RCS Disappears for Some Google Messages Users — Here’s Why

If you are unable to use RCS chat in Google Messages, you are not alone. Several users have reported the same issue for the past few weeks, leaving users frustrated and confused. However, it appears that the issue doesn’t originate from Google, but rather is linked to carrier support in some regions.

RCS Chat stops working in Google Messages across multiple regions

In recent years, the adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS) for texting has increased significantly. RCS offers a bunch of modern messaging features such as read receipts, typing indicators, high-resolution media sharing, and group chat. While many regions, including the US, have seen smooth RCS integration, it has recently stopped working in Google Messages in certain areas, reports Android Authority.

Several affected users have taken to Reddit and Google’s official support forum to describe how RCS suddenly stopped working on their phones. A user from Bangladesh wrote, “Settings page is showing carrier not supported for all carriers. Previously, only one carrier didn’t work, but now they are not working on anything.” Instead of showing chat features, Google Messages now displays a “carrier not supported” message.

There is chatter that Google may have recently removed certain carriers from its infrastructure and let them manage RCS on their own. Moreover, some believe that mobile operators are blocking the service. While the company didn’t confirm this, it did reveal that the issue lies on the carrier side. “We’re sorry, but your carrier needs to take action to re-enable RCS, so there is nothing Google can do for you at this time,” a Google product expert said.

This means there is no workaround to fix the RCS functionality disappearance issue. What you can do is contact your local operators to find out why they have not enabled RCS support on your network. According to the report, the affected regions are Kenya, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and parts of East Africa. If you live in any of these regions, make sure to check if RCS is working for you on Google Messages.