Samsung AR Zone Discontinued — and Quick Measure & AR Doodle Die Dec 31
Two of Samsung’s oldest AR experiments are being retired. Samsung has officially confirmed that Quick Measure and AR Doodle will reach end-of-service on December 31, 2026 — after that date, new downloads are blocked, update support stops, and existing users may lose features (9to5Google first spotted the change, SamMobile and AndroidCentral confirmed). The confirmation comes straight from the Galaxy Store’s own app listing: “service for the Quick measure app is scheduled to be terminated on 31 December 2026.”
What Exactly Happens on December 31
- New downloads blocked: both apps disappear from download listings — if you don’t have them installed by then, that’s it (SamMobile)
- Update support stops: no more patches, bug fixes, or compatibility updates
- Existing users “may lose access to some features”: Samsung’s carefully worded phrasing suggests partial functionality loss, not necessarily a full kill switch (Gadinsider syndication)
- The cryptic promise: AndroidCentral notes Samsung “vows to return new and improved” — suggesting a reworked version tied to a future One UI release
The One UI 9.5 Connection Everyone Missed
SammyFans’ framing is the sharpest read: these apps are being retired “ahead of One UI 9.5.” That timing isn’t coincidence. Samsung has been consolidating its scattered AR utilities into its camera stack and Galaxy AI features over the past two years — Quick Measure’s depth-sensing and AR Doodle’s drawing features have native equivalents now. The retirement looks less like abandonment and more like feature migration into the main camera app, with the “new and improved” tease pointing at One UI 9.5’s AR capabilities.
Where Is AR Zone Now? The Hub That Started It All
Most people searching “Samsung discontinuing AR apps” are actually hunting for AR Zone — the camera-based hub that bundled Samsung’s AR features (AR Doodle, Quick Measure, Deco Pic, AR Emoji) in one place. That hub is already gone: Samsung retired AR Zone with the One UI 7 rollout in 2025, more than a year before this December’s cutoff (Samsung Community moderators confirmed the mid-2025 removal; Wikipedia’s app history and Samsung-focused outlets document the same timeline).
What happened to each piece of the AR Zone bundle:
- AR Doodle + Quick Measure: survived the hub’s death as standalone apps — and are now themselves scheduled for end-of-service on December 31, 2026 (the story this article covers)
- AR Emoji: renamed Galaxy Avatar and moved into Settings > Advanced features under One UI 7
- Deco Pic: split out as its own standalone camera app
- The deeper plan: AR functions consolidated into the main camera app and Galaxy AI — the same migration logic behind One UI 9.5’s upcoming AR consolidation
So the full picture is a two-phase shutdown: Phase 1 (2025) — AR Zone hub retired, tools scattered standalone. Phase 2 (Dec 31, 2026) — the standalone tools themselves reach end-of-service. If your app drawer’s AR Zone vanished after a One UI update, that’s why.
Who Actually Uses These Apps — And Why It Still Matters
Honestly: very few people. Quick Measure (AR-based distance/height measuring) and AR Doodle (drawing in 3D space) were showcase features from the 2019-2020 5G marketing era — the “look what 5G phones can do” demos. Most Galaxy owners never opened either. But the searches are real: users discovering the shutdown notice in their app drawers are wondering what happened — and the answer is Samsung clearing the AR deck before its next UI generation.
Replacement Options for Affected Users
- For measuring: Google’s Measure-style features, third-party Play Store AR rulers, or the camera’s native object-distance display on newer Galaxy models
- For AR Doodle: Samsung Notes’ PDF annotation, PENUP for drawing, or third-party AR sketch apps
- For everything: wait for One UI 9.5 — Samsung’s “new and improved” promise suggests the functionality returns consolidated
Samsung Discontinuing AR Apps: The Short Answer
Yes — Samsung is discontinuing its AR apps in stages. The AR Zone hub was removed with One UI 7, and the Quick Measure and AR Doodle apps are scheduled to shut down on December 31, 2026. After that date, both apps disappear from download listings — so if you still use them, save what you need and plan your move to the replacements now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AR Zone on Samsung phones?
AR Zone was Samsung’s camera-based hub for AR features — AR Doodle, Quick Measure, Deco Pic, and AR Emoji all lived inside it. Samsung removed the hub with the One UI 7 update in 2025, splitting the tools into standalone apps and folding avatar features into Galaxy Avatar.
Why did Samsung discontinue AR Zone?
Consolidation. The hub duplicated AR functions the camera app already handled, so with One UI 7 in 2025 Samsung retired AR Zone, renamed AR Emoji to Galaxy Avatar, and kept AR Doodle and Quick Measure as standalone apps — which are themselves now set for end-of-service on December 31, 2026.
Can I still download AR Zone?
No — phones running One UI 7 or newer no longer offer the AR Zone hub. Devices still on older One UI versions may list it, but its core tools (Quick Measure, AR Doodle) reach end-of-service on December 31, 2026 regardless.
When is Samsung discontinuing Quick Measure?
December 31, 2026. After that date, new downloads are blocked and the app stops receiving update support. Samsung’s Galaxy Store listing confirms the termination date directly.
Is AR Doodle also being discontinued?
Yes — both AR Doodle and Quick Measure reach end-of-service on December 31, 2026, per Samsung’s updated app information (9to5Google, SamMobile, and the Samsung Community forum all confirm).
Will Samsung bring back Quick Measure and AR Doodle?
Samsung has told AndroidCentral it “vows to return new and improved” — with SammyFans noting the retirement comes ahead of One UI 9.5. The likely plan: consolidated AR features built into the camera/AI stack rather than standalone apps.
What can I use instead of Quick Measure on my Galaxy phone?
Third-party AR measuring apps from the Play Store work fine, and newer Galaxy models show object distance natively in the camera app. For AR Doodle users, Samsung Notes annotation and third-party AR sketch apps are the main alternatives.
Is Samsung discontinuing all of its AR apps?
No — this shutdown covers the AR Zone hub (removed with One UI 7) and the Quick Measure and AR Doodle apps, which stop working after December 31, 2026.
Sources
- 9to5Google — shutdown first spotted (Sept 7)
- Samsung Galaxy Store — official termination notice (Dec 31, 2026)
- SamMobile — download removal + update stop details
- AndroidCentral — “will return new and improved” promise
- SammyFans — One UI 9.5 timing connection
