Samsung Pulls the Plug on Native News Feed
Samsung will discontinue its built-in news service on December 21, 2026, at 00:00 UTC, terminating a native feature that has undergone multiple rebrands over the past several years. Galaxy phone and tablet owners will lose the Samsung News application, its home screen widget, and the dedicated media page accessible by swiping right from the leftmost home screen.
Staggered Rollout of Shutdown Notices
The company has initiated shutdown notifications in India and South Korea. Users in those regions are receiving prompts advising them to remove the widget ahead of the impending service termination.
Owners in other global markets should be watching for similar announcements, rather than assuming their regional service will disappear on the same schedule.
Permanent Erasure of User Data
Once the December deadline passes, Samsung will permanently erase all user data tied to the news service. Personal information, account profiles, and individual personalization settings are scheduled for complete removal.
The manufacturer noted that certain records may be retained temporarily only where local statutory requirements demand it, after which they too will be deleted.
A Long Line of Short-Lived Rebrands
The current news feed launched in April 2023 as a successor to Samsung Free. That iteration followed a long line of shuttered news-feed services.
Samsung Free replaced Samsung Daily in 2020 and Bixby Home replaced Samsung Daily in 2019.
The Void Left on Galaxy Screens
Samsung has not announced a direct replacement for the outgoing service. Google Discover stands as a likely candidate to fill the vacant home screen real estate.
The alternative is already available as an option on Galaxy devices.
