It would appear Samsung’s adoption of Google Discover is more limited than some might have hoped. We can confirm that any phone not shipping with One UI 3.1 won’t get the feature with the One UI 3.1 update (which started rolling out today for multiple Galaxy phones). The functionality is hence still exclusive to devices like the Galaxy S21 range and the Galaxy A32 5G.
In the meantime, Samsung Free remains the only native home screen news feed integration offered by One UI 3.1 outside of the company’s latest Android flagships.
When will my Galaxy device get Google Discover support?
Google Discover will also be available on all future Samsung smartphones that launch running One UI 3.1 or newer. But there are no guarantees that any older devices will soon match the Galaxy S21 range in this regard, though things could change in a few months or with the Android 12 update. As for right now, more smartphones with One UI 3.1 pre-installed will be hitting the market soon, including the Galaxy A52, Galaxy A72, and the Galaxy F62.
Google Messages is also not included in the One UI 3.1 update for older Galaxy devices, but it’s not like any Samsung customer has been asking for Google’s messaging experience, anyway. As for anyone who recently upgraded to a Galaxy device running version 3.1 of Samsung’s custom skin out of the box, here’s how to enable Google Discover on the home screen.
Google Discover has a future in Samsung’s wider mobile ecosystem as a result of the company’s strengthening relationship with Alphabet’s subsidiary. The direction in which the SmartThings platform has been expanding is another thing testifying to that increasingly collaborative partnership.
Of course, Samsung and Google are still rivals in many respects, so it remains to be seen how far this cooperation can actually go. Especially given Samsung’s eagerness to maintain a tight level of control over its in-house, Android-based OS.
