Using RCS with Google Messages on GrapheneOS

Muaddib195

Robbartham can you confirm what steps you took to achieve a full unlink/relink? This may be the issue I'm having.

Robbartham

Muaddib195 sure, all I did for the unlinking was navigate to the phone number section within your Google account and untick the phone number verification for your Pixel and completely delete the phone number saved as well. I gave that a few minutes and then re-added and verified my number, as well as re-checking phone verification for my device. After a few days I received the text message alerting me that Google is verifying my number and was able to refresh Messages and connect to RCS. Latest version of Messages from Play Store, no changes apart from those two in the Google account.

lynxpoint

Just want to confirm that RCS still doesnt work on AT&T? Someone's reply above from 11 days ago says it doesnt but I just want to check.

lynxpoint

SouthernPolish99 so RCS on AT&T currently works for you?

SouthernPolish99

lynxpoint Yes.

Based on my experience, its not a matter of a carrier works or doesn't work with Graphene, it's getting it to verify your number and load the messages. Seems like it comes and goes or whatever the carriers change can either interrupt or affect if RCS works for us. Several times I've gotten disconnected and have to play games to get it reconnected. Currently been 3 or 4 weeks connected uninterrupted.

Important to note I use a version of messages from November 2024 and don't update. I also previously edited a permission with shizuku, though others have said that is not supposed to help (but it did for me and I'm not changing back to find out)

thegeneralmills

Hey folks! Like so many of you, I've struggled with getting RCS working on GrapheneOS. And while I'd much rather use Signal to communicate with folks - I have had very limited success convincing friends and family to try it. People use RCS now and I don't really see a way around it. I hope GrapheneOS developers take note of how so many people have switched back like me to stock Android because of this issue.

I have tried Mint Mobile in the past with GrapheneOS and always end up switching to stock Android after all the tips and tricks in this thread end up failing. But alas, I decided to try one more time with a different MVNO.

Today, I switched to US Cellular (Important you need to select their Warp plan) and then installed Google Messages. I needed to turn on "Exploit protection compatibility mode" for Google Messages and ensure that ALL permissions were given to the app. Once I did that, I turned on RCS in Google Messages, typed in my number to verify it, and then restarted the phone. After waiting 10-15 minutes, I restarted it once more, typed in my number again to verify it and finally, for the first time in GrapheneOS, RCS connected and a flood of old RCS group chats came in.

I'm hopeful this will last and RCS won't break. If it does, I officially give up and will switch back to stock Android until RCS is fixed.

brink1093

morapelor This was the only recent strategy that got me connected on AT&T, but it stopped working a few days later and hasn't reconnected since.

I'll be switching back to stock Android since fixing this doesn't seem to be a priority. I use Signal every day, but I continue to receive RCS from a bunch of different contacts as it's standard now.

Zhaethon

My previous fix to this problem (2024 version of messages) stopped working and I'll have to try some of the other fixes.

But, I have cancelled my monthly sponsorship and if this doesn't get fixed I will have to go back to stock android. I cannot have a daily driver without RCS functionality. (Pixel 9 pro, T-Mobile). I hope the devs realize just how critical this is.

user5678

Zhaethon
sts369
litlelilim

I am also on Tmobile. I also need Group Messages to work. (If I could go back in time and stop my past self from ever enabling RCS last year, I would -- but obviously, this is not possible.)

However, it is clear from the tone of your post that you neither searched this very post, nor even tried to understand why RCS is so problematic in the world right now.

"Devs fix this!!!" is analgous to demanding "A cure for cancer!" -- as if "cancer" is one single problem instead of a collective name for a multitude of problems that causes your organs to fail. Just as lung cancer is not the same as colon cancer, the reason you are having trouble with RCS on Tmobile is different from the reason someone else is having trouble with RCS on Verizon. Asking devs to "fix this" is asking them to find a way to shim Google Play Services into working even though it does not have elevated privileges on GrapheneOS. To summarize, the priorties for GrapheneOS are 1) enforce security on the phone 2) enforce privacy choices on the phone, and then 3) troubleshoot apps that many users desire, such as Android Auto, or RCS.

For some countries, SMS (and RCS) has become little used, so it doesn't affect large swaths of GrapheneOS users.

However, since you and I are on T-Mobile -- ostensibly in the USA where SMS/RCS is still heavily used, I will spoon feed you a temporary solution, which can be found by reading the above postings.

Personally, I disable VPN while I am registering on the RCS network. May not be necessary, but RCS is trying to ID with your carrier.

Install Google Play Services using the GrapheneOS App Store
GrapheneOS > Settings > Apps > Sandboxed Google Play > Google Settings > Phone Number Verification "Automatically verify phone numbers"
GrapheneOS > Settings > Apps > Google Play Services > Permissions "Network Phone SMS"
Download
https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/messenger-google-inc/messenger-google-inc-20241120_00_rc07-release
Download
https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/messenger-google-inc/google-messages-20250311_04_rc01-release/google-messages-messages-android_20250311_04_rc01-phone_dynamic-2-android-apk-download/
Download https://github.com/Aefyr/SAI/releases/download/4.5/SAI-4.5.apk.
6a. Install it using the GrapheneOS Files App.
Using GrapheneOS File Browser, install the Messages 20241120_00_rc07 .apk from STEP 4
Before launching Google Messages for the first time:

8a. GrapheneOS > Settings > Apps > Messages > Advanced > Alarms and Reminders "Allow setting alarms and reminders" Allowed. "Allow restricted settings"

8b. GrapheneOS > Settings > Apps > Messages > SMS app "Yes"

8c. GrapheneOS > Settings > Apps > Messages > Permissions "Network Phone SMS Contacts"

Launch Google Messages 20241120_00_rc07. Continue as the google profile that is signed into Play Store.
9a. Click top right icon > Messages settings > RCS chats. It may say "RCS not available on the device." If so quit Messages. Wait 5 minutes. Launch messages. Keep "Use wifi or data for messaging when available" On. Should now say T-Mobile (###) ###-#### Status: Connected.

10 Update to a later version of messages that does not need to be reinstalled every 36 hours.
10a. Use the SAI app that you downloaded in STEP 6 to install messages 20250311_04_RC01 .apkm that you downloaded in STEP 5

disable Automatic updates (to prevent Google Messages from changing to a newer version that no longer works on GrapheneOS)
Google Play Store > Top right icon > Settings > Auto-update apps "Don't auto-update apps"

All credit for putting TMobile RCS cancer into temporary remission goes to @Turtacular

edit: step numbers

sts369

P9Pro on T-Mobile.

This is impacting my ability to do business.

Please fix this!

litlelilim

Pixel 10 on T-mobile also cannot connect to RCS.

Zhaethon

user5678 this is how you get people to uninstall rather than ever turning to this community for help

sparrow29

user5678 New GOS user (9a, T-Mobile) here. Thank you for laying this out in one message. It works for now for me. I do hope a fix for users on T-Mobile/AT&T's networks gets prioritized at some point.

snaz

user5678 does it matter if I don't use the apk installer for the apkm? I have a app that can split the version i need in the apkm file

litlelilim

user5678

Zhaethon

emb

This worked, I had to clear the storage of messages and google play services after getting the error that rcs could not be used on my device. Are we able to sign out of our google account once RCS is set up would RCS still work?

user5678

Zhaethon
I have absolutely no affiliation with GrapheneOS. Whether you choose to use it is your personal choice.

user5678

snaz
I have only used SAI, but your app should work if it can do split installs. SAI is open source, but the developer is no longer maintaining it.

Zhaethon

Well, it works again using the methods above, it took several tries. In addition to that I also cleared messages app storage, Disabled VPN, went to account.google.com/phone (on chrome not vanadium) to toggle my number verification so any of those steps could have made a difference.

Not going to mess with it while it stays connected but I still really think the Devs need to be finding a way to make this smoother.

user5678

Zhaethon
I am glad to hear it is working for you.

Sometimes restarting the phone after installing the second .apkm, prompts it to connect

emb

It works for me on an AT&T network after clearing all storage for Google Play Services, the app "com.shannon.rcsservice," and Messages.

litlelilim

On 2026011000 for the Pixel 10, RCS is broken again.

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