Samsung Messages Is Shutting Down—Why You Must Act Now
Samsung has confirmed that its Samsung Messages app will be shut down in July for phones running Android 12 or newer. At that point, you will be required to switch to Google Messages or another texting app, and if you have not backed up your SMS and MMS history, years of conversations could effectively disappear with the transition. While your messages may still live on your phone for a while, relying on that is risky—device loss, damage, or a failed update can wipe everything. The good news is that you can perform a full Samsung Messages backup at no cost using tools already built into your phone. With two free text backup options—local storage and cloud services—you can export your message archive and restore it later, even on a new device. The steps are straightforward enough for anyone to follow.
Method 1: Local Samsung Messages Backup with Smart Switch
A local backup is the most secure Samsung Messages backup method because your texts never leave your own storage. Start by connecting an external storage drive or SSD to your Samsung phone. Then open Settings, tap Accounts and backup, and choose Smart Switch. In Smart Switch, select the storage icon in the top-right corner to confirm you are backing up to the external drive rather than another phone. Tap Back up, then select Messages. Your phone will package your SMS and MMS into a file that can be restored later via Smart Switch. Before you do this, consider cleaning up old one-time codes, transactional alerts, and other clutter so your backup is smaller and easier to manage. Once the process finishes, your entire message history is stored safely on the drive, ready to be moved, archived, or restored whenever you need it.
Method 2: Free Cloud Backup to Samsung Cloud or Google Drive
If you prefer a free text backup that is available across devices, use the built-in cloud options. On your Samsung phone, open Settings, go to Accounts and backup, then tap Back up data under Samsung Cloud and/or Google Drive. Sign in with your Samsung account for Samsung Cloud or your Google account for Google Drive, and ensure Messages is checked in the backup list. Samsung Cloud is best if you are staying within the Galaxy ecosystem, while Google Drive is more flexible across brands and platforms and offers 15GB of free storage shared with other Google services. Once you start the backup, wait until it completes and confirm that the last backup timestamp shows today’s date. Storing your message export in the cloud makes it easier to restore your texts when setting up a new phone or recovering from a reset.
Restoring and Moving On from Samsung Messages
After you complete your SMS backup methods, the next step is planning for life after Samsung Messages. When you set up a new device or reset your current one, you can restore messages from your external drive using Smart Switch, or from Samsung Cloud or Google Drive via the same Accounts and backup menu. Restoring your backup will bring your conversation history into the messaging app supported by your phone at setup time. Since Google Messages is becoming the default on newer Samsung phones, take this opportunity to install it and get comfortable before Samsung fully shuts off its app. Google Messages offers features like RCS support, smart replies, and improved spam protection, and it integrates well across many Android devices. With your backup safely stored and tested, you can switch apps without worrying about losing meaningful texts, photos, or important confirmations.