Robert Triggs/Android Authority
Samsung has developed several stock apps for its Galaxy phones. From Samsung Gallery to Samsung Notes, Samsung Calendar to Samsung Internet and more – Galaxy phone owners can choose to stay entirely within Samsung’s ecosystem if they wish. However, that’s not what most of them like, at least not entirely.
The results were mostly consistent across all three platforms where we polled. On our site, only 9% of 2,600 voters said they only use native Samsung apps on Galaxy phones. 64% of voters said they use a mix of Samsung and other apps, with the latter mostly made up of Google apps. 27% of respondents stayed away from Samsung apps entirely and relied only on alternatives.
“Dialer, contacts, messages, gallery, calculator from Samsung. Mail (Gmail, ofc), browser, calendar and app store from Google,” said one user, echoing our comments in the poll It matches what you see in .
This sentiment was also reflected in our YouTube poll, which received more than 4,700 votes. However, we found that a large portion of YouTube viewers rejected the Samsung app entirely in favor of other options.
“I have a Samsung S20 phone, but I prefer using Google apps or alternatives to Samsung apps. If there was a way to uninstall them, I would,” commented one Galaxy user who responded to our YouTube poll.
“I use essentials like phone app, messaging app, gallery app, camera app, clock calendar calculator app and health app,” said another Galaxy user.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), Galaxy users once again expressed how they use both native Samsung apps and alternative apps instead of just the Korean company’s apps. Of the 990 votes collected by the platform, 43.6% said they do not use Samsung apps at all.
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
While polls reflect Galaxy users’ dislike of putting all their eggs in Samsung’s basket, reviews suggest that Samsung is definitely moving in the right direction when it comes to pushing new features into its native apps.
“I now use all native Samsung apps because they are more feature-rich. The only exceptions are Gmail and Google Messages,” said one user.
With One UI 6.1, Samsung is also bringing more innovative AI features to its older flagships, positively impacting how users view its apps.
“Samsung Calendar + Reminders is actually the reason I chose the S24 over the Pixel 8 – priceless month view that lists everything, great widgets, and doesn’t bother me using an online calendar like GCal does. I Also growing fond of the built-in AI translation/dictation/paraphrase/gallery features – I just flip the switch on the device to process the data, and in terms of privacy it’s like an iPhone, except without all the Apple rails.” Galaxy S24 user.
“I do use Google’s apps, but they are getting worse. As features in Samsung’s apps catch up and become more integrated, I may find myself switching back,” one user commented.
So while the scales currently tip against Samsung apps, that’s not to say users don’t find them helpful. In fact, if the trends we’re seeing continue in this direction, we might even see more users rely solely on Samsung apps and forego other options.