Using RCS with Google Messages on GrapheneOS

OfflinePuffin

Whoa!! This form got really active after I left for a bit... I'm gonna try to make a wiki page for all this info. I hope to start more conversation about RCS

dmooch

Honestly after reading this thread, I've kinda come to the conclusion that this is probably just a dead end. I have tried absolutely everything over the course of about two weeks in this thread, on my mint AND cricket sims. With how ingrained RCS is with my texts, and with how hostile GOS and Google Messages are to each other, I feel kinda screwed. Hopefully there's going to be improvements in the future. Even SMS in general is broken now as a result of all my contacts' phones handling my RCS deregistration and newly created group texts differently. Unfortunately I am going to be switching back to the stock ROM, as much as I love the idea of GOS. I really hope I can come back to this when the issue is solved. Good luck with this guys!

BuckWylde

dmooch I'm also pretty close to switching back. I was hopeful in that this would be resolved but I'm having to check multiple times a day to see if rcs is working or not, then needing to do the uninstall/reinstall cycle every 1-2 days. I've had a few group chats break, and I've tried everyone's strategies. If I can hold out for just a little while longer I may consider switching from Mint since my prepaid year is almost over.

gos27371

BuckWylde I just switched from Mint. I've been on US Mobile's Warp (Verizon) network for 3 days now without having to reset or check anything. Running latest version of Messages from play store. No troubleshooting or steps taken other than just making sure to turn off RCS in Messages settings before switching.

I even had tried to de-register my number from RCS and switch back to just SMS/MMS and my friends' phones were still trying to send RCS to me, so I was at a complete loss.

Some other perks of switching for me was being able to use the Google Phone app's visual voicemail rather than being forced into T-mobiles extra app (probably would work with default graphene one, too), getting 4x the amount of data for almost the same price, better speeds in my area, and free e-sim transfers ($3 PER TRANSFER through Mint). So far US Mobile has been good for me, but only time will tell.

aaravchen

BuckWylde
I know it doesnt help anyone that's already trapped into RCS and can't get it to work, but the best advice is: DO NOT TRY RCS.

The unfortunate design failure of RCS protoco to have a fallback path for when a client loses RCS access means that if you even try it once you're effectively trapped into continuing to use it.

Re: the hostility of GOS and Google Message. It's pretty clearly Google's fault for throwing a number of unnecessary gate-keeping-only restrictions for RCS support on Android into ASOP core, and leveraging their monopoly position as Android device OS provider and system app provider to force acceptance of the significantly reduced security those gate-keeping restrictions entail. But that righteousness doesn't help solve the fact that you've already been entrapped by Google's anticompetitive monopolist actions.

gos27371

aaravchen I would hard agree to just never use it. Either deal with SMS or try to get people to switch to Signal or something.

Supposedly, you're able to de-register your number, but it never seemed to really work for me. Especially with groups I was in.

https://messages.google.com/disable-chat

aaravchen

gos27371
I believe that deregistraion ability via that link has been mostly intentionally misleading Google propaganda.
It only actually works if you can sign in to authenticate your ownership of the phone number you're trying to deregister, which means you have to have a Google account, with that phone number linked to it, and have to be signed into Messages with your Google account, and if the RCS server being used is Google's (no longer even available to the best of my knowledge, now their all "the carriers", even if they're temporarily being run by Google on behalf of the carrier in many cases).

gos27371

aaravchen Oh that absolutely would check out.

alwarnecke

WestQuester installed messages.android_20241120_00_RC07.phone_dynamic versionCode 262371063 on October 13th and RCS has been functioning for me ever since. I won't upgrade until the issue is solved.

Thank you so much for this. 50 hours and counting, RCS still going strong. I installed the bundle with APKMirror, working great.

Pixel 7, Spectrum Mobile (Verizon)

iudnu

iudnu A follow up... After doing this a couple times everything seems to be working as expected for me -- as of about a week or so.

WingedHussar__

gos27371 Dang, made it the furthest with these steps. (T-Mobile, Pixel 9a). Really appreciate everyone's help they're providing here.

I can get to "Connected" but won't actually send as anything but SMS / MMS.
I've also tried a lot of the other fixes including one where I removed the number off my Google account and re-add, no luck.

Weirdly (Or maybe not, new to GOS) the Carrier Services app doesn't show up in the app list, even when "Show system apps" is selected. When I go to uninstall it via the Play Store I can click "More Options" and it'll open the Carrier Services app info screen, but Permissions/Force Stop/etc. are greyed out. The only button I can click is "Enable" but it doesn't seem to do anything.

Having a heavy reliance on RCS between friends & family means I'll probably have to come back to GrapheneOS - either I'll convince enough of the people I message to swap to something like Signal or maybe there will be a better solution by then haha

23Sha-ger

WingedHussar__
Clean cache from the Google Messages, reboot, if it's connected, it should work.
Basically it's using the Jive infrastructure from Google, like XMPP/Whatsapp.
Can be quirky but eventually works.

WingedHussar__

23Sha-ger Appreciate the reply, gave it a try & no dice. I'll give it some time and see if it figures itself out.

Turtacular

WingedHussar__ you are likely not provisioned (etouffee showing as false in the debug menu). If that's the case, I can point you towards an apk bundle that has worked for three phones so far and continues to work on my own for 2 weeks now.

BuckWylde

Turtacular Which apk bundle is this?

WingedHussar__

Turtacular I am using: 20241120_00_RC07 from APK Mirror, 262371063

I have good news that it does work now. All I did differently from yesterday to today was clear cache as 23Sha-ger indicated, rebooted, and then waited. Around 3 am this morning I got spammed by a bunch of RCS messages that Google was apparently holding.

Edit: noticed that the app must have updated to the current version (292683063). Still works at least for now.

However, if you can share the one you have that would be great - just in case I get the 24-48 hour issue others have described.

Turtacular

@BuckWylde @WingedHussar__
What I've consistently done is use this apk first to get connected:
com.google.android.apps.messaging_messages.android_20241120_00_RC07.phone_dynamic-262371063_minAPI26(arm64-v8a,armeabi-v7a,x86,x86_64)(nodpi)_apkmirror.com.apk

And then update to this bundle to get provisioned:
com.google.android.apps.messaging_messages.android_20250311_04_RC01.phone_dynamic-273168063_4arch_7dpi_24lang_0fa6bd6ebbb40b6d0d8682c5d4f6453d_apkmirror.com.apkm

Since doing that, I've not needed to do the 24 hour trick anymore, though make sure to disable automatic updates for the app in the Play Store.

BuckWylde

Turtacular I just did your method and I instantly got provisioned! I'll update to how long it lasts

cb474

Turtacular What carrier are you on?

cb474

Turtacular What I've consistently done is use this apk first to get connected:
com.google.android.apps.messaging_messages.android_20241120_00_RC07.phone_dynamic-262371063_minAPI26(arm64-v8a,armeabi-v7a,x86,x86_64)(nodpi)_apkmirror.com.apk

And then update to this bundle to get provisioned:
com.google.android.apps.messaging_messages.android_20250311_04_RC01.phone_dynamic-273168063_4arch_7dpi_24lang_0fa6bd6ebbb40b6d0d8682c5d4f6453d_apkmirror.com.apkm

Since doing that, I've not needed to do the 24 hour trick anymore, though make sure to disable automatic updates for the app in the Play Store.

Turtacular If you're currently in "waiting to connect" land, turn off RCS, then delete the Messages app. Install the first apk I mentioned and RCS should connect instantly. Update to the bundle and Etouffee should provision in under a minute.

I tried this method this morning and it worked for me. It was great to get connected and provisioned without all the rebooting I had been doing. I wonder if updating to the Play Store version would have worked with the same method? Of course, that would mean the 36 hour reset problem would continue. In any case, I followed your suggestion to update to 20250311_04_RC01 instead. Now I'll have to wait and see if it lasts beyond the 36 hour reset period. Thanks again for the idea.

nowcircumscribeyahoo

Turtacular This is the only method currently working for me, P9 on T-Mobile. Practically all features retained, and no daily reset needed. This is totally fine until GOS has a more universal/permanent solution, thank God. 🙏

Turtacular

cb474 Mint for all three devices. Two Pixel 8s and one 7 or 7a- I forget which.

cb474

Turtacular Thanks. So that's T-Mobile. I've been using the same version of Messages (with the .apkm file) to get connected. But I'll have to try your method of updating to a different old version, instead of the Play Store version. I had been wondering if there is some version between 20241120_00_RC07 and now that just works.

Do you clear data and cache before installing the old version to get connected?

I've been following @Vuraze method. 1. Uninstall Messages. 2. Reboot. 3. Install old version of Messages. 4. Set Messages as default SMS app. 5. Open Messages and check RCS. 6. Reboot regardless of whether Messages "connects" to RCS or not. 7. Check that Messags is "connected." 8. Update to Play Store version. 9. Check that Messages has provisioned Etouffee, but usually I have to reboot at least once to get Etouffee to provision.

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