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  • Using RCS with Google Messages on GrapheneOS

83639273

i have been trying to get this to work for about a year now & i have tried everything but this. This did the trick for me (along with installing the google app and assigning permissions mentioned in this thread)

yall are the best man. thank you

    83639273

    Managed to make it say "Connected" in Google Messages settings thanks to these steps, but RCS still doesn't seem to be actually working. If I try to send e.g. a photo to another stock-running Pixel, it seems to try for a couple seconds but fails with an error saying "Message not sent: service not activated on network" no matter if I'm using LTE, 5G or Wifi.
    Text messages just end up being sent as SMS ones.

    Pixel 9 Pro XL with GOS build 2024091900

        NightSky

        Hey Night Sky, I think I figured out what's going on. In the Google Messages app, there's a way to input your phone number under the advance section. You'll have to clear the cache and app data, which will de-register you from RCS, then add your phone number to that section, then register for RCS.

        This is left over from SMS texting as this way Google messages can determine Who you are in a group conversation and not create new ones.

            83639273 This worked for me for about a month. During the time, it would kick me out of rcs every two weeks maybe. Unfortunately, this stopped working after a while and now I cannot use this trick to enable rcs again. Have you guys had a similar experience?

              I actually was able to figure it out. What I did was enable the permission using App Ops and then clear the cache/storage on my messages app. This allowed me to regain access to rcs.

                crazybirdguy Thanks for reporting back! This information may well help other users.

                  Tried using search in this thread but did find an answer. Has anybody gotten RCS to work in a non owner profile? I can get it activated no problem in the main profile but it won't in a second profile (I disabled it first in the owner before attempting). When I go to the RCS section of settings, it shows my carrier but not my phone number and never activates. All permissions are identical between the two profiles for messages, play store, etc

                  On Verizon, getting it to register required not just allowing the extra permission via ApOps, but also switching from 4G-only mode to the default which enables 3G and 5G. I wish I could turn on just 4G and 5G without 3G, not sure why the two are coupled.

                    areaman this is from the GrapheneOS documentation
                    LTE-only mode to reduce cellular radio attack surface by disabling enormous amounts of both legacy code (2G, 3G) and bleeding edge code (5G).

                    By the way, just in case you didn't know this - 4G and LTE are the same thing :)

                        roamer4223 can't edit anymore so will just reply to myself. I realise there are some technical and very specific differences between LTE and 4G and it's a bit weird if I remember correctly. But I believe the 4G/LTE only mode in GrapheneOS includes 4G and 4G+ and LTE+ and LTE-A and I also think one carrier uses the term 5GE or something. If I got something wrong though, I apologise

                          No RCS here - stuck on 'verifying' and 'trying to set up' for weeks. I am using an MVNO that is Verizon towers.

                          RCS instantly activated and worked well when I switched to an MVNO on the T-Mobile network.

                          Today I switched back to the VZW service with a new eSIM, and it's not working again. Customer support can't figure it out.

                          I suspect this is an issue with Graphene being unable to verify something that the Verizon network specifically is asking for.

                          Things I have tried: turning RCS off and on, on mobile and on wifi, avoiding VPNs, reinstalling Carrier Services and Google Messages, delisting my number with RCS from that Google link above, etc. I have 'phone' and 'SMS' permissions for all Google Play related apps and the Messages app.

                          • dcc replied to this.

                            If this issue is completely carrier dependant, with some carriers needing access to the IMEI to work at all, some needing it to work reliably, but also some not needing access to the IMEI at all, I think it would be really useful if everyone reading this thread (who uses Google messages) would also report if they have had no issues at all, and what carrier they use.

                            Obviously people are already reporting when they have had issues but it might be useful for people to know if there are any carriers that are friendly to GrapheneOS (without needing to give device identifiers / IMEI) as I bet there are people who would switch simply on that basis.

                            Personally I just use a data sim and don't use RCS yet, however my friend uses GOS and Google Messages and they are pretty sure they've never had issues and haven't had to give access to IMEI.

                            They are on o2 (in the UK)

                            When I have a chance I might grab some other SIMs and test them out with RCS support, each for a month or so, and report back for anyone reading this thread who is in the UK.

                              FirstNet / AT&T - Had to enable identifiers per the AppOps process before Google Messages would allow RCS.