Samsung Messages Just Got an Update, Even Though It's Dead

Samsung's Galaxy S25, while largely unremarkable, introduced a significant change: the omission of the Samsung Messages app. Ironically, Samsung is now enhancing this very app it seemingly abandoned.

After briefly supporting Rich Communication Services (RCS) and then reverting to SMS-only, Samsung has reinstated RCS support within its Messages app. A recent, unannounced update even introduces more RCS features than the initial implementation offered.

A key addition is message editing. One UI 7 users on Galaxy devices can now edit messages sent to other compatible Galaxy devices up to three times within 15 minutes. Edited messages are clearly marked with an edit history.

This aligns with the RCS Universal Profile 2.7 standard, a capability absent in older SMS. Google Messages already supports this, so Samsung's update simply brings its app in line. Another improvement is the automatic deletion of OTP codes after 24 hours, a welcome feature for many users.

While I advocate for Samsung developing a competitive messaging app to challenge Google's dominance, this situation is perplexing. Samsung stopped including the app on its flagship phones months ago (though it remains available on the Galaxy Store) and it hasn't been the default messaging app on Samsung flagships for years. The Google Messages app, often with a custom One UI theme, has been the preferred choice.

Samsung's previous pronouncements about the app's retirement, dating back four years and reaffirmed recently, make this renewed support and feature additions particularly curious. Perhaps Samsung intends to maintain the app in certain markets (like South Korea), or perhaps it's had a change of heart and will reinstate full support.

Currently, the app remains exclusive to the Galaxy Store, and Samsung's official guidance to switch to Google Messages persists. The situation remains unclear, but the updates are undeniably live, creating a contradiction with Samsung's past statements.

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