Google Messages RCS Not Working? 10 Fixes That Work In 2026

RCS chats stopped working in Google Messages, and your texts are going out as plain SMS with the status stuck on “Setting up” or “Disconnected.”

This is almost always a registration problem between your phone number, Google’s servers and your carrier, and you can fix it yourself.

The fixes below run from a 1-minute retry to a full reset, and most people are back on RCS by Fix 4.

Quick answer: what does your RCS status mean?

Open Google Messages → profile picture → Messages settings → RCS chats and read the status line.

If you don’t see “RCS chats,” tap Chat features instead.

Why does RCS get stuck on “Setting up”?

RCS is tied to your phone number, not just the app.

To turn it on, Google Messages has to prove the number in your phone is yours, then register it with the RCS service.

That check fails when:

• The number is still registered somewhere else — an old phone, a previous SIM, or Samsung Messages.
• The wrong SIM handles data on a dual-SIM phone.
• The verification text never arrives because mobile data is off or a VPN is on.
• Carrier Services has stale data after an Android or app update.

Google’s own guidance is that “Setting up” for more than a day means verification has failed, so waiting longer will not help.

Before you start: the 5-point checklist

These are the conditions Google Messages needs before any fix can work.

1. Google Messages is your default SMS app. Check under Settings → Apps → Default apps → SMS app.
2. Mobile data is on. First-time verification often fails on Wi-Fi alone.
3. Any VPN is off while you set up.
4. Three apps are updated in the Play Store: Google Messages, Carrier Services and Google Play services.
5. The number shown in RCS chats matches your SIM, including the country code.

If your connection itself is the problem, see our guide to Android Wi-Fi connected but no internet.

Fix 1: tap Retry or Verify your number

This is the official first step and it takes a minute.

1. Open Messages settings → RCS chats.
2. Tap Retry next to the status, or Verify your number.
3. Enter your number with the country code if asked.
4. Leave the app open for two minutes.

The status should change to Connected.

Fix 2: turn RCS chats off, restart, turn it back on

This forces a fresh registration and is Google’s suggested fix for error 3100.

1. In RCS chats, switch off Turn on RCS chats and confirm.
2. Restart the phone.
3. Go back and switch RCS chats on.
4. Wait a few minutes with mobile data on.

Fix 3: clear Carrier Services and Google Messages cache

Carrier Services is the background app that connects Google Messages to RCS, and stale data here is a common cause after updates.

On Pixel and most Android phones:

1. Go to Settings → Apps → See all apps.
2. Tap the three-dot menu, then Show system.
3. Open Carrier Services → Storage & cache.
4. Tap Clear cache, then Clear storage.
5. Open Messages → Storage & cache and tap Clear cache only.
6. Restart, then repeat Fix 1.

On Samsung Galaxy: use Settings → Apps, tap the filter icon, and turn on Show system apps to find Carrier Services.

Not sure which button does what? See clear cache vs clear data.

Fix 4: deactivate your number with Google’s web tool

Use this if you changed phones, swapped SIMs, moved an eSIM, or “Setting up” has lasted more than a day.

1. On any browser, open messages.google.com/disable-chat.
2. Enter the phone number that is stuck.
3. Type the 6-digit code Google texts you.
4. Tap Deactivate.
5. Wait a few minutes, then turn RCS chats back on in Google Messages.

Why it works: it clears the old registration on Google’s side, which nothing on your phone can do.

RCS can stay active on a removed SIM for up to 14 days, which is why a new phone often refuses to register.

Fix 5: check dual-SIM and eSIM settings

Google says the SIM you use for calls must also be the one set for mobile data.

• Pixel: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs. Set the same SIM for calls, texts and mobile data.
• Samsung: Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Preferred SIMs. Match calls, messages and mobile data.

If you moved an eSIM from another phone: the number may still be registered to the old device. Run Fix 4.

Fix 6: turn off chat features in Samsung Messages

On Galaxy phones, Samsung Messages and Google Messages can both try to register the same number.

1. Open Samsung Messages → three-dot menu → Settings → Chat settings.
2. Turn chat features off.
3. Open Google Messages and repeat Fix 1.

Fix 7: stop Google Fi sync

This applies only if you use Google Fi or once turned on Fi message sync.

1. In Google Messages, open Messages settings → Advanced → Google Fi settings.
2. Tap Stop sync & sign out.
3. If you used Messages for web, open messages.google.com/web → Settings and stop sync there too.
4. Return to RCS chats and tap Retry.

Fix 8: clear the Google Play services cache

Play services handles background connections for Google apps.

1. Go to Settings → Apps → Google Play services → Storage & cache.
2. Tap Clear cache.
3. Restart the phone.

Fix 9: uninstall Google Messages updates (last resort)

Occasionally a Messages update breaks activation for some users, as happened in early 2025.

1. Go to Settings → Apps → Messages.
2. Tap the three-dot menu, then Uninstall updates.
3. Open Messages and let RCS connect.
4. Update Messages again from the Play Store.

Skip this if Fixes 1 to 4 have not been tried; it does nothing for a number that is registered elsewhere.

Fix 10: ask your carrier to re-provision RCS

A status of “Not supported” or “disabled by your carrier” cannot be fixed from the phone.

Ask support to re-provision RCS on your line, in those words.

Rooted phones and custom ROMs can also be blocked from RCS, and no carrier call will change that.

RCS works with Android but not with iPhone contacts?

If your status is Connected and only chats with iPhone users fall back to SMS, the cause is on their side.

• Their iPhone needs iOS 18 or later.
• RCS must be switched on under Settings → Apps → Messages → RCS Messaging.
• Their carrier has to support RCS on iPhone. Not all do.

If messages from one person never arrive at all, check whether the number is blocked: how to see blocked numbers on Android.

Last resort: reset Google Messages completely

This starts RCS registration from zero without factory resetting the phone.

1. Back up first under Settings → System → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → Apps → Messages → Storage & cache → Clear storage.
3. Do the same for Carrier Services.
4. Restart and open Google Messages.

Android stores SMS and MMS outside the app, so they normally reappear, but treat RCS history as at risk and back up first.

Quick reference: which fix for which symptom?

If nothing here works, open RCS chats → Details → Submit feedback so Google gets the status code, and see Google’s Can’t turn on RCS chats page.