Using RCS with Google Messages on GrapheneOS

pallettownbry

aaravchen appreciate the response. I figured as much after trying all of the methods that work for everyone else. I know AT&T is notorious for being quite restrictive and difficult to work with.

patienttruth99

And now a day later it's back again unprompted...

Of note, there is no change to any of the values under "RCS Connection State".

BuckWylde

patienttruth99 The last time mine failed I also had no change in the debug data. I had no idea things were wonky for probably close to a day.

patienttruth99

user5678 I'm not sure why but I haven't figured out how to search this massive thread from my phone. Do you happen to have a link to the method you mention?

user5678

patienttruth99

https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/1353-using-rcs-with-google-messages-on-grapheneos/1687

I downloaded the 1st apk and 2nd apkm from apkmirror.com, saved them to my phone.

The first .apk installs using the GOS "Files" app. The second .apkm requires a utility such as SAI to install
https://github.com/Aefyr/SAI

I share OP's concerns about using out of date packages from a potentially sketchy source.

However, not receiving group text messages is a nonstarter for me in my life.

This is the lesser of 2 evils compared with running an up to date stock PixelOS instead of GrapheneOS

patienttruth99

patienttruth99 mine reconnected. I think it seems that after an update it breaks sometimes, and needs to be left on cell without VPN for a while to get reauthorized, because when I do that it eventually starts working again.

I'm on Verizon, and I can't say it's been reliable. Seems to give an issue every week or two, but I think I may be figuring out the routine...

elel

Question for the group here: we know that in the US many of the major carriers have challenges with RCS and GOS. Are there any which have been generally reliable? I've been meaning to switch carriers for a while, looking at what a potential good choice would be.

Turtacular

elel This question might not have an answer likely to remain relevant for long given that Google seems to be in the middle of shifting more responsibility (or burden, if you like) for RCS onto carriers. Unless and until some kind of stasis is reached across all the carriers in one's area, I'm not sure any one carrier is going to be a silver bullet.

mddunner

elel For what it is worth, I'm on Verizon in USA, and ever since the fixed release, my RCS has been stable (as far as I can tell. Not a heavy texter). I haven't done anything fancy except clear the app data as advised.

I run RCS signed in with a non-gmail email address.
I have allowed these permissions: camera, contacts, microphone, music/audio, network, notifications, phone, photos, SMS

cb474

elel mddunner Yes, from having followed this thread closely for a while, it sounds like people on Verizon are having the least issues. I'm not sure if that always applies to Verizon based MVNOs. Sometimes it sounds like people on MVNOs, based on the various different carriers, have different experiences from those actually on the real carriers (but that's just my subjective observation from reading this thread for the last couple months).

But as @Turtacular says, what is causing the issues it that Google is pushing carriers to run the backend, instead of Google itself. When these changes are made, they introduce the problems people have with Messages verifying itself with the backend servers. So the carriers that have the most problems, especially T-Mobile, are the carriers that in some sense are actually more up to date on the RCS backend. One can expect that eventually these problems will come to all carriers.

At that point, we will all be dependent on whether or not GrapheneOS provides a fix.

Gonemeteo

joejohnquinn did you ever find a solution? I'm having the same issue

cb474

patienttruth99 For what it's worth, I'm on a VPN and this has never been an issue for getting connected to RCS. That's both before the carrier changes at the beginning of September that created all the recent problems and after. Although, since I'm on T-Mobile, I'm using the method of installing an old version of Messages to get connected. But I can upgrade to the latest version and have it continue to work for the 36 hours period before it fails. Although I've stopped doing that and instead upgraded to the newer (but still old) version 20250311_04_RC01, which has not had any problems and remained connected for several weeks now.

patienttruth99

cb474 interesting. Maybe the VPN isn't the key. 🤷🏼‍♂️

My RCS was working until I rebooted my phone for the latest update, and now it doesn't. Says connected and I ~~believe I'm receiving messages~~ am not receiving messages via RCS, but sending is failing. I'm not blaming the update, but starting to think that something happens when I update that breaks it until it figures itself out.

brink1093

aaravchen Unfortunately I've started getting "RCS chats aren't available for this device" on all these older versions despite multiple attempts and different orders of events :( My details are listed here

At this point I've given up on RCS working

snaz

brink1093 It's not the best, but if you REALLY need encryption. Try OpenBubbles, or BlueBubbles.
You'll have to find someone who uses a Mac for it to work. So far, OpenBubbles has been decent for me. It just sucks you can't use your phone number on it. Only your Apple ID.

Turtacular

brink1093 Retrying the method I posted, starting from scratch, did not work, correct?

I am wondering if AT&T has made changes recently. If so, and if other carriers are following suit, I would imagine the efficacy of the method of posted will be short lived provided Google continues to step back.

biscuit_tosser_88

brink1093 been using openbubbles for a few weeks. Seems to be working good. (Of course, I already had an Apple ID and have access to a Mac to compete the setup.)

brink1093

Turtacular Correct. Something seems to have changed on the AT&T side.

snaz

Is it selfish to ask @GrapheneOS the details as to what the issue is specifically?

aaravchen

snaz
Scroll up a dozen messages and the link to the specific issue in Github is posted. It's been posted a few times, but I know this thread is too long and the posts aren't searchable.

cb474

snaz Is it selfish to ask @GrapheneOS the details as to what the issue is specifically?

https://github.com/GrapheneOS/os-issue-tracker/issues/6331

There are probably more details there about the problem than you may even want to know.

biscuit_tosser_88

AT&T, P8P
messages.android_20250311_04_RC01
RCS still working

xdewsz

Turtacular
I went ahead and gave this method a try because I'm also on mint mobile, and I have a new P9a. Maybe I did it incorrectly, but it didn't work for me. I'm new to graphene, and android in general, so I'll try and be very clear about what I did that was not successful and maybe someone will see where I went wrong.

I started by downloading and installing this exact package from APKmirror and installed it from my file browser.

I gave it full permissions before opening it, and saw that it showed RCS status: connected immediately.

I proceeded to download the second package, and I used APKmirror's app to install it.

It still showed my RCS status as connected after updating to the second, newer version, but it still seems to be failing to get Etouffee provisioning.

Here's what the debug > RCS > Report RCS Connection State summary gives me:
RCS appears to be active Transport: Chat API w/ Tachygram ACS url: [not connected] PCSCF: us-tmobile.rcs.telephony.goog Sub Id: 2 SIM Slot: 2 SIM Carrier: Mint Wi-Fi Calling SIM Number: +1########## Rcs Apk: Bugle Rcs BOE: Optimized GmsBinding: Enabled App StandBy Bucket: 10 Background Restricted: false Etouffee provisioned: false

I know there are outstanding RCS messages that people have sent to me and I haven't received, so my measure of success is receiving those messages.

After posting this I went back and rebooted the phone just for kicks, and when it rebooted, I immediately got the missing RCS messages. Thanks for the lively discussion in this thread!

Rumil

xdewsz

Mint (T-Mobile), Pixel 8a

Thank you for laying that for simpletons like me. Finally got my RCS back after it went out weeks ago (for now....) I didn't realize they were not working for several weeks because they claimed to be connected and I didn't run any deeper diagnostics. Needless to say, I missed some things.

A big thank you to everyone contributing in this thread as we tackle this INCREDIBLY vexing issue.

ZenIsFluffy

xdewsz Just gave this a try, and it worked perfectly. Here's hoping it keeps working for a while. :P (Pixel 8 Pro w/ T-Mobile)

« Previous Page Next Page »