Samsung Is Retiring Two Phone Apps on December 31

Samsung will remove two apps, Quick Measure and AR Doodle, from the Galaxy Store on December 31, according to a report published by Engadget on November 15, 2026. The removal has not happened yet. It is scheduled, and once it takes effect, new users will no longer be able to download either app.

Quick Measure uses your phone's camera to measure distances and areas. AR Doodle lets you draw on photos and videos and add 3D effects. Both are sold through Samsung's own app store, which is where the removal takes place.

After December 31, Samsung will stop new downloads of both apps. It will also stop updating them. People who already have the apps installed can keep using them, Samsung said, but some features may not work properly.

The last point matters most. An app already on your phone keeps running, but it depends on the software underneath it. Phone software changes with each new version, much like a recipe written for one oven may turn out differently in another. An app that gets no more updates cannot adjust to those changes. Samsung's phrase "some features may not function properly" points to problems that could build up gradually. It does not say when they will appear.

Samsung also said that neither app will receive updates for future versions of the phone's operating system.

For people who already use the apps, nothing changes on the first day. For anyone setting up a new Galaxy phone, or reinstalling an app after a factory reset, the apps will no longer be in the store. That removes the easiest way to get a working copy.

Samsung also said it is committed to returning with improved services in the future.

The broader context here is familiar. Apps that do one job, such as measuring or annotating photos, often sit at the edge of a company's plans. When the company decides that feature belongs somewhere else, or that keeping the app up to date is no longer worth the cost, the app stops getting the work that keeps it running. Users often hear about it from a notice in the store, not from a clear way to switch to something else.

In my view, the more useful lesson is about dependency rather than about Samsung alone. An app's life depends less on its first release than on whether someone keeps maintaining it. People who rely on a specific measuring or drawing tool should check whether their phone's built-in features do the same job. They should do that before December 31, while the apps can still be installed.

Samsung has not said whether its promised improved services will replace these tools. The facts so far are simple. Two apps will leave the store on one date. After that, they will get no new downloads or updates. Phones that already have them can keep them, but how long they work well is unclear.