Samsung is preparing to shut down its Samsung News service on December 21, 2026, ending a built-in feature that has helped Galaxy smartphone and tablet users access daily headlines, sports updates and other content.
The company has started displaying discontinuation notices inside the Samsung News app. According to the notice, the service will officially end at 00:00 UTC on December 21, 2026.
The announcement affects more than the standalone application. Samsung News widgets will also stop receiving content updates, while the dedicated news feed available through the leftmost home-screen panel will no longer provide the service.
Users in India and South Korea have reportedly received the shutdown notification. A Samsung Community moderator in Europe has also confirmed receiving the notice. However, Samsung has not published a detailed country-by-country shutdown schedule.
Samsung News App Shutdown Date and What Changes
The Samsung News discontinuation notice confirms December 21, 2026, as the service’s scheduled end date. Users who regularly access news through their Galaxy home screen will need to switch to another platform.
The following features are expected to be affected:
- Samsung News app: The dedicated news service will no longer be accessible after discontinuation.
- Samsung News widget: Existing widgets will stop receiving new headlines and content updates.
- Home-screen news feed: The Samsung News experience available by swiping right from the home screen will end.
- Personalized content: User profiles and personalization information associated with Samsung News will be deleted after the service closes.
Samsung has recommended that users remove their Samsung News widgets from their home screens before the shutdown.
What Happens to Samsung News User Data?
Samsung’s discontinuation notice also addresses the handling of personal information collected through the service. The company says user data, profiles and personalization information associated with Samsung News will be deleted after termination.
Some records may be retained temporarily if required under applicable laws and regulations. Any information kept for legal reasons will be deleted after the required retention period expires.
Importantly, this change concerns information associated with Samsung News. It does not mean that users’ Samsung accounts, photographs, messages or other files stored on their Galaxy devices will be deleted.
Why Is Samsung Discontinuing Its News App?
Samsung has not publicly explained why it is ending the news aggregation service. The decision follows several changes to the company’s built-in content platforms over the years.
Samsung News launched in April 2023 as the successor to Samsung Free. Before that, Samsung Free replaced Samsung Daily, which had previously replaced Bixby Home as Samsung’s integrated home-screen content experience.
The latest shutdown means Samsung is ending another version of its built-in news platform. The company has not announced a new Samsung-branded application that will directly replace Samsung News.
Google Discover Could Be the Best Alternative for Galaxy Users
Galaxy smartphone owners do not necessarily need to install another application to continue accessing personalized news. Google Discover is already available on many supported Samsung devices.
Google Discover provides a personalized feed featuring news articles, sports coverage, entertainment updates and other topics based on users’ interests.
Samsung Community support guidance has also pointed users toward Google Discover as an alternative to Samsung News. However, individual preferences and saved topics from Samsung News should not be expected to transfer automatically.
How to Replace Samsung News With Google Discover
Galaxy users can switch their home-screen media panel to Google Discover before the scheduled shutdown.
- Touch and hold an empty area on your Galaxy phone’s home screen.
- Swipe right to open the leftmost home-screen panel.
- Find the available media page options.
- Select Google Discover instead of Samsung News.
- Return to the home screen and swipe right to access the new news feed.
On some Galaxy models and One UI versions, users may need to open Settings, select Home screen and enable the option to add a media page.
The available settings can vary depending on the Galaxy device, software version, carrier and region. Users can also remove the media page entirely if they do not want a news feed on their home screen.
For now, Galaxy owners who have received the discontinuation notice can continue using Samsung News until the announced shutdown date. Those in other markets should check their own app notifications for region-specific information.
