Samsung News App Is Being Discontinued on Dec. 21, 2026: What Galaxy Owners Need to Know

If your Galaxy phone has a news feed one swipe to the left of the home screen, it is about to change. Samsung plans to discontinue its Samsung News service in December, according to an in-app notice first reported by SamMobile and picked up by Android Authority.

When is Samsung News being discontinued?

The notice gives a shutdown time of Dec. 21, 2026, at 00:00 UTC, SamMobile reported. On the U.S. East Coast, that works out to 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 20.

According to SamMobile and Android Authority, the shutdown covers:

• The Samsung News app itself
• The Samsung News widget, which will stop updating. Samsung recommends users remove it from their home screens, Android Authority said.
• The dedicated media page on the leftmost home screen of Galaxy phones and tablets

Android Authority reported that the service will stop delivering content entirely on the shutdown date.

Does the Samsung News shutdown apply in the US?

That part is not fully confirmed. SamMobile said the discontinuation notice appeared inside the app in India and South Korea. The outlet called it “highly likely” that the service will also end in other markets, but said it was still waiting for official confirmation through Samsung’s channels elsewhere. Samsung Magazine reported the same.

Android Authority described the Dec. 21 date as Samsung’s announced plan but used hedged language (“seemingly”) in its summary. U.S. owners who still use the app should watch for a notice inside Samsung News itself.

What happens to your data?

After the shutdown, all user data, profiles and personalization information tied to Samsung News will be deleted, according to the notice as described by SamMobile. The exception is any information local regulations require Samsung to keep for a set period, which will be permanently erased after that period ends.

There is nothing in the reporting about a way to export reading history or saved preferences, so there is little to back up.

What replaces Samsung News?

Samsung has not announced a replacement, both outlets said. Android Authority reported that the leftmost home screen panel, which already offered another news feed option on One UI, will likely default to that other feed instead. SamMobile said it isn’t clear what will happen after the shutdown.

Android Authority read the move as a sign that Samsung is stepping back from running its own news curation on Galaxy devices.

Why is Samsung shutting it down?

Samsung’s reasons are not spelled out in the reporting. SamMobile said the company appears to be streamlining its software by dropping redundant or underused services, and noted Samsung recently announced the end of its Daily+ service on TVs and smart monitors. Android Authority also pointed to the Daily Plus shutdown and an overhaul of Samsung Community.

The news feed has been rebranded several times, per SamMobile:

1. Bixby Home, April 2017
2. Samsung Daily, October 2019
3. Samsung Free, late 2020 with One UI 3.0
4. Samsung News, 2023

Android Authority said Samsung News never managed to become the default feed for most Galaxy users, despite curated daily briefings and partner content.

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