Just in case there's any other Aussies lurking in here: RCS now works for me on Telstra in Australia! Amazing work by the GOS team, thank you very much.
Pixel 8 running 2025100901
Gave the Phone permission to Google Play Services. It only has network and phone permissions now.
Deleted Google Messages and reinstalled, set it as default and bam, RCS connected.
Needed to reboot the phone before RCS would show up in the compose bar of google messages for contacts that use RCS.
Hope this helps.
Small rant..
Now waiting for carriers in Australia to get with the program and enable RCS support for iOS and for both carriers and Apple to enable RCS 3.0 with E2EE.
I've managed to get a few people on signal but like others say on here there are some people who point blank absolutely refuse to want to know or care about communicating privately and especially will not give up their blue bubbles for love or money.
Official RCS support from Graphene is amazing and once Apple and carriers around the world get their act together cross platform encrypted RCS will go a long way toward addressing the 'what to do with all your contacts who refuse to leave iMessage conundrum'. If your threat model allows it, E2EE RCS seems like it could be better than plain sms, to me at least.
Anyhoo, thanks again GOS team, you guys rock.