Samsung News is shutting down on December 21, 2026

Samsung is retiring another of its own Galaxy services. According to an in-app notice first spotted by SamMobile and reported by Android Authority, Samsung News will be discontinued on 21 December 2026.

What stops working

On the shutdown date, Samsung News will stop delivering content entirely. The notice says:

• the Samsung News widget will no longer be updated, and Samsung recommends removing it from your home screen;
• the app will no longer show articles or daily briefings;
• personal information collected by the service will be deleted when it ends, except for records Samsung must keep under local regulations.

Samsung has not announced a replacement news app.

What happens to the left home screen panel

On many Galaxy phones, swiping right on the first home screen opens a feed panel. In some regions users could choose between Samsung News and Google Discover there. Android Authority expects the panel to fall back to Google Discover only once Samsung News is gone, although Samsung has not spelled that out. If you don't want any feed, you can switch the panel off: long-press an empty area of the home screen, swipe to the leftmost page and toggle it off.

Why Samsung is doing this

Samsung News launched in 2023 as the latest attempt to compete with Google Discover and Apple News. It replaced Samsung Free, which itself followed Samsung Daily and Bixby Home. Despite curated briefings and partner content, it never managed to replace Google Discover as the main feed for most Galaxy owners.

The move fits a wider pattern of Samsung trimming secondary services. It recently closed Samsung Daily Plus and reworked the backend of Samsung Community; we covered the 72-hour Samsung Community shutdown and how to back up your posts earlier this month.

What you should do

There is nothing urgent. If you use the Samsung News widget, remove it before 21 December so you don't keep a blank tile on your home screen, and pick another news app or Google Discover for headlines. If you're already planning updates for your phone, our One UI 9 update list shows which Galaxy models are in line for Android 17.