Using RCS with Google Messages on GrapheneOS

Pixelated

I haven't tried updating the app to the current version on any of my devices but I will try the 20241120_00_RC07 version and update from it to see if I have any luck, though I have a suspension it won't for long. I believe the issue steams from how the newer versions handle RCS on de-Googled devices similar to how Pixel Camera stopped working on version 9.3.x.

5rlyn

Single messages have stopped working for me again, group continues to function. It stopped in an area where I've traditionally had trouble with RCS but has yet to restore functionality. Mint Mobile, P9P, old version of Messsges

sabhain

5rlyn I'm in the exact same boat since sometime yesterday. Single messages don't work, but group messages still do.

Summary: I'm on T-Mobile. Have been doing the wipe / reboot / install old apk / reboot / upgrade from Store / reboot (*2) for the past month or so with good results. I just would do it every night to pre-empt the 36 hour thing.

For me, the process doesn't appear to work any longer. I can repeat the process .. the system behaves the same visually .. but single RCS messages I send are never delivered. I think that I can receive them .. but it's a bit challenging to tell. Group RCS do still work.

Hoping for some GrapheneOS solution magic sometime soon.

Combiwye

sabhain

Happened to me yesterday, I did the "downgrade method" and had the same results, I just left RCS enabled and just now the messages all started sending again. Took maybe 12 hours for whatever changed to change. I am using build "239285063" from Aurora store, I did not update this time around either. Not sure what worked, if anything did. It may have just came back without interventions from me. I will update if it changes.

T-Mobile Pixel 7

5rlyn

Well at least I'm not alone lol.
I haven't updated since it was discovered that TMobile MVNOs had RCS issues, this is the longest I've had such an issue. I may try updating as a temp fix, then reload the old for as long as I can.
But yes, hopefully a GOS solution is imminent

jumpdeer

Pixelated Thanks for the update. Unfortunately your technique on Tmobile did not work for me. Shows as connected but RCS doesn't work on P7. Would it be possible for you to dump the logs?

user1020

Fwiw the version that Pixelated used did not work for me either but I was able to get it to work using the apkm for version 20250311_04_RC01. First I uninstalled Google Messages then rebooted. Once the phone rebooted I used the APKMirror installer without network privileges to install the apkm file. After I set the permissions and the app as default, RCS showed as Connected. I rebooted one more time and Etouffee went to true. It has been working for over 72 hours. I did try to use just the apk but that did not work. I am on T-Mobile not an mvno.

sabhain

user1020 So when I try your method using the version you cite (slightly newer than the one I had been using), I can't get past the "RCS chats aren't available for this device. No compatible SIM card detected".

Same thing happens when I install from APK or APKM. I had this issue before with the other method .. but a bunch of reboots solved it. Can't seem to get past it now.

Have you encountered this?

I'm on P7a on T-Mobile.

username8695

user1020 created an account to say that I had the same issue, where the other 2024* versions of the app wouldn't get past the Etouffee provisioning. But this 20250311_04_RC01 version did have RCS working with Etouffee after a reboot (reboot after installing the apkm). I didn't need to install the play version of Messages, though i do have Google Play Services with network, phone, sms, and sensors permissions. Don't know how long RCS will stay working, but seems promising. T-Mobile, P8P, latest GrapheneOS version

user1020

user1020 Unfortunatly RCS worked for about 80 hours and then went back to setting up. I added the sms permission to GPS to see if it makes a difference but I am not very confident it will. At least for now it's much easier to install the app once every 80 hours compared to the double install every 30 hours.

user1020

sabhain I have seen that message before but not in a couple weeks. It usually resolved itself or went away after reinstalling. The only other thing I have done in the last week was disable the aosp messages app but I doubt that made much of a difference. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

cb474

I tried using the .apkm (installed with APKMirror app), instead of the .apk, of version 20241120_00_RC07, which has worked the best for me, in terms of quickly connecting to RCS and working every time. I was hoping that this might solve the problem of the old version of Messages not connecting to Etouffee. But no dice. I still had to update to the Google Play version to get Etouffee.

Next time, I'll try the .apkm for 20240708_03_RC04 that @Pixelated said does connect for them to Etouffee, without having to update to the Play Store version. And maybe I'll try 20241120_00_RC01 as well, that at least one person said they had luck with.

One advantage of using the .apkm, I discovered, was that when I went to set the old version of Messages as the default SMS app, I did not have to enable restricted permissions. Instead it was immediately available to be set as the default. On the other hand, updating to the Play Store version took a weirdly very long time (I thought it was stuck and failing in some way). Play Store updates have always been slow, but this was even slower.

sabhain

I have become comfortable with the middle ground of just downgrading to 20241120_00_RC07 (262371063) and having just the group RCS chats restore and needing to push outgoing individuals to SMS/MMS. No need to upgrade to Play store .. group chats worked. I was never able to get the 20250311_04_RC01 version to work with either APK or APKM installs.

After a midnight install yesterday to get back to that state .. this morning all of a sudden the individual RCS chats show up with the lock function and appear to be working. It's really bizarre. I'm at hour 5+ of full functionality on a year old APK.

TMobile, Pixel 7a, GOS fully updated.

alwarnecke

Some interesting data points of behavior I've experienced over the past few days.

I've been following the original @DirtyDan method with some modifications. When my RCS fails (around 36 hours), I do the following:

Clear Messages Storage and Cache, uninstall
Install 20240806_01_RC03 version I've saved in local storage (obtained from APKMirror), setting as default SMS app, only providing permissions for Contacts, Network, Notifications, Phone, and SMS
Open Messages, wait for all my messages to populate
Update to latest Messages version in Play Store. I had signed up for the Beta program a while back, it updates me to it just fine with no need for an alternate profile. This version is 20251031_01_RC00, versionCode 292488100

This lasts me 36 hours, at which point I have to repeat this process. Note - I don't restart my phone at all during this process, it works without.

The new data point: when I enable the debug menu to ensure Etouffee is provisioned, I no longer have the menu option "Report RCS Connection State" - it's been renamed to "Report Multi SIM RCS Connection State". I don't have multiple SIMs. This only tells me that RCS Connection State is CONNECTED, no Etouffee info anymore.

I've been worried about group messages since switching to GOS a few days ago, but I just received group RCS from both iPhone and Android users earlier today just fine. 1-to-1 messaging works as well.

Spectrum Mobile (which uses Verizon), Pixel 7, GOS build 2025102801

cb474

alwarnecke That's interesting that you don't have to reboot. It seems like it probably has to do with the step of deleting storage. For me it takes a really long time for all my messages to repopulate, after clearing storage, so I'm not sure it would be faster than rebooting. But the idea of not having to reboot so much is appealing.

alwarnecke The new data point: when I enable the debug menu to ensure Etouffee is provisioned, I no longer have the menu option "Report RCS Connection State" - it's been renamed to "Report Multi SIM RCS Connection State".

I had this happen once, right before RCS stopped working. "Report Multi SIM RCS Connection State" is not a new or renamed version of "Report RCS Connection State." Normally you see both of those entries in the debug menu. So all that has happened for you is that "Report RCS Connection State" has disappeared. Once I went through the whole process of installing old Messages and updating to Play Store Messages, following the @Vuraze process, "Report RCS Connection State" was back.

Hazelfoot

Instead of searching for work arounds, I went to the store and switched from Tmobile to Verizon and it activated RCS instantly.

Most of the T-life app (that they want you to do everything with) doesn't work on graphene. Their infrastructure is hostile towards non-stock non-carrier locked phones and their service sucks anyways.

cb474

Hazelfoot Eventually Verizon and other carriers are going to make the changes with RCS on the backend that are causing all the problems with T-Mobile. This is not about T-Mobile being hostile to non-stock phones. This is about T-Mobile following the changes that Google has been pushing sooner than other carriers. In any case, hopefully by the time Verizon follows suit, Graphene will have come up with a solution for RCS.

My experience with T-Mobile, which I've been on since they came to the US (does anyone remember Voicestream?), is that they are the most open to non-carrier locked phones. They encourage people to bring their own phones. Whereas Verizon, with AT&T as a close second, is happy to sell you a carrier locked phone that even once it's paid off they are never going to unlock for you.

In any case, none of the three major carriers are great (T-Mobile's glory days are definitely past), but I don't think there's anything special about Verizon.

LordDrakkon

Hazelfoot I don't have any issues using T-Life on Graphene. The only permissions it has, is Network and Sensors. Every aspect of it works fine for me.

FlareHeart

I downgraded to the 20240708_03_RC04 and everything connected and Ettouffee provisioned.

I am on Lum/SaskTel (Canada)

So it's not just Tmo needing the older version to connect.

I'll see if this lasts more than a couple days and report back.

cb474

FlareHeart I downgraded to the 20240708_03_RC04 and everything connected and Ettouffee provisioned.

I tried this version today, with the .apkm package. It connected to RCS, but Etouffee never provisioned to "true," so RCS chats didn't work. I still had to update the the Play Store version to get Etouffee to "true." So this is the same as what I've been experiencing with 20241120_00_RC07 (262371063).

aaravchen You must be on Mobile data. Try turning off WiFi.
Any VPN seems to be detected, even the most compatible.

I've had no trouble connecting to RCS with wifi on and my VPN on.

patienttruth99

Regarding Verizon. My problems mentioned a few days ago seem to go away after a reboot or possibly time connected to network, or both. RCS shows connected but nothing sends. It may be that 36 hour interval or something similar. Point is, something changed recently with VZW too.

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