The most used app from Samsung will disappear in 2026, what can you do?

Samsung has officially confirmed that it will discontinue its Messages app in July 2026, forcing users to adopt Google Messages as their default messaging app. The company posted a notice on its U.S. website, detailing that once the Samsung app is removed, sending messages through it will no longer be possible, except for emergency service numbers or contacts defined as such on devices. Goodbye to an era with more than 10 years of history Since 2024, Samsung stopped pre-installing its own app […]

Samsung has officially confirmed that it will discontinue its Messages app in July 2026, forcing users to adopt Google Messages as their default messaging app.

The company posted a notice on its U.S. website, detailing that, once the Samsung app is removed, sending messages through it will no longer be possible, except for emergency service numbers or contacts defined as such on the devices.

Goodbye to an era with more than 10 years of history

Since 2024, Samsung stopped pre-installing its own Messages app on high-end Galaxy devices, which already hinted at a transition to Google Messages.

As of the closing date, users will also see that they will not be able to download the Messages app from the Galaxy Store, reflecting a significant change in the company’s messaging strategy. However, users of devices running Android 11 or earlier versions will not be affected and will be able to continue using the Samsung Messages app without any issues.

To facilitate the transition, Samsung will encourage users to choose Google Messages as their default app, promising a more consistent messaging experience in the Android ecosystem. Meanwhile, Samsung Messages users will receive in-app notifications that will guide them through the switching process.

It is a simple procedure: when opening Google Messages, an option will appear to set it as the default SMS app, you just need to press “Set as default” to complete the transition.

Samsung warns that some devices launched before 2022 may experience temporary interruptions in RCS conversations when switching apps; however, chats are expected to resume once both users switch to Google Messages.

This decision responds to a larger trend in the industry, where other Android manufacturers have already opted for Google Messages, allowing users to benefit from advanced features, such as enhanced security supports and functionalities based on artificial intelligence.

Windows 11 wants to convince users and is considering reversing its most controversial measure in years

Let’s be honest, none of us liked that Windows made it fashionable to destroy native applications and that everything went through the web browser. Even the Microsoft Office suite, with Office 365, went straight to browsers, making the use of the sacred and mythical Microsoft Word never the same again. Fortunately, Microsoft has realized that this cannot be the future. Microsoft plans to develop 100% native applications for Windows 11 and launch an initiative focused on a new team dedicated to native experiences, in […]

Let’s be honest, none of us liked that Windows made it fashionable to destroy native applications and that everything went through the web browser. Even the Microsoft Office suite, with Office 365, went straight to browsers, making the use of the sacred and mythical Microsoft Word never the same again. Fortunately, Microsoft has realized that this cannot be the future.

Microsoft plans to develop 100% native applications for Windows 11 and launch an initiative focused on a new team dedicated to native experiences, rather than web-based apps.

The company has also created a new team to lead this work, after years in which many basic and third-party applications for Windows have relied heavily on web technologies.

Return to the origins to regain users

Rudy Huyn, associate architect at Microsoft who works on the Store and File Explorer, stated in a Twitter post that he is forming a new team to work on Windows applications. “No prior experience with the platform is necessary… what matters most is having a strong product vision and a deep customer focus,” he wrote on the social network.

Huyn later stated in a response on Twitter that the new Windows 11 applications will be “100% native.” This description stands out at a time when many of Microsoft’s built-in tools, including Clipchamp and Copilot, rely on web technologies and progressive web application architectures.

The company’s commitment to native performance suggests that some long-standing frustrations around responsiveness, memory usage, and interface consistency could finally be resolved.

For Windows developers, Huyn’s comments point to a change in direction. Microsoft’s recent development priorities have largely leaned towards web-based approaches, with progressive web applications (PWAs) replacing or complementing many native programs.

This change has not always been well received by users. The version of WhatsApp for Windows 11, for example, abandoned its native WinUI framework in favor of a slower Chromium-based wrapper, a decision that drew criticism from users who preferred the faster native alternative.

Windows 11 wants to regain users’ trust

The new team emerges as Microsoft prepares a major update for Windows 11 to improve the performance of the core system and the responsiveness of the user interface.

The company claims that the update will reduce the startup times of File Explorer, speed up the loading of context menus, and move the Start menu to the WinUI interface. It will also introduce more flexible customization of the taskbar, including the ability to change its size and position, and a “compact layout” reminiscent of Windows 10.

The commitment to rebuild applications natively seems to complement these broader interface and performance goals. For Microsoft, it could mark the beginning of a more cohesive strategy to make Windows 11 feel modern and responsive, following years of iterative design changes and user complaints.

Back in 2020, the then head of Windows, Panos Panay, made a famous statement saying that the company wanted users to “love Windows, not just need it.” Those ambitions led to few visible changes before Panay’s departure. Six years later, the new leaders of Windows at Microsoft seem determined to turn that sentiment into action.

It is still unclear which specific applications will be rebuilt, nor how strictly the requirement to be 100% native will be applied. Some current Microsoft applications classified as native still rely on WebView for specific functions. But let’s not lose faith; it seems to be the change we wanted to see in Windows 11.