Using RCS with Google Messages on GrapheneOS

cb474

LordDrakkon That's interesting to hear that you've made it to four days, with the latest version of Messages. I'm still hesistant to update from 20241120_00_RC07 now that I get it fully connected, including with Etouffee provisioned. But I guess I really should try updating to the latest version, to see what happens.

MrRoboto1212

cb474

Personally, updating to the latest version doesn't do anything for me. It doesn't connect and stays on 'Connecting...'

Hence why: people are turning to much to order versions of Messages.
You would think Google would have the whole 'connecting to RCS' thing nailed after this, but apparently not. They keep screwing it up cause "billion dollar company" shenanigans.

inthewaves

inthewaves Can't edit my post, but it doesn't have to be that specific Google Messages version. If stuck on "Connecting" even on a not-so-recent version of Google Messages, it would be nice to see the results from the steps for that as well

inthewaves

@LordDrakkon Could you go to Debug menu -> RCS -> Configure MobileConfiguration, tap on your SIM between the Force Sync and Refresh buttons, and then scroll down and take a screenshot? I'm mostly interested in is_ts43_supported and upi_policy_id

For me on Tello with the latest Google Messages (20260119_02_RC00), upi_policy_id is upi-carrier-tos-ts43 and is_ts43_supported is true. RCS doesn't activate for me.

On an older version of Google Messages (20241120_00_RC07), Tello had upi_policy_id of upi-mo-strict-policy-mt-priority where RCS activation succeeded (but sending messages in RCS doesn't). (The config also doesn't have any ts43-related fields.)

jcom

Are there carriers/MVNOs right now where RCS is just working properly without all of this tinkering? And if so, is that anticipated to continue or will it break at some point down the line?

wildoil

jcom it worked for me without any issue when I was on Google Fi. I didn't have to do anything beyond installing Messages from the Play Store and using it as my default SMS app.

It stopped working when I switched to Mint (beyond the short bursts after installing the old version of Messages).

MrRoboto1212

inthewaves

inthewaves Let me know what you see

Any particular reason why you liked to know this? I provided it because I've had constant issue since October - no RCS from then on

inthewaves

MrRoboto1212 The TS.43 verifier in Google Play services doesn't appear to be functioning properly (it doesn't have permissions to finish an EAP-AKA challenge from the carrier's entitlement server). If your logs had similar output to my logs like [verification factory] Doing TS43 verification, then we would likely have the same issue. Some carriers seem to be expecting verification based on TS.43. But your logs didn't show it, so might be a different issue.

Could you go to the Google Messages Debug menu (can show this by searching for *xyzzy* in Google Messages) -> RCS -> Configure MobileConfiguration, tap on your SIM between the Force Sync and Refresh buttons, and then let me know what it says for is_ts43_supported and upi_policy_id? If the policy id is upi-carrier-tos-ts43 or upi-ts43-only, then your carrier probably expects TS.43 verification

5rlyn

jcom US Mobile's "Warp" network (Verizon MVNO) is working, albeit took some time for it to connect. I would assume any Verizon based network then as well. It may stay that way, or it may run into the same problem T-Mobile and AT&T has eventually (though US Mobile maintains MVNOs on all three, so theoretically you could change to any one that was working at the time).
Google Fi is likely the safest, though it's more expensive and a somewhat ironic choice.

K0NIPS

RCS works by installing old version of Google Messages.
I just downloaded and installed Google Messages 20241120_00_RC07. It just worked instantly. All you have to do is updating via Play Store.
BTW, if you open your Google Messages it will automatically enables "Phone Number Verification" from Google services.

Here's what I didn't do to enable RCS:
giving permissions to Play services: phone, SMS, storage, contact, etc.
giving permissions to SMS by manually.
clearing storage cache of Google Play services
making changes to READ_DEVICE_IDENTIFIERS value to allow

chenxiaolong

Could you go to the Google Messages Debug menu (can show this by searching for *xyzzy* in Google Messages) -> RCS -> Configure MobileConfiguration, tap on your SIM between the Force Sync and Refresh buttons, and then let me know what it says for is_ts43_supported and upi_policy_id?

For me on T-Mobile (not MVNO), I have:

is_ts43_supported: true
upi_policy_id: upi-carrier-tos-ts43

MrRoboto1212

inthewaves

is_ts43_supported: true

upi_policy_id: upi_carrier_tos_ts43

I'll mention RCS_enabled_state: Enabled too, but I'm on endless connecting mode, so I'm not sure if it means much when Etouffee hasn't turned true

MrRoboto1212

chenxiaolong same results, also directly with T-MO myself

cb474

jcom As others mentioned, supposedly RCS works properly with Graphene on Verizon and I have seen a few people mention it working on Google Fi but that has not come up as much here (it's weird that Google itself is not doing the additional verification checks that cause the problems). That's in the U.S. I don't really know about carriers outside the U.S.

But I don't think anyone can say that it won't eventually break on Verizon or other carriers where it is currently working. At first it was only T-Mobile having the problem, where Messages needed to have special system level privileges (that Graphene doesn't allow) to verify with the backend servers properly. Then AT&T made the same updates to their backend system that T-Mobile made and AT&T started having the same problems on Graphene. So it's entirely possible other carriers will also at some point make these changes. Who knows.

MrRoboto1212

cb474 IIRC someone mentioned a month back a possible mitigation for this fiasco could be for a future GOS update to flip READ_DEVICE_IDENTIFIERS to true? But that could be a security risk.

Also iirc I don't think it's even possible to do that with a system update.

I haven't done the adb command myself with my phone because I haven't had enough desperation, furthermore it's a last resort for me

aaravchen

MrRoboto1212
GOS devs said that if you have GPlay installed, and you grant Phone (?) permissions to both it and the app set as the default for SMS, the SMS app is automatically granted READ_DEVICE_IDENTIFIERS. Or something like that. It's dependent on GPlay being present, and a specific permission being granted, and then the default SMS gets the READ_DEVICE_IDENTIFIERS automatically.

It's definitely a privacy leak to have that set, but prior to 19 Sept 2025, when Google still ran all the RCS servers including the ones for carriers, it was apparently a necessary thing for RCS on the Messages app to work.

I can't find the original post about it, but this one talks about the purpose of the Phone and SMS permission being for carrier networking access, and the FAQ about hardware identifiers mentions that only the default SMS app and system apps canbread hardware identifiers.
Unfortunately the extremely limited forum search tool, and the ~~JavaScript~~ partial loading of forum threads blocking direct text searches mean it's not possible to search the forum for anything so I can't find thier original statement.

EDIT: It's not JavaScript responsible for the partial thread dynamic loading that prevents text searching the whole thread.

v1ct0r

Did exactly that and it worked. Deleted whatever version I already had, manually downloaded that version 20241120_00_RC07 from Aurora Store (version code: 262371063), opened the app, followed the set up and it had RCS right away. Then I tried to upgrade it in Google Play Store but it didn't want to. Upgraded successfully in Aurora to latest version and RCS was still there!
Pixel 9 Pro on Tello. Not sure when it changed or what happened but I had been trying every few weeks for over a year now.
Thanks community!

K0NIPS

ManatJack

I havent been able to activate it using Spectrum Mobile. No esim. An actual card. It is Verizon mvno. I am stuck on 36 hour bandaid. Other people with spectrum have this issue?

alwarnecke

ManatJack Yes, I'm on Spectrum Mobile as well. I was on the 36 hour loop with the latest version of messages. I downgraded to
version messages.android_20241120_00_RC07.phone_dynamic, I did the apk bundle with APKMirror installer. No issues since November.

Carter

Ok so I know that TMobile doesn't work right now, but why? Would the GOS team be able to fix this?

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