwords stored in your conversations. If you rely on text messages for work, family, or two-factor login codes, now is the time to create a backup. The good news is you don’t need to pay for any third‑party tools or hand your data to unknown apps. Samsung gives you two free, built‑in ways to protect your message history: a local backup using Smart Switch and a cloud backup using Samsung Cloud or Google Drive. With both options, you can safely migrate to Google Messages or another messaging app without starting from scratch.
Method 1: Back Up Text Messages Locally with Smart Switch
A local backup is one of the most secure ways to save text conversations because everything stays under your control on an external drive or SSD. Before you begin, quickly clean up your inbox by deleting old one-time codes, transaction alerts, and other clutter so you only archive what matters. To create a Samsung Messages backup, connect your external storage to your phone, then open Settings, go to “Accounts and backup,” and select “Smart Switch.” In Smart Switch, tap the storage icon in the top-right corner, choose “Back up,” and check “Messages.” Your phone will package your messages into a file you can later restore to another Samsung device. This message backup free method is ideal if you want an offline copy for safekeeping, or if you plan to move your data between Galaxy devices without relying on the cloud.
Method 2: Use Samsung Cloud or Google Drive for Easy Restores
If you prefer a set‑and‑forget approach, a cloud-based Samsung Messages backup is more convenient and accessible across devices. Samsung offers two native options: Samsung Cloud and Google Drive (via your Google account). Google Drive is often the better choice if you use multiple brands of phones or want easy access on the web, iOS, and Android, and it includes 15GB of shared storage for Drive and Gmail. Samsung Cloud, on the other hand, integrates deeply with Galaxy features and Samsung apps. To back up text messages, open Settings, tap “Accounts and backup,” then choose “Back up data” under either Samsung Cloud or Google Drive. Sign in with your Samsung or Google account and make sure “Messages” is checked before starting the backup. When it’s finished, you’ll see a fresh timestamp showing that your data—including your SMS and MMS history—has been safely saved in the cloud.
How to Restore Your Messages and Move to a New App
Once your backups are in place, you’re ready to move away from Samsung Messages without losing valuable conversations. If you’re staying on a Galaxy phone, Smart Switch makes it simple: during setup of your new device, choose to restore from your local backup or from the cloud service you used earlier, and ensure “Messages” is selected. Your texts will repopulate in the default messaging app on that device. If you’re transitioning to Google Messages, first restore your messages to your new phone using either Smart Switch or your cloud backup. After that, set Google Messages as your default SMS app when prompted. Your previously backed‑up SMS and MMS threads will appear there, letting you continue where you left off. By taking a few minutes to back up text messages now, you can switch platforms, test new chat apps, and explore richer RCS features without risking permanent data loss.