Late last month reports surfaced that Samsung’s ChatON app would be shut down in some markets. These reports were later denied by the company, but now it appears as though this is actually the case.
As confirmed by Engadget, Samsung has said it will be closing its app to “all markets except for the United States” on February 1st:
“On February 1, 2015, ChatON will be discontinued in all markets except the United States, as we strive to meet evolving consumer needs by focusing on our core services. We remain committed to offering services that cater to our consumers’ lifestyles and add value to their everyday lives.”
Samsung says that users will be able to back up their data before the shut down actually occurs.
So why is the app shutting down? According to Samsung, “changing market conditions” are the cause for the closure and these conditions will soon leave a claimed 100 million users without a way to stay in contact, though most users might not be using the app; it just comes pre-installed on many Samsung Androids and Windows Phones.
Still, it’s not like users don’t have a plethora of other options out there. If you’re currently using ChatON, it’s recommended that you utilize one of these options.