SAN FRANCISCO, April 14, 2026, 13:08 PDT
- Strings found in the latest Google Messages beta hint at custom photo backgrounds and independent bubble-color options.
- Samsung plans to pull the plug on Samsung Messages in the U.S. by July 2026, urging users to switch over to Google Messages instead.
- For now, Google Messages only offers RCS chat themes from a set list.
Google is moving to introduce Samsung-like chat themes in Messages, just as Samsung gets ready to phase out its texting app in the US this July. According to Android Authority, new beta code suggests users will soon see options like photo backgrounds, a dedicated “Custom” theme category, plus the ability to adjust backgrounds and chat bubble colors separately. Android Authority
Samsung’s decision lands as the company informs U.S. users that Samsung Messages will shut down in July 2026, steering customers toward Google Messages. It also notes Galaxy S26 and newer devices aren’t able to download Samsung Messages from the Galaxy Store anymore.
But for Samsung loyalists, there’s still something missing. According to Google’s own help site, Messages allows users to pick from preset background and bubble themes in RCS chats, but doesn’t support custom image uploads for chat wallpapers.
Samsung’s app has pushed customization further for some time. According to Android Authority, Samsung Messages lets users set gallery images as chat backgrounds. Samsung-focused outlet Sammy Fans has also highlighted Good Lock’s Theme Park, a Samsung customization tool that enables tweaks to bubble color, contrast, and wallpapers.
If Google rolls out the feature, Messages would inch nearer to competitors that let users tweak visuals more freely. According to Apple’s support documentation for iOS 26, iMessage users can set animated backgrounds or choose images from their own library, while WhatsApp notes that people can select preset themes or set any photo from their camera roll as the chat background.
Samsung is pushing the broader adoption of RCS—Rich Communication Services—which brings features like read receipts, typing indicators, improved group chat functions, and sharper media sharing to texting. Back in November, Patrick Chomet, who runs customer experience for Samsung’s mobile division, said the company had teamed up with Google on RCS “for years to provide users with a seamless, connected messaging experience.” Google’s Sameer Samat, president of Android Ecosystem, described Samsung as “instrumental in the growing adoption of RCS.” Samsung Global Newsroom
This shift puts Google’s app even more at the core of Android messaging, with Samsung having gradually retreated from its homegrown service. According to Samsung’s support page, the end-of-service notice won’t impact users running Android 11 or earlier, though people with devices released before 2022 could run into brief RCS chat interruptions as the transition happens.
Caution remains warranted. Android Authority pointed out that their discovery was based on an APK teardown, essentially digging into unfinished code inside a test build. The outlet also cautioned that the feature might not ever roll out to the public.
Older devices could see a bumpy switch. According to Samsung, any Tizen-powered watch released prior to the Galaxy Watch4 won’t keep full conversation history when Samsung Messages shuts down—reading and sending texts will still work, but older messages won’t.
Samsung is currently pushing users to switch over to Google Messages—either by opening it or downloading and setting it as the main SMS app. After Samsung Messages shuts down, messages won’t send from that app anymore, apart from those sent to emergency numbers or designated emergency contacts saved on your phone.
