Using RCS with Google Messages on GrapheneOS

hemlockiv
I really don't care too much about RCS unless it starts encrypting messages between iPhone and Android. I do like doing some minimal tinkering to try to get things to work though. I just cleared the cache on the Carrier Communications App, forced stopped it, restarted my device and turned on RCS. It took about 5 minutes to activate. T-Mobile with latest release of messages.

Hi everyone, new user here, but I got RCS to work. If you haven't already, try going into the settings for sandbox Google play services and give Google permission to automatically verify your phone number. As soon as I did this, RCS started working. I also have all 3 sandbox Google services installed, I'm logged in, i installed carrier services from the play store, and gave many recommended permissions to google play services and google messages. But i have a feeling the automatic number verification was the big one and may start removing permissions until something breaks.

Open settings - Apps - Sandboxed Google Play - Google Settings (logged in) - All Services (tab) - Mobile Data & Messaging - Phone Number Verification, and then toggle Automatically Verify Phone Number(s)

You may be able to untoggle it afterwards and get it to still work, not sure. But hopefully this helps people who just want RCS to work in Google messages. Part of me thinks the varied responses of people saying it works and others saying it doesn't work (or stopped working) despite similar permissions is because some people verified their number with Google and others didn't.

If anyone wants to play around to see what the minimal permissions and configurations are while still getting it to work with this, that would be super helpful.

Sbpr
The only permission I have for Play Services is Network. Haven't changed it before activating or after. For Messages everything except Location, the two storage permissions and sensors are allowed

Sbpr Ok so you have to be signed into the Google Play store on your main profile? That might be an issue, because I'm reeeeaally trying not to be signed into Google on my Graphene phone..

Sbpr may start removing permissions until something breaks

I would be curious if you sign out of your Google account whether it continues to work, if you're up to experiment!

Okay what worked for me was the below as I had it working originally off the bat so I disabled and just re-enabled:

-turned off RCS
-cleared cache (messages and Google Play)
-deleted google messages
-downloaded messages (would only open on fresh install with compatibility mode)
-Google services framework / Google play services only have network and phone (SMS for play services)
-Google messages has network, phone, sms
-Google Sanboxed - option - messages and confirm number with google (toggled on)
-back to RCS and it connected
-Google Sandbox - toggled off confirm number with google

-Day 7 going strong and still enabled with RCS and kept compatibility mode enabled so might be the precursor here!

On Mint Mobile / Pixel 8 Pro / Aurora Store for messages app! On current GOS build!

Audi123 Google Sandbox - toggled off confirm number with google

What app exactly is this in? I can't find this setting anywhere

hemlockiv

Go to:

1. -settings
2. -apps
3. -Sandboxed Google Play
4. -Google settings
5. -mobile data messaging
6. -phone number verification
7. -automatically verify phone number (toggle on)
8. -RCS should verify
9. Back to 7. And toggle off

Hope this helps

Audi123 Thanks, I didn't even realize Sandboxed Google Play had its own settings there! One more question: When you toggled on "Confirm number with google," did RCS connect immediately, or did it still take some time? My Google Messages settings shows RCS is still at the dreaded Status: Setting up... stage :(

[unknown]

Mine worked almost instantaneously! Try to deregister from RCS and start fresh! I'm not sure why you can't get it to work!

[unknown] Yeah, it was stuck on verifying, so I uninstalled it and did the old method of installing the outdated beta version, manually setting my ACS url, then updating to the latest app version, and that made it connect immediately. In the past, when I enabled RCS with that method, it disconnected after 3 days, but I'm hoping that the added change of enabling Sandboxed Google Play > Confirm number with Google (which I am just going to leave toggled ON, just to be safe) will be what is required to make it stable. I am on Verizon, and I suspect it is Verizon's implementation of RCS that is less stable than other carriers'.

I'll report back in ₄ days about whether it worked or not.

None of these methods seem to work for me. I re flashed the factory Google image back on my phone and it worked almost instantly, logged into Google, and logged into RCS was connected in Google Messages just to test. Then I re flashed factory GOS back onto phone, because I actually want to run GOS.

From fresh factory reset:

1. Install "Google Play services" from Apps
2. Sign in to Google Play to get Google messages installed
3. Permissions (these are the defaults):
   • Google Services Framework (com.google.android.gsf): Network, Sensors
   • Google Play services (com.google.android.gms): Network, Sensors
   • Google Messages (com.google.android.apps.messaging): Camera, Contacts, Microphone, Music and audio, Network Phone, Photos and videos, Sensors SMS
4. Do the Sandbox verification: Settings → Apps → Sandboxed Google Play → Google Settings → All Services → Mobile data & messaging → Phone Number Verification.
5. A progress bar appears then the "Phone Number Verification" screen appears with a toggle "Automatically verify phone number(s). Switch on, press ←.
6. Open Google Messages → Message Settings → RCS Chats → Turn on RCS chats
7. I just then see Setting Up... "Verify your number", which comes up with a option to enter my number, when pressing that and input number "Verify your number" goes grey and it still says "Setting up..."

Am I missing something?

RCS used to work fine for the longest time. i've tried every suggestion i have seen on here, and it still wont work.

Gangsturd only other variable in your setup would be to turn of exploit protection on all of them and try that.

I tried a couple more things. I'm doing this in the owner profile.

1. Removed my Google accounts and cleared app data of the following
   • Google Services Framework (com.google.android.gsf)
   • Google Play services (com.google.android.gms)
   • Google Messages (com.google.android.apps.messaging)
   • Carrier Services (com.google.android.ims)
2. Disabled "Exploit protection compatibility mode" under each of the above.
3. Not using WiFi, using direct data with carrier - though this made no difference when I tried it in standard factory OS.
4. Reboot phone.

Gangsturd That or grant all permissions to all gps,gsf,mes temporarly to see if that makes it happy.

Doesn't even seem to request any permissions besides those are standard so it didn't make any difference.

Gangsturd how google account cant be made with vpns or voice over ip numbers i think google help validate the rcs request knowing that.

I'm not even using VPN. When I was connected to my WiFi network that routes over VPN it worked anyway with standard factory Google OS.

Theawfulone RCS used to work fine for the longest time. i've tried every suggestion i have seen on here, and it still wont work.

Yup, used to work for me then decided one day not to. It stopped working on my Pixel 7 Pro and my friend's at the same time. My other friend who has a Pixel 5 (it stopped working on his too).

hemlockiv RCS using the beta+ACS hack,

Can you provide detailed instructions like above. I'll see if that even works here.

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