Samsung is finally doing what it probably should’ve done years ago: killing its own Messages app. And while this might sound like just another app shutdown, this isn’t just a feature getting deprecated. It’s Samsung basically saying, “Yeah, just use Google’s app instead.”
Samsung has officially announced that its native Messages app will be discontinued in July 2026, with users being pushed toward Google Messages as the default replacement. Once the cutoff hits, Samsung Messages won’t function like a normal texting app anymore, and in most cases, users will need to switch if they want to keep sending regular texts.
Now here’s the interesting part: this didn’t come out of nowhere. Samsung has been slowly backing away from its own app for years. As reported by 9to5Google, new Galaxy phones already ship with Google Messages as the default, and in some cases, Samsung Messages isn’t even pre-installed anymore. So yeah, this isn’t a sudden decision. It’s just the final nail in the coffin.
Instead of maintaining its own app, Samsung is fully handing things over to Google, betting on a more unified Android messaging experience powered by RCS. On paper, it makes sense. Compared to Samsung Messages, Google Messages is more consistent across devices, supports modern features like read receipts, better media sharing, and encryption, and plays nicer with carriers.
But there’s also a slightly bitter aftertaste here. Android used to be all about choice, and Samsung was one of the biggest champions of that. Now, it’s essentially removing its own alternative and nudging everyone into the same app.
You must be kidding, Google messages, the design is awful, the marked messages, i can’t differentiate them from the other i cant see the unread messages, tell me what is good in Google messages?
And the internet has noticed. Some users are fine with it, others are already complaining about losing a familiar interface and being forced into Google’s ecosystem. Samsung might be simplifying things, but it’s also slowly becoming just another skin on Google.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.