Using RCS with Google Messages on GrapheneOS

spaghettiohs

I found a solution for those facing an inability to send messages even after verification. Go to your Google account and check for multiple pixel devices. Ensure they're enabled. For me, the one stuck in "verification in progress" had to be checked otherwise RCS messages wouldn't send.

https://myaccount.google.com/phone

jumpdeer

spaghettiohs

Unfortunately it was turned on for me. And turning off and then back on didn't help. Still stuck at "Verification in progress."

jeffcodes Would you mind sharing which steps you tried? There seems to be a hundred potential things that might or might not work.

If you go into share feedback in Google Messages, there is an option to see logs. Maybe the root problem is hidden in there somewhere?

0dylan

spaghettiohs when I try to turn this on it says to go to the devices settings. I've already done thatband it still show its turned off.

jeffcodes

5rlyn

eatinggrumble84
Pixel 7 on Mint Mobile (MVNO off of T-Mo), and mine stopped working earlier today as well. Quite annoyed. Tried all the previous steps, and cannot get it to finish setup again. Ugh.

MetropleX

Cleaned up thread.

jeffcodes

jumpdeer
Took all the same steps I took from my previous success outlined here.

Doubled checked the READ_DEVICE_IDENTIFIERS flag as well.

It stopped working after a restart and the phone sat for a whole in its preloaded state before I logged in for 30-45 minutes. That shouldn't have caused the issue. This happens on updates too, where I just leave it in the preloaded state for several hours sometimes.

I also tried adding permission to call logs as suggested somewhere in this thread too.

¯\(°_o)/¯

memberberryfarms

Has anyone checked the logs from Google messages to see if it sheds any clues on why the newest version seems to be deregistering so many people? Reverting to an old version isn’t a going to be a permanent fix.

I was looking at coming back to graphene but I don’t want to go back to sms/mms just because I have friends and family that just outright refuse to even install signal because they believe that the number of apps you have on your phone can cause it to have more problems or because they can’t keep track of their conversations and get confused between two apps.

eatinggrumble84

memberberryfarms

There is definitely something with an update that is breaking things. After mine stopped working a few days ago, I followed previous outlined in this thread. I noticed Google Play Services did not have Read device identifier permission so I enabled that but it did not fix it. So I used Aurora to install the old version per DirtyDan's steps above. This did get RCS connected and working again and it continued working after the app updated to the latest version. But overnight it broke again, even without the app having updated.

nineTHRTY

Appears it is a Google thing. Always has been: https://www.androidauthority.com/google-messages-rcs-stopped-working-some-regions-3593593/

Downgrading won't be a solution. But I was able to get connected on version '20240723_00_RC04' making sure to use the bundle version and not the apk. I haven't updated it yet to the newest but I'm sure it'll stay connected for a little while.

On that, I believe it could be the Auto "Phone Number Verification" feature. Going to: https://account.google.com/phone , I disabled my phone out of curiosity and it has yet to be enabled since turning the feature back on, on my phone.

jumpdeer

nineTHRTY I hope this is the case!

nineTHRTY

nineTHRTY RCS finally broke. Happened after today's stable update release. Even without updating Google Messages. Most likely unrelated to GOS, but I'm just documenting my experience.

Side note. Really think this thread could use a refresh.

Edit: Added context.

jeffcodes

This is Google being Google, I'm afraid. They don't like people using their ecosystems without contributing all the data... This is but one more reason in a long list of reasons to strongly dislike Google.

FJT2

Happened to me yesterday afternoon. Can't get it to connect. My carrier is T-Mobile. The Google account phone verification switch was on and toggles but when it is toggled either on or off, the webpage gives an error saying to reload the page, even though the toggle appears successful after the reload.
Turning phone off and on again, RCA off and on again, etc, doesn't work and I'm worried about losing my texts if I reinstall or wipe message app storage.

slemptastropphe

Downgrading didn't work for me either.

When I tried with the current version of messages, it sat on "setting up" forever.
When I tried with an earlier version, it told me RCS wasn't available on the device.

I am a total noob when it comes to grapheneos though, so I'll be following to see if anyone else has better luck.

scrollbars

I also started having this issue recently on T-Mobile. Some things I noticed while fiddling:

After turning off VPN and granting a lot of extra permissions to Play Service and Carrier Services I was able to get the auto phone number verification working. Google's phone webpage eventually showed it as fully on for my device without any extra status text. Unfortunately, this did not make RCS work. It's possible that this is necessary and not sufficient, or maybe a red herring entirely.

The last thing I tried was enabling READ_DEVICE_IDENTIFIERS. It seemed like the Messages log output got more useful after I did this. The output looks the same as in this github issue: https://github.com/GrapheneOS/os-issue-tracker/issues/6056

wuseman

scrollbars
Man, I really hope GrapheneOS adds official support for giving it (fake) READ_DEVICE_IDENTIFIERS so that it will hopefully work without ADB shenanigans.

jeffcodes

Decided to try a few things again today, and now when I go to RCS settings it says "RCS chats aren't available for this device. No compatible SIM card detected."
The only thing I have never tried is carrier services, and I'm not sure I'm willing to. This might just be the end to RCS for me if/until another SMS/MMS app decides to integrate the standard. Oh well.

mazenetic

I ended up downgrading to 242499063 and staying there without upgrading and RCS seems to be fine after a few days. Not ideal with a year old version of messages, but better than SMS with the dozens of contacts that have RCS enabled in stock android and probably don't even know what it is. Not an expert here, but I'm not aware of vulnerabilities in the old version of messages that I'm using.

jumpdeer

The downgrade method worked for me for a couple of days. But now it is stuck at "Setting up..." again

jeffcodes

jumpdeer
Mine went to connection, now it's in a retry loop 1-2 days per day.
¯\/(°_o)/¯
I don't expect it to come back.
I don't expect GOS, or any alternative user installable ROM to have much life either. I think Google is moving toward full Apple in the next 2-3 years to completely close source ecosystem. The start seems to be making ROMs like GOS harder to maintain, then locking out services for unapproved devices (the companies who have paid their Google "tax" to participate), and so forth.
They can't put AOSP back in the box, but they'd disassociate from it and leave for the community.
Hopefully, the GOS phone comes in a few years, and some 3rd party does RCS integration into a SMS app.

new-graphene-user

jeffcodes

I checked this morning after doing a few things like enable all permissions, etc. The damn thing is now doing the same as yours, goes from connecting/registering to failed to register trying again.

And just stays there. I dont want to go back to spyware android but this is aggravating, ugh.

HVW

Thank you DirtyDan and ADB poster. Your guide worked for me.
I have upgraded to newest version of messages and still connected.
Will start pulling some permissions and see how that goes.
AT&T Pixel 4a 5g

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