Samsung Messages shutting down: Here are 2 free ways to back up your texts

At a glance:

• Samsung is ending its messaging app in July, requiring Android 12 or newer users to switch to Google Messages
• Users can back up their messages to Samsung Cloud or Google Drive before the transition
• Local backup to an external storage drive is the most secure option

What's happening

Samsung recently confirmed that it will be shutting down its Messages app in favor of Google's, requiring users on Samsung phones running Android 12 or newer to make the swap in July if they haven't done so already. This marks a nearly 16-year run for the proprietary communication platform, which has built quite a cult following over time.

The prevailing assumption behind the transition is that Samsung no longer wants the burden of managing its own messaging servers. It makes more sense to hand the reins to Google, which has steadily built a platform home to billions of Android users. Between the practical, security, and financial ramifications, the move just makes sense for the business.

How to back up your messages

If you want to back up any important messages from over the years, you have two reliable options:

1. Backing up your messages locally: Your most secure backup option is a local transfer to an external storage drive, or SSD. Depending on how many months' or years' worth of messages you'll be moving, you'll want to make sure the drive has enough memory to host the data. This is often a good time to look over your various threads and conversations and delete the ones you don't want (or have) to store, such as 2FA and OTA codes, transaction histories, and receipts.

2. Backing up your messages to the cloud: Cloud backups are much more reliable and handy than they used to be, thanks to security enhancements to services like Samsung Knox, which comes built in on most modern Samsung phones. It's also an intuitive way to back up and restore files -- not just text messages -- when you eventually switch to a new device.

There are two native cloud services that you can back up your Samsung Messages to: Samsung Cloud and Google Drive. Personally, I'd recommend the latter, as it's more accessible across phones and PCs, including non-Samsung devices. Google Drive also comes with 15GB of free storage, versus Samsung's 5GB.

For both services, you can back up your texts by opening "Settings" > "Accounts and backup" > "Back up data" under Samsung Cloud and/or Google Drive. You'll be required to sign in to either your Samsung account or Google account, depending on the service.

What happens next

With your text messages backed up, I'd recommend you start testing Google Messages, or alternative communication platforms, to see which one you'd prefer before Samsung ultimately pulls the plug in July. While the company hasn't confirmed the exact date of the sunsetting, it never hurts to prepare yourself ahead of time.

Personally, I'm switching to Google Messages. It may not have the same personalization features as Samsung's, but it has its advantages, like a more universal RCS system that isn't limited to any specific carrier, some useful Gemini integrations, smart replies and native AI image generation, and, from what I've experienced, a more reliable spam detector.