5 characteristics of better conversations

Key Takeaways

• Samsung no longer pre-installs Samsung Messages on its flagship phones.
• The app has several features, such as message categories, starring, and custom quick replies, that make it worth a try.
• Outside the US, the app will always be pre-installed.

One of the downsides of buying a non-Google Android phone is that you often have to deal with a wealth of duplicate apps. Samsung is not to blame for this. Open the new Galaxy S24 Ultra, and you'll be greeted with two browsers, two email apps, two calendar apps, and more. Most of the time, these are easy enough to ignore, but what if one of those apps is actually…good? Samsung Messages, despite being an unnecessary replacement for Google Messages, does a few things that the standard Android app doesn't.

The app also fell by the wayside as Samsung and Google worked closely together. That started with Samsung making Google Messages the default messaging app on the Galaxy S21 and all subsequent Galaxy phones. Google Messages may have become the default, but Samsung devices still ship with Samsung Messages pre-installed, until now: With the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, Samsung left Samsung Messages on their phones entirely.

Just because Samsung Messages isn't part of Samsung's vision for the future of OneUI doesn't mean you can't benefit from what the app can do right now, especially outside of the US where it seems like it will always be preinstalled. Here are the features that make Samsung Messages as useful as Google Messages.

1 Samsung Messages lets you organize conversations into categories

Like a folder system for important messages

Some people take care of all their messaging needs in group chats, others, whether it's for work or personal, send messages to many people individually. If that's you, Samsung has a handy way to keep track of individual messages so you can quickly retrieve them later.

If you want to sort a bunch of messages for a work project, for example, you can create a specific category for that project. That way, if you need to contact someone or need a piece of information from a message, it's easy to find.

Starting a new section is very easy:

1. Open the Samsung Messages app.
2. Tap on the three-dot menu top right for More options.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap Discussion sections to ensure they are enabled.
5. Tap the chat sections, then click Add Category.
6. Name the categorypress Add, then use the search bar on the next page to add messages.
7. From the Samsung Messages main screen, tap on a category to switch to itview messages, and add new conversations.

2 Starring allows you to save specific text in Samsung Messages

When you need a way to filter finer than categories

If the categories aren't clear enough, Samsung Messages also lets you star individual messages to save them for later. I find this works best if you care more about the content of the message than the context of the entire conversation.

If your friend tells you something smart, you should star it. If a loved one tells you something that you know will be a pick-me-up on a difficult day, you should star it. If you are sent instructions that you know you will forget, be sure to star them. Unlike categories, all messages will appear in the same “starred messages” section of Samsung Messages, but it's a useful way to keep things important to you.

To star a message:

1. Within the dialog, press and hold the chat bubble.
2. Tap Star the message to keep the message.
3. From the main messages screen, tap the three-dot menu, then tap Starred messages.
4. In this menu you can see all the messages you have starred.

3 Samsung Messages lets you add Quick Replies to save time

If you can't type a response, send a custom one you wrote earlier

Almost every messaging app worth its salt includes some form of way to send instant replies, either pre-written, created by the phone manufacturer or automatically generated by AI. Those exist in Samsung Messages as quick replies, but with added flexibility — you can also add your own custom replies to the mix.

Using Quick Reply is impersonal by nature, but sometimes when you get a message but don't have time to respond, you need a way to show that you'll follow up soon. A custom Instant Reply is more personal than the old pre-written message or emoji reaction.

Adding Your Own Quick Answers:

1. Open the Samsung Messages app.
2. Tap on the three dots Additional options menuthen Settings.
3. Tap Additional settings.
4. Then tap Fast responses.
5. Tap the “+” button. to add instant feedback.

4 You can customize conversations in Samsung Messages

Colorful backgrounds and bubbles with high contrast

The customization options you find in Samsung Messages aren't as deep as Google Messages — you can't change the color of chat bubbles, for example — but it's still a fun way to make your everyday group chats feel fresh.

If you have a lot of messages to sort through, it's another way to visually keep track of who you're talking to at a glance. You can change the background to a pre-selected set of colors or an image, and adjust the brightness and contrast of the chat bubbles to make them more visible.

To start customizing:

1. Open the Samsung Messages app.
2. Tap the message that you want to customize.
3. Tap on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner.
4. Then tap Customize the chat room.
5. Choose the color you want or select a photo from your gallery, and adjust the bubble brightness and contrast to your liking.

5 Samsung Messages lets you schedule messages to send later

Always make sure your documents arrive on time

Call it social anxiety or call it a desire for total control, but being able to edit messages is very important to me. The ability to edit messages is increasing, but Samsung Messages got there early – Apple just added them to iMessage with iOS 18.

Editing a text message can be useful if you need to send a reminder but don't want to remember to do it, or a family member is in another time zone, and you want to make sure their birthday message arrives on time.

To edit a message:

1. Open the Samsung Messages operating system.
2. Tap current discussion.
3. Tap on the “+” icon. at the bottom of the screen, and press Edit the message.
4. Choose your date and time (must be at least six minutes past the current time).
5. Then write your message and press Send.
6. Alternatively, from the main message screen, press the new chat bubble bottom right to start a new conversation.
7. Tap on the top field to add recipients.
8. Tap “+” then tap on Schedule a message.
9. Select the date and time.
10. Enter your message and press Send.