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RCS messaging

RCS (Rich Communication Services) enhances your texting experience with read receipts, typing indicators, high-resolution media sharing, and more. RCS is available on Android devices running Android 5.0 or higher and on select iPhone configurations.

Network and device compatibility​

RCS support varies by network and device. Use this table to confirm whether your setup is supported before troubleshooting.

NetworkiPhoneAndroid
Dark StariOS 18.5 or newerSupported (Android 5.0+)
WarpiOS 18.1 or newerSupported (Android 5.0+)
Light SpeediOS 18.4 or newerSupported (Android 5.0+)
Group chat fallback

RCS group chats only work when every participant has RCS turned on. If any person in a group thread doesn't have RCS — whether on their network, device, or app — the entire conversation falls back to MMS for everyone. This is a limitation of the RCS standard, not a US Mobile issue.

What is RCS messaging?​

RCS is a standard international protocol that improves traditional SMS/MMS messaging with features like:

  • Read receipts: Find out if your message has been read
  • Typing indicators: Know when the other person is typing a response
  • High-resolution media sharing: Send photos and videos in better quality
  • Group chats: Create and manage group conversations more effectively
  • Location sharing: Share your real-time location

Setting up RCS on iPhone​

RCS is available for iPhones on all of our networks. Make sure you're on iOS 18.5 or above before setting up.

  1. Open Settings
  2. Select Apps near the bottom of the menu
  3. Select Messages
  4. Select RCS Messaging under Text Messaging
  5. Turn on the toggle next to RCS Messaging

Verifying RCS on your iPhone​

To check if RCS is working on your device, go to Settings > General > About > Carrier. You can check the IMS status above your phone's IMEI.

If RCS is turned on for the network, you'll find "Voice, SMS and RCS." If it's not supported, you'll only find "Voice and SMS" in the IMS status. Contact customer service if RCS doesn't appear here.

Setting up RCS on Android​

RCS is compatible with Android 5.0 and above.

  1. Open your Google Messages app
  2. Select your profile picture or icon on the top right
  3. Select Messages settings
  4. Select RCS Chats
  5. Turn on the toggle for RCS Chats — it will show your line number and status
  6. Select Verify your number if it isn't automatically set up
  7. When ready, it should say "Connected" next to the status

Troubleshooting RCS issues​

If RCS isn't working on your device, try these solutions.

Check compatibility and device settings​

  • Device support: Confirm that your device supports RCS. It's available on most Android devices with Android 5.0 or higher and on iOS 18.5 or above for iPhones on Dark Star.
  • Default SMS app: Make sure Google Messages is set as your default SMS app (Android only)
  • App is up to date: Make sure the Google Messages app is updated to the latest version (Android only)
  • RCS status: In the Google Messages app, check the status of RCS chats. Select your profile photo or icon > Messages settings > RCS chats. You might need to select Retry or Verify your number if it's not connected.
  • Dual SIM: If you have a dual SIM device, make sure your "Call SIM" is configured as your "Data SIM" in your network settings

For iPhone: Reset network settings​

If the compatibility checks don't help, reset the network settings on your iPhone.

warning

Resetting network settings will erase all Wi-Fi passwords on your phone.

From the home screen, select Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset, select Reset Network Settings, enter the device password if prompted, and confirm. Once done, restart and test.

If you're still having issues, try turning RCS Messages off and then on again.

For Android: Reset Google account and app​

Try these steps first before resetting your network settings.

  1. Go to Phone Settings > Google > All Services > Phone Number Verification and turn it off
  2. Go to Messages > Messages Settings > RCS chats and turn off RCS Chats
  3. Go to Phone Settings > Apps > Messages > Storage & cache and select both Clear cache and Clear data
  4. Restart the device
  5. Open the Messages app, sign back into your Google account when prompted, and then try turning on RCS again. It should connect quickly.

For Android: Reset network settings​

Only do this if the Google account reset steps above don't help. This clears any corrupted network data on the device.

  1. Go to Settings > System > Reset Options > Reset mobile network settings
  2. Select Reset Network Settings
warning

This will erase any saved Wi-Fi passwords and Bluetooth connections.

After number transfer or network change​

RCS may take some time to activate if you recently transferred a number from another carrier to US Mobile, or within US Mobile to one of our other networks (teleport).

When a line is transferred, Google may still associate the line with the previous network. This mismatch can delay proper RCS activation, as it takes time for Google's systems to update and fully recognize the new network.

In most cases, re-verifying your line with Google will fix these issues:

  1. Go to Google account phone settings
  2. Verify your current number
  3. Remove any old or unused devices from your Google account

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