Samsung seems to suddenly care about its Messages app, more new features spotted

Ben Schoon | May 13 2025 - 9:15 am PT

Samsung was thought to have abandoned its Messages app over the past few years, but the company seems to have a renewed interest in it, with RCS having been enabled last year, and some more new features being spotted in the pipeline.

For Samsung Messages users, the company’s focus on Google Messages has not been subtle. As of 2024, Samsung was not only pre-installing Google Messages on Galaxy phones sold in the US, but had stopped including Samsung Messages altogether. Samsung was even directly telling users to switch to Google Messages.

That’s why it came as a shock that, starting with the Galaxy S25, Samsung Messages had suddenly been updated with RCS support.

Now, Android Authority has spotted some further developments.

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A leaked version of the Samsung Messages app meant for use in One UI 8 suggests a handful of new features coming to the app. This includes support for birthday reminders, something that Google Messages already supports.

<string name=”birthday_conversation_description”>It’s %s’s birthday today! Let them know that you’re thinking of them.</string>

<string name=”birthday_description_double”>It’s %1$s and %2$s’s birthday! Send something special?</string>

<string name=”birthday_description_single”>It’s %s’s birthday today! Send something special?</string>

Beyond that, there are also some new location sharing features apparently in development. The code, seen below, suggests this will work with Samsung’s Find app.

<string name=”chatting_plus_tips_title_10″>Share your location in a snap</string>

<string name=”chatting_plus_tips_message_10″>Easily share your location with loved ones without copying the address.</string>

<string name=”install_find_body_receiver”>To view %s’s location, you need to install the Samsung Find app.</string>

<string name=”install_find_body_sender”>To share your location, you need to install the Samsung Find app.</string>

<string name=”install_find_title”>Install %s?</string>

<string name=”sign_in_samsung_account_body_receiver”>To view %s’s location, you need to sign in to
your Samsung account.</string>

<string name=”share_location_inbox_accept”>%s’s location is visible.</string>

<string name=”share_location_inbox_declined”>You declined to view %s’s location.</string>

<string name=”share_location_inbox_stop”>%s stopped sharing their location with you.</string>

<string name=”share_location_inbox_text_in_card”>%s shared their location with you.</string>

<string name=”share_location_infinity_time”>Indefinitely</string>

<string name=”share_location_outbox_accept”>%s can now see your location.</string>

<string name=”share_location_outbox_declined”>%s declined to view your location.</string>

<string name=”share_location_outbox_stop”>You stopped sharing your location with %s.</string>

Other strings suggest that emoji and sticker reactions are coming, as well as Now Brief integration for alerts around suspicious or malicious messages that were blocked.

<string name=”chatting_plus_tips_message_9″>Get suggestions for emojis to add to text bubbles to make your messages more expressive.</string>

<string name=”screen_Now_Brief_Received_malicious_messages”>4513</string>

<string name=”screen_Now_Brief_Received_suspicious_messages”>4512</string>

<string name=”screen_Now_Brief_Show_blocked_messages”>4514</string>

This all sounds interesting, but it may not debut until One UI 8 launches later this year. What’s strange, though, is this sudden and mostly unexplained shift regarding Samsung Messages.