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  • Using RCS with Google Messages on GrapheneOS

Allowing Play services Phone + SMS permission is all I needed to activate/verify my phone number and make sure you have the Play Store installed. The Carrier Services app shouldn't be required and it is not clear whether it even works on GrapheneOS since it is usually a privileged app on stock OS. The activation process may take some time if it's your first time.

After Chat features were ready, I revoked the Phone and SMS permissions from Play services and it seems to continue to work, so it may only be needed for the initial activation process. However, I have not tested this long enough to confirm if it will continue to work this way.

    shorty Which carrier are you on? I know T-Mobile requires it because my number would never register under chat features until installing Carrier Services. It is my understanding that some carriers rely on it for verification and others don't.

      samsepi0l In that case it is in fact carrier dependent on whether you need Carrier Services or not then. The terms for Jibe say it could be and/or but don't give specific examples.

      eatinggrumble84 I have Network set to Allow but it doesn't seem to be using it. The only permissions it has accessed in the past 24 hours are: Contacts, Music and Audio, Phone, Photos and Videos and SMS. All of those seem like reasonable requests to me.

        Reading Google FAQ, RCS works over network, so you must enable it.

        Google Messages keeps saying Play services requires Files and Media access whenever I start typing a message. I gave it every permission I could and it still throws this message. Not sure what the issue is.

        You can enable storage scopes to make it think it has files and media access and stop displaying the message. I only had to give phone and SMS permission to play services for activation to work, which is redundant anyway since google messages requires those permissions.

        8 days later

        Just want to provide another data point that Google Messages RCS works without Carrier Services on Verizon. I have all 3 G installed and Messages having Contacts, Network, Notifications, Phone, and SMS permission; Google Play services has Call logs, Contacts, Network, Phone, and SMS. That's all needed for RCS to eventually activate.
        When I enabled RCS, the app was stuck on "Verifying your number" or similar message for over 2 days but eventually I got a message that chat feature has been enabled

        22 days later
        • [deleted]

        mylesofsmiles I know this is off topic for this thread. I dont want to clutter the forum with repeat questions. Are you able to get wifi calling to work? I have tmobile as well. I set up wifi calling on stock and then installed graphene but it doesnt work. Just wondering if carrier services could be a requirement for that as well.

        3 months later

        I'm considering using Google Messages with RCS.

        Is anybody able to confirm what the minimum permissions are for the Google Messages app and Google Play Services app for this to work?

          • [deleted]

          intelligence man, I SO agree with this. Open soooource and Google freeeee, down the road I goooo... Feeel the wind in my haaaair, never I despair.

          intelligence That's all very well, but I was rather hoping somebody would answer my actual question:

          treequell Is anybody able to confirm what the minimum permissions are for the Google Messages app and Google Play Services app for this to work?

            • [deleted]

            treequell so are you contemplating using it, or already using it and running into problems? Why don't you rather forgo the urge and choose the lesser of two weevils?

            8 days later

            Can confirm everything works with Messages on T-Mobile without carrier services. Play Services has Network & Notifications permissions only. Took a while for Chat Features to become enabled, but it worked without changing any of my settings previously.