The Galaxy S21 comes with Google Messaging almost everywhere except the U.S.

It turns out that Samsung is preloading the Galaxy S21 with Google Messaging in most markets, as Engadget learned in an interview with Hiroshi Lockheimer at Google yesterday. In doing so, Samsung joins other OEMs like OnePlus, LG and Motorola in using the Google messaging app by default. Unfortunately, we in the US are stuck with normal Samsung messages.

In the timestamp interview link above, you can hear Lockheimer discuss the reason for using Google Messaging on a Samsung phone. He says it looks “native” because it is slightly modified to better match One UI, both aesthetically and functionally. Lockheimer goes on to mention that the United States, along with “some exceptions”, will have the regular Samsung Messaging app. It is important to note that Samsung added support for Google’s RCS to Samsung Messages last month, so there is no real difference in functionality.

It is not clear why Samsung decided to stick with Samsung Messaging in the United States, but perhaps the owners of the S21 in the United States can sideload the personalized Google Messaging APK from Samsung.