How To Solve Can’t send RCS messages on your Android

send RCS messages

The RCS messages reached the general public about two years ago and the truth is that they have not yet had the impact that was expected of them. They have not managed to replace SMS completely and are far from being a rival for messaging such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or Messenger. In part, this is because the RCS platform often has many problems.

If you are trying to use RCS messages on your Android mobile, but there is an error or problem that prevents you, do not worry. In the following lines, we will show you several solutions so that you can send RCS messages without any problem. Can you come with us? 

Check if you have RCS messages activated

Since the beginning of last year, RCS messages are officially available in Spain (and in many other countries). However, in some mobiles they have not activated automatically, so they had to be activated manually. To check if your mobile has RCS messaging active, do the following:

  • Open the Messages (from Google) app.
  • Touch the three dots in the upper right corner.
  • Select Settings.
  • Go to Chat Options.
  • If the Status option says “Connected”, you already have the RCS messages active and working.
  • In case no Status appears, then activate the RCS by clicking on Enable chat functions.

But if the Status appears as “Disconnected” or with another error message, it is time to see other solutions. In theory, you already have the RCS, but there is an unknown problem that is not letting you use them.

Restart the chat functions of the Messages app

Restart the chat functions of the Messages app

A simple restart can often be the magic solution you were looking for. So why not give it a try? Follow these steps to restart RCS messaging on your mobile:

  • From the Google Messages app, go to Settings> Chat options as indicated before.
  • Then, tap Enable chat features to turn them off (the switch should be off).
  • Now, restart your phone (press and hold the Power button until the option appears on the screen).
  • When the phone turns back on, go back to the Chart Options in the Messages app and turn on the Enable chat features option again.

If you are lucky, that will be enough to fix the problem. You will know that the RCS messages are working when the Status says “Connected”. Did this solution not work for you? Try the following.

Delete data from the Messages app with airplane mode activated

All apps save data and cache on your mobile to work faster and to keep your settings and customization. Unfortunately, sometimes that data gets corrupted and ends up causing the app to malfunction. This is what could be happening with the Message app and RCSs, so try the following:

  • Activate the airplane mode of your mobile (lower the notifications tab and there should appear a button with an airplane icon).
    • WiFi, Bluetooth, and mobile connection will be turned off.
  • Next, go to the Settings of your Android (the cogwheel app).
  • Go to Applications.
  • Select the Google Messages app.
  • In the Storage option, click on Clear data and confirm the action.
  • Finally, restart the mobile.
  • Turn off airplane mode and see if the problem is fixed.

If you now see the Status: Connected in the Messages app, that means that the problem has been solved. If not, then you need to additionally delete the data of the operator’s services.

It also deletes the data from the Carrier Services

RCS messages are closely linked to a Google service called Carrier Services that is installed on all Android devices. For this reason, we also recommend you delete the data of this service with these steps:

  • Reactivate airplane mode.
  • Look in Settings> Applications for the Carrier Services service.
    • If it doesn’t appear, tap the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show system apps. This is how it should turn out.
  • Again, go to the Storage option of the app.
  • Tap the Clear data button and accept the action.
  • Restart your phone.
  • Turn off airplane mode and check the status of the RCS messages.

If this method didn’t work for you, don’t worry, there are still a couple of solutions left.

Factory reset all your Android connections

Another solution that you can apply is to reset the network settings. This will not delete anything you have on your Android; it will only erase saved WiFi, Bluetooth, and mobile connections. That is, you will have to link your device with all networks again, but this could solve the RCS problem. How to do it:

  • Open your Android Settings (the cogwheel app).
  • Go to System and tap on Advanced Settings.
  • Select Recovery Options.
  • Tap on Reset WiFi, mobile network, and Bluetooth.
  • Confirm the action by tapping on Reset Settings.
    • They will surely ask you to enter your unlock method (fingerprint, PIN, password, etc.).

And that’s it! Reconfigure your WiFi network to connect to the Internet or do it with mobile data. If the problem came from here, you should already be able to use RCS messages. Otherwise, there is only one last solution left.

Root out RCS messages and then activate them from scratch

Now is the time to get radical. If the RCS does not want to work on your mobile, you have to erase them from the root. But don’t worry, you can activate them again whenever you want and from scratch, which could finally make them work well on your device. Do you want to try? Follow this procedure:

  • Go to the Google Messages app.
  • Go to Settings> Chat Options.
  • Turn off the Enable chat features option.
  • Thus, you will have already deactivated RCS messaging on your mobile, but you also have to deactivate it from the server.
  • Therefore, the next thing to do is go to the Disable Google Chat Features page.
  • Scroll down and enter your phone number in the appropriate box. Then, tap on Send code.
  • Via SMS, you will receive a code on your mobile that you must enter in the Verification code box.
  • To finish, click on Verify.

Ready! Now RCS are completely dead on your phone and you can only use SMS and MMS. But this is not the end. Wait at least 24 hours to reactivate the chat functions from the Messages app. Once you do, the RCS will be activated from scratch on your phone and it will surely work without any problem.

We hope that some of these solutions have served you. If you know another that you don’t see here and that worked for you, let us know so we can share it with everyone.