Earlier this month, Samsung officially killed off its proprietary messaging app. It wasn't much of a surprise. The company had announced the end of Samsung Messages back in April, and, before that, had slowly distanced itself from the app by keeping it off new Galaxy phones by default. If you have a newer Galaxy phone, it's possible you didn't even use Samsung Messages at the time of deprecation. But for legacy users, the app's retirement was sad and frustrating, as the only viable option to retain features and message history is Google Messages—a fine enough chat app, but yet another Google product Galaxy users must rely on.

As reported by Android Authority, app developer OzarksMade wants to continue Samsung Messages' legacy. Rather than keep the original app running, OzarksMade created a new messaging app that mimics the look and feel of Samsung Messages: Messages by OzarksMade. The new app is designed with both Samsung Messages and One UI in mind: To the untrained eye, not only does this look like a Samsung Galaxy app, it looks like Samsung Messages.

Messages by OzarksMade also adds RCS support in the app. There is a catch, however: While you can send and receive RCS messages in Messages by OzarksMade, you'll need to tap into Google Messages via Messages by OzarksMade's "Companion Mode." You won't have to use Google Messages itself, but it will be powering RCS in the new app. You don't have to use Companion Mode, and can eschew Google Messages altogether, but you will be limited to SMS and MMS—the true Samsung Messages experience.

While you should be mindful of making any new chat app your default messaging provider, OzarksMade does say that all messages remain on-device, so it shouldn't store your texts on its servers. In addition, OzarksMade says it takes anonymous information for statistics purposes only, including "a random identifier that is generated on your device, the app's version and release channel, your device model, and your Android version." However, as Android Authority points out, this app closely resembles Samsung's own products, and the company may seek to shut the app down should it feel OzarksMade infringed on any copyrights.

How to try Messages by OzarksMade

This new app isn't out just yet, as it will launch on Thursday, Aug. 13. If you're interested, you'll need to join Messages by OzarksMade's beta, which is currently ongoing. To start, join the app's Google Group with the same Google account you use on your phone. Once you're in, you'll be able to see Messages by OzarksMade's Play Store page here. The developer says the Play Store will list the app at $0.99, but since you've joined the Google Group, you'll see an option called "Test Card, always approves" after tapping the payment. By choosing this option, you'll be able to download the app for free. If you don't see this option, you didn't properly sign up for the Google Group, and you'll need to try again.