Using RCS with Google Messages on GrapheneOS

Ninja4694
It must work for some setups or maybe different carriers. All I know is it works for some. You can also try having SMS off then toggling it on and get positive results as well. Of course, depending on if it is possible on said device.

So I signed up for beta and now I'm trying to redo the process. I installed the older version but in activity launcher there is a lock icon next to the flags option. It wasn't there before and I'm not able to change the URL. Has anyone overcome this issue?

This is the error I'm getting when trying from usb:

cheetah:/ $ am start -n com.google.android.apps.messaging/.ui.appsettings.rcs.overrides.OverrideFlagsActivity
Starting: Intent { cmp=com.google.android.apps.messaging/.ui.appsettings.rcs.overrides.OverrideFlagsActivity }

Exception occurred while executing 'start':
java.lang.SecurityException: Permission Denial: starting Intent { flg=0x10000000 cmp=com.google.android.apps.messaging/.ui.appsettings.rcs.overrides.OverrideFlagsActivity } from null (pid=1660, uid=2000) not exported from uid 10232
	at com.android.server.wm.ActivityTaskSupervisor.checkStartAnyActivityPermission(ActivityTaskSupervisor.java:1136)
	at com.android.server.wm.ActivityStarter.executeRequest(ActivityStarter.java:1081)
	at com.android.server.wm.ActivityStarter.execute(ActivityStarter.java:742)
	at com.android.server.wm.ActivityTaskManagerService.startActivityAsUser(ActivityTaskManagerService.java:1290)
	at com.android.server.wm.ActivityTaskManagerService.startActivityAsUser(ActivityTaskManagerService.java:1241)
	at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService.startActivityAsUserWithFeature(ActivityManagerService.java:3295)
	at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerShellCommand.runStartActivity(ActivityManagerShellCommand.java:724)
	at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerShellCommand.onCommand(ActivityManagerShellCommand.java:233)
	at com.android.modules.utils.BasicShellCommandHandler.exec(BasicShellCommandHandler.java:97)
	at android.os.ShellCommand.exec(ShellCommand.java:38)
	at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService.onShellCommand(ActivityManagerService.java:9862)
	at android.os.Binder.shellCommand(Binder.java:1109)
	at android.os.Binder.onTransact(Binder.java:926)
	at android.app.IActivityManager$Stub.onTransact(IActivityManager.java:5311)
	at com.android.server.am.ActivityManagerService.onTransact(ActivityManagerService.java:2767)
	at android.os.Binder.execTransactInternal(Binder.java:1392)
	at android.os.Binder.execTransact(Binder.java:1328)

thed0ctor Try clearing storage for Activity Launcher and force stopping it. That should get it to refresh the available options.

patienttruth99 RCS has remained connected for a week or so now

Did you do anything specific? Mine has disconnected right at the 3 day mark, unfortunately.

p0well34 It must work for some setups or maybe different carriers. All I know is it works for some.

what carrier did you say you're on?

Ninja4694 it still has a lock and throws that error when I try to tap it

hemlockiv No, just followed the guide.

thed0ctor figured it out. I think I had the wrong version. This one didn't have a lock and I was able to set the flag com.google.android.apps.messaging_5.2.051(Pegasus_RC05_alldpi.arm64-v8a.phone)-52051040_minAPI21(arm64-v8a)(nodpi)apkmirror.com.apk upgrading to beta now. Will post back if it fails

I've been on a stable RCS connection now for one week and two days, which is the longest I've ever maintained. The only thing I changed was enabling compatibility mode in the app settings.
A couple other observations:
-GrapheneOS did update once and Google Messages updated twice during this period.
-When I go to Debug -> RCS -> Report RCS Connection State, it used to say "Transport: Chat API w/ RCS". Now it says "Transport: Chat API w/ Tachygram". I have no idea what Tachygram is.

I don't know if the improved stability is due to enabling compatibility mode, the updates, or just pure luck. I'll continue to run it with compatibility enabled, and if after a month it continues to stay connected I'll disable it and see if the connection remains. I'll also add that if this is a solution to the problem, I don't know if the risk is worth the reward. Is the security vulnerability from reduced sandboxing more important than the privacy of E2EE?

Ugh,

It disconnected today. I did just do an update, maybe it had to do with that, but I'd done a couple updates in the last week or two without issue.
The wording changed slightly on the RCS verify page.

"RCS chats require a verified number".

I'm not gonna go through the whole process again. It would be great to find out what it is about Graphene OS is preventing this from working. Is there anyway we can contribute debug logs or anything?

[deleted] Edit: I have a feeling this for the stock messaging app.

Looks like you're right: https://github.com/GrapheneOS/platform_packages_apps_Messaging/commit/1dbbb637937220a9cb83905cafce2503807128cc

Welp GGs. I give up, haha.

I'm throwing in the towel as well. The ACS URL will not stay. Just gonna revoke Network permissions and keep using it for standard SMS/MMS.

For Verizon users, this might be good news. Maybe there will be no need to change the ACS URL anymore. https://www.droid-life.com/2024/02/01/verizon-switches-to-googles-jibe-for-rcs/

For those of you who have been unregistered, do you use aeroplane mode, disconnect from Wi-Fi and Data, or use the Block connections without VPN option?

Ninja4694 It's weird that that's considered news. The ACS url we've been using for Verizon is already http://acs-vzw.jibe.google.com, indicating Jibe. And when I've gotten rcs to work on Verizon, I already have read receipts and stuff.

irrenarzt That's good to know. I followed your lead and enabled compat mode on Messages, as well as Play Store and Services for good measure. I really don't think disabling gardener malloc.

Idk about "tachygram", but I'm pretty sure Tachyon is the name of the software that does the e2ee sync between the app and any paired messages.google.com/web clients. Could be related?

thed0ctor disconnected today :(

After 2 weeks mine just disconnected, so I guess compatibility mode doesn't resolve it. I was obsessively checking the RCS connection state, so I know the exact moment I was de-registered. It happened when I connected to a public wifi network that had restrictive settings and ports blocked, which prevented my VPN from connecting easily (had to use obfuscation). My guess is this wouldn't have been a problem if we could verify our numbers the way Google intends us to, but whatever is getting blocked by GrapheneOS caused it to get de-registered in this moment.

I've gone through the process again and reconnected. This time the RCS connection state has reverted back to "Transport: Chat API w/ RCS", instead of "Tachygram". I'm still curious to know the difference.