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  • Using RCS with Google Messages on GrapheneOS

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]

      • Post #20

      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]

          • Post #23

          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]

                  • Post #25

                  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.

                      I think Google Messages only needs :

                      • Contacts
                      • Network (for RCS)
                      • Phone
                      • SMS

                      For Play Services :

                      • Network
                      • Phone
                      • SMS

                        As per the paper below both Google Messages and Google Dialer (Phone) call home via Google Play Services for every message/call sent/received.

                        https://www.scss.tcd.ie/doug.leith/privacyofdialerandsmsapps.pdf

                        "We report on measurements of the data sent to Google by the Google Messages and Google Dialer apps on an Android handset. We find that these apps tell Google when message/phone calls are made/received. The data sent by Google Messages includes a hash of the message text, allowing linking of sender and receiver in a message exchange. The data sent by Google Dialer includes the call time and duration, again allowing linking of the two handsets engaged in a phone call. Phone numbers are also sent to Google. In addition, the timing and duration of other user interactions with the apps are sent to Google. There is no opt out from this data collection. The data is sent via two channels, (i) the Google Play Services Clearcut logger and (ii) Google/Firebase Analytics. This study is therefore one of the first to cast light on the actual telemetry data sent by Google Play Services, which to date has largely been opaque. We informed Google of our findings and delayed publication for several months to engage with them. On foot of this work Google say that they plan to make multiple changes to their Messages and Dialer apps."

                        Wow, not very surprising but still sad to see actual confirmation that they collect much more than telemetry