Starting with the release of the Fold 6 series, Samsung Messages will no longer be pre-installed on future Samsung devices. Google Messages will be the only messaging app on phones in the US. Google is pushing this especially with the implementation of RCS compatibility on Iphones come September. RCS will only work from Google Messages to IMessage. Google owns Android, their platform, their rules.
Samsung Messages will still be available for download in the Galaxy Store, stripped of any real meaningful features.
Not only will Google Messages be the sole messaging app, RSC will be turned on by default. If you wish to have RCS chat features it will ONLY be available in Google's product.
I will bet that when the next update rolls out, all those that still have enhanced features in the Samsung Messages it will be gone. Samsung Messages will now only be SMS/MMS.
This is the future going forward with messaging in the US, you either jump on board with Google Messages or you can stay with Samsung Messages with no enhanced features.
Samsung is worth $388.70 billion and they can't invest in creating their own RCS messaging app!? if I wanted to use Google's ugly looking messaging app then I would've just got a Pixel phone.
I was told you wouldn't be able to download it as you upgrade to new phones. you get whatever is preloaded on that device unless you decided to download a 3rd party messaging app from the app store.
It's not going anywhere the reason Samsung Messages isn't pre-installed is because having 2 messaging app can be confusing to people then you have people that always post about RCS Messaging not working that don't understand that it is actually their carrier that doesn't enable it (Samsung Messages) as certain carriers like AT&T and TMobile for instance only allow RCS Messaging via Google Messages
