How To Fix Pixel 11 Can’t Send Or Receive Text Messages (RCS)

If your new Pixel 11 will not send or receive texts, the usual culprit is RCS chat settings left over from your old phone.

Android Authority’s Pixel 11 problems roundup lists RCS quirks after switching phones as a known annoyance, and it is fixable.

This guide covers the fixes in order, starting with the two that clear most cases.

Android Authority describes the Pixel 11 issues it found as a small number of reports and says it is unclear how widespread they are.

Quick answer: why a Pixel 11 stops getting texts

What you see	Likely cause	First fix
Texts from iPhones never arrive	Number still tied to iMessage	Deactivate iMessage for the number
Texts stopped after switching from another Android	RCS still registered to the old phone	Turn off RCS chats on the old phone
RCS stuck on Connecting	Number not yet verified	Wait, then check status and tap Retry
Picture messages fail	No data or bad APN	Turn on data and reset APN settings
“Not supported” label	Carrier does not support RCS	Contact your carrier

Turn off RCS chats on your old phone

This is the fix Android Authority gives for RCS trouble after moving to a Pixel 11.

On the old phone, open Google Messages.
Tap your profile picture or initial, then Messages settings, then RCS chats.
Switch RCS chats off.

Android Authority adds that the problem may also clear up by itself within about a day.

What if you no longer have the old phone

Google’s help page says to turn off RCS chats if messages stop after you change messaging apps.

Android Authority says Google offers a form where you enter your number and receive a verification code.

Engadget has described the same web tool as working even without the previous device, at messages.google.com/disable-chat.

Deactivate iMessage if you came from an iPhone

Google’s page says to deactivate iMessage for your number before moving to Android.

Do this on the iPhone if you still have it, because Google lists it as a step to take before the move.

Check the RCS status on the Pixel 11

Open Google Messages, tap your profile picture, then Messages settings, then RCS chats.

Status	What Google says it means
Connecting	Your number is being verified
Trouble connecting. Awaiting retry	If it lasts over 30 minutes, verification is struggling
Verify your number	Tap it, confirm the number and make sure you can receive SMS
Not supported	Your carrier does not support RCS

If the page says RCS has been disabled by your operator, contact the operator and then tap Retry.

Run through Google’s requirements

Requirement	How to check
Google Messages is the default SMS app	Messages settings or Android default apps
Phone is online	Wi-Fi or mobile data on
Messages and Google Play services are current	Play Store updates
Dual SIM: Call SIM is also the Data SIM	Settings, Network and internet
Everyone in the chat has RCS on	Ask the other person

Reset the RCS connection

PhoneArena reported Google’s suggested steps for a new phone that cannot connect to RCS.

Update Google Messages.
Turn RCS chats off.
Clear the data for Carrier Services.
Restart the phone.
Turn RCS chats back on.

That report involved a Galaxy Z Fold 8 with error code 3100 and said the steps did not work for that user.

Google told PhoneArena it was working with carriers, and it warned against downgrading Google Messages because that can wipe the app database.

Stop Google Fi and Messages for web sync

Google’s RCS page says message sync can stop RCS from working.

Google Fi: in Google Messages, open Advanced, then Google Fi settings, then Stop sync and sign out.
Messages for web: on the Android device, open messages.google.com/web, then More, Settings, Stop sync and sign out.

After that, go back to Messages settings, then RCS chats, and tap Retry and Continue if the button appears.

Fix group texts that split into separate chats

Open Google Messages, tap your profile picture, then Messages settings, Advanced, Group messaging.

Choose Send an MMS reply to all recipients (group MMS) to keep a group in one thread.

Google says not everyone in a group needs RCS, because you can still create an SMS or MMS group.

Rule out a single bad contact

If only one person’s texts fail, the problem may be the contact entry and not the phone.

Delete the contact and add it again.
Check that the number is not blocked.
Verify the number and the country code.

Keep texts flowing with SMS fallback

Google says SMS and MMS still work when RCS is off, though typing indicators and read receipts do not.

In RCS chats, turn on Automatically resend as text (SMS/MMS) so failed chats fall back to a normal text.

Delivery icons also do not appear on SMS or MMS messages, so a missing tick does not mean the text failed.

Wi-Fi, mobile data and RCS

Google says RCS chats need Wi-Fi or mobile data to work.

Messages sent over Wi-Fi carry no extra cost, while mobile data use is billed under your plan.

For the Verify your number prompt, Google sends an SMS to confirm the number, so the SIM must be able to receive one.

Fix picture messages and APN settings

Confirm the phone has a data connection.
Reset the APN settings to default in the Settings app.
Free up storage, since Google says low storage can stop messaging.
Check SIM placement, signal, your plan and airplane mode.

When to contact your carrier or Google

If the Messages status still will not connect, tap Details and then Submit feedback so Google receives diagnostics.

A carrier that does not support RCS, or has disabled it, is the carrier’s fix to make.

More on this site: Google Messages RCS not working, Pixel SMS and MMS not working and Google Messages keeps crashing.

Google’s pages: fix RCS chat problems, about RCS chats and fix problems sending or receiving messages.