As one of the top brands in the phone industry, Samsung has amassed millions of users globally who enjoy using the pre-installed apps on their devices. One of these is the SMS, MMS, and RCS app, Messages, which appears on the phone upon purchase and allows users to send and receive text messages. While Google Messages also comes preinstalled on many Galaxy devices, longtime Samsung users tend to prefer the first-party app, and for good reason — although a recent bug with the app may have them second-guessing this choice.

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Now, imagine losing access to your conversations, memories, and threads of important messages in the blink of an eye. It started as a usual day for Samsung Galaxy users until they began experiencing a glitch with the Messages app less than 24 hours ago. The severity of the issue prompted many to voice their concerns on platforms like Reddit and Samsung’s official channels, as reported by Android Authority.

Per the complaints, the Messages app is still installed on the phones, and the list of conversations remains. However, the app forcefully shuts down the moment anyone tries to start a new discussion. The complainants noted that the basic troubleshooting steps when your phone begins to act up, such as clearing the cache or restarting the phone, did not fix the problem.

Thankfully, there is a way out. According to a Samsung moderator on the company’s help platform, users have to force stop Google Meet, then disable or uninstall updates on the video chatting app. Acknowledging that the manufacturer is aware of the Messages app crashing, the moderator explained the steps required. Head to Settings → Apps → Google Meet → Force stop, then tap the menu button (⋮) and select Uninstall updates. Alternatively, you can simply Google Meet altogether using the corresponding button on the same screen.

The solution seems effective, as several comments on Reddit revealed that uninstalling updates on Google Meet or disabling the app revived Messages.

There’s always the Google Messages app

Alternatively, the moderator suggested that users switch to Google Messages for texting instead of the pre-installed Samsung Messages app. Google Messages also comes with select Samsung devices and is set as the default messaging app on some. Although Google’s Messages app offers RCS chats too, a lot of people prefer to stick with Samsung’s.

Humans generally have different reactions to situations, and it will not be surprising if you deleted some of your messages while trying to figure out what went wrong with your Messages app. In this case, here is a guide on how to retrieve deleted texts on your Samsung phone.