RCS Messaging

[Board373]

When is RCS Messaging going to be enabled on Xfinity Mobile? Google rolled it out to all phones and carriers last week. Brand new customer on Pixel 4 XL asking...

[ramesis]

User on Galaxy Note 8 is also asking!!

[Shnookskis]

From what I understand, it's no longer up to the carrier. If your carrier isn't supporting RCS then Google Messages is redirecting to one of their servers and it should work! But, my Samsung A50 is not working either but was working with the Messages beta version hack...

[ted11]

I just got off the phone with an Xfinity Mobile CSSR who was clueless but finally read me a terse one sentence that amounted to "Xfinity Mobile plans to support RCS someday."

[DaveO3]

Here is an article from USA Today that gives the current status of the rollout by each major carrier. So far Verizon says that it only supports a few devices and there seems to be other issues. Not promising at all for anything happening with XM anytime soon. 


https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2019/12/16/does-android-rcs-messaging-work-with-imessa...

[Dehayes35]

Same here. New Pixel device and it isn't working on Xfinity mobile. Would like an update from Xfinity!

[Shnookskis]

Xfinity Mobile currently doesn't support RCS. That being said, it shouldn't matter for those of us that are using the latest ver. of Google Messages & Carrier Services. As of last Monday, 12/9, Google says it should work for everyone. If your Carrier does not support RCS then Google Messages redirects your txt msgs to it's own servers instead of the Carrier servers... This still doesn't answer why our devices are not activating the RCS feature! If someone has an answer please feel free to respond...

[ted11]

Not sure what your point is. I have the latest version of everything, and RCS I is not working for me. Android messages-settings-chat features-unavailable

[Shnookskis]

My point is that Xfinity Mobile has no control over implementation of Google Messages RCS. According to Google if you have the latest ver. of Messages & Carrier Services it should be working but it isn't for many of us apparently...

[NuBiXx]

I would also like to know why RCS Messaging doesn't work on my Galaxy S9? I installed Messages by Google and RCS still doesn't work. It used to work if I did the hacked way but that way doesn't work for me anymore.

[cdloller]

Can someone from Xfinity please advise what's going on Moto g7 not working

[Knoch23]

Galaxy s8 here, came here looking for an answer because according to TechLinked (who double checks sources) says that RCS is just plain "available and implemented in America" and I've seen posts from people testing it on Xfinity Mobile and it works. Would love to get this working ASAP so I can start converting people!

[DaveO3]

(You’ll need to update both Messages and Google’s Carrier Services app, Google communications-suite product management director Sanaz Ahari tweeted Thursday. The Messages app should then show a “Messages just got better” dialog; tap “Agree” to opt in.)

Similar to iMessage on Apple, both parties on Android/Google must be part of the ecosystem.

[cdloller]

That does not work apps been updated

[ComcastChrisL]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to provide an update and clarify the status of RCS.  I can confirm that Xfinity Mobile plans to offer Chat/RCS capability in the future. Currently, there is not a projected availability date.

Not all manufacturers/devices or carriers currently support Chat/RCS. Recipients who do not have Chat/RCS capability will instead see messages as standard text messages without the additional features.

As soon as there are any new developments, I will make sure to provide an update.

Chris

[cdloller]

What a joke time to switch back to TMobile even my prepaid trac phone has new service

[Knoch23]

Hey everyone! I just found a way to force it to work! There's an instruction set here. Just got my s8 working on RCS! 😄

[Knoch23]

Sorry, link didn't post. Use these instructions to get RCS.

https://9to5google.com/2019/10/26/enable-rcs-android-messages/

[Shnookskis]

Yeah, that "hack" is no longer working for me. The official Google RCS as described by Google themselves is also not working on this Carrier network. There is a reply from Xfinity Mobile Support that states they will implement in the future. That being said, Google's official version is not supposed to need Carrier support as Google themselves will provide their own servers to translate the RCS functionality on any device and any Carrier in the USA. But, it doesn't seem to work for many of us!

[Turkaloo]

That's correct. Can't get this working on Google Pixel 4 XL. Strange thing is, I actually had it working on a flight home last week where only Wi-Fi was available. Couple days later, I logged into the messages app and checked the chat features status and it was completely off. It's almost like that protocol is being blocked with Xfinity Mobile service.

[Turkaloo]

Ok. I just got the RCS messaging working with Google messages on my Google Pixel 4 XL. I forced stopped the messages app and went out to this link and downloaded an older messages APK file:
https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/messenger-google-inc/messenger-google-inc-5-3-075-release/m...
Once you install that APK messages file, use the old instructions from the above post using the activity launcher to activate the RCS flags.
I just turned off mobile data and texted my work phone which is on Verizon and the message went through with Wi-Fi connection!
The only thing I see missing from the older messages app is the dark theme. We can use this until it's actually supported by the Xfinity Mobile carrier.

[Shnookskis]

This just worked for me as well.

[Turkaloo]

Glad it worked for you! I decided to go one step further and updated the Messages App through the Google Play Store which gave me back the dark theme. The chat settings stuck so everything is just like normal WITH RCS working!

[Shnookskis]

I also did that this morning. I rejoined the beta program, accepted the latest beta version with all the latest bells & whistles and RCA functionality stuck around. I'm HAPPY...

[Board373]

Yeah that's how Google made it sound in their press releases but in reality (from both Google and Xfinity Mobile tech support) it is still up to the carrier and Xfinity is not offering it yet. What you will get from Xfinity is the typical message from a company that is behind the 8-ball with them saying it's "coming soon" but "no timeline" and "phone makes a difference". They are trying to make a lot of grey area to cover their incompetence. I have a Moto Droid Turbo (released in oct 2014) on Verizon that has RCS messaging working. This is 100% on Xfinity and their backend. 

[Board373]

Contact Google, they will tell you it's still on the carriers to activate it. Their press releases are a bit misleading on this...

[Shnookskis]

Yes, I believe that is in part correct. In what I have researched it maintains that if a Carrier supports RCS and the particular device it would be used on then the Carriers servers would be utilized otherwise the message will be redirected to Google servers for processing. So my understanding is that it should work either way...

[cdloller]

Maybe it's my device then

[Shnookskis]

This is in no way a slam dunk situation. As per Google, if you have the latest version of Google Messages & Carrier Services, then RCS should activate and work. Some of us have only gotten it to work by using an earlier version of Google Messages beta in conjunction with the Activity Launcher application. Once activated we upgraded to the latest version of Google Messages Beta. As you can see, It has not been a slam dunk...

[Board373]

I guess I'll agree that using a hack and beta version to get it to work is not a slam dunk, lol. The reality is that RCS is working for the majority of phones (anything released in the past 5 years) on the major carriers and not on Xfinity Mobile. It's really just a matter of them paying attention and getting this rolled out ASAP instead of vanilla "someday we will" responses. I switched from Verizon to Xfinity to save money but this is a rough start to the customer service and I start hearing "you get what you pay for" in the back of my head....

[Turkaloo]

I too moved from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile for the exact same reason.
I've noticed a few other apps that work with Xfinity Mobile that are supposed to only work on Verizon and I believe it's because we're using the same towers. For instance, I have notifications set up at home with my home automation system and use my number + vtext.com at the end to send text messages to my phone from the home automation system. I thought once I moved over I would have to change the syntax but it's been working great.
I use 941445xxxc@vtext.com.
My service has been really good so far even when I used to have a little bit of an issue making calls from my house. Now that the RCS messaging seems to be working as it should, I'm 100% satisfied.

[Board373]

So @Turkaloo , RCS is working for you on Xfinity without using the Message beta app and hack? 

[Board373]

Sorry @ComcastChrisL "...in the future. Currently, there is not a projected availability date..." is not an answer to "when" we can expect RCS. 

[Turkaloo]

@Board373 , that is correct. I am currently on the newest Google Play Release of the Messages App with RCS working. Ill try to attach screenshots....I tried to post JPEG and PNG files (screenshots) but they dont seem to work on this forum. 

[ted11]

@Turkaloo The version information in the screen shot you posted ends in "beta." Latest GA in Play Store is 5.2.062 12/4/19.

[Shnookskis]

+Turkaloo, that is definitely the latest "beta" version of Google Messages. If you look in your app drawer you'll probably find an app called "Activity Launcher" which is the app that the Google Messages beta needs to activate the RCS functionality...

[Turkaloo]

I deleted the Activity Launcher and didn't mean to be misleading with the Messages App. My point really is getting it to work in our situation. I had to go back a couple versions, implement the RCS, then grab the newer App.
It's probably true that if I leave the beta program I may longer have RCS implemented.

[Shnookskis]

Turkaloo, actually I wasn't aware that a beta version of messages could run RCS without the Activity Launcher! You've presented yet another scenario. lol

[NuBiXx]

I got it to work again by getting out of the messages beta program. I then installed the non beta program version of messages I then followed 1 of those manually enable RCS tutorials.

After that I had Chat Features working again...

I then enrolled back in the messages beta program and installed the latest messages beta RCS feature continued to work..

[mcb5475]

I can confirm, as of 12/22, the method where you uninstall the beta, install the earlier version, follow the instructions given in the link, and then re-install the beta results in working RCS on Xfinity Mobile. I have done this on 2 Galaxy S10+, just to make sure it actually worked. Mine had previously had chat enabled when it suddenly appeared a few months ago and then disabled without notice, so the "setup" was already done and it went faster, but the other one had never been set up with RCS so I had to fiddle with the process a bit to get it to register, verify and connect successfully. Have tested chat between the two devices and it works 100%, if you're having trouble getting it to verify, try killing messenges, clear cache and try again. I did the final step while it still said "trying to verify ###....." And when I returned to the app, it gave me the prompt to enable chat features.

[ryanalanjacobs]

I can confirm the workarounds are still possible on Pixel 4 XL on Xfinity Mobile.

I previously had my Galaxy S8+ on Xfinity using RCS and set it up using various steps online, some match closely to this thread. Trying to replicate that on Pixel 4 wasn't helpful... tapping the Set RCS Flags in the Activity Launcher did nothing. Although when I logged in to my Google account on the new Pixel, it pulled in the latest beta version of Messages (and assumably Carrier Services, Activity Launcher, etc), which may have been the problem.

Steps that worked for me - having done all OTA updates before trying:

Quick note: developer mode and installing apps from known sources were already turned on, I test some apps on my personal phone for work. Not sure if this affected things in any way.

- I uninstalled all the updates possible from Message (Beta) but remained in the beta in the Play store

- Downloaded APK from this URL (linked above in this thread), Sophos local and phone versions didn't find anything bad. Transferred using USB cable and installed it.

- Rebooted phone

- Disabled WiFi and Dark Theme

- Opened Activity Launcher. Messages > Set RCS Flags (opened in the downloaded APK version)

- Put in settings and applied them

     ACS URL: http://rcs-acs-prod-us.sandbox.google.com

     OTP Pattern: Your\sMessenger\sverification\scode\sis\sG-(\d{6})

- Force closed the Messages app

- Reopened Messages and had the prompt at the bottom to Enable RCS

- Updated version to latest in Google Play, and it's still working.

Screenshot 1 

Screenshot 2 

Screenshot 3 

[cdloller]

Thanks for good directions I got it working on Moto g7

[fillyo]

This worked for me, new messages version does not allow activation of chat features, but older version does.

[Board373]

Maybe someone from Xfinity Mobile can explain why something that works on Verizon, who's network they use, is taking almost a month (so far...) to get working on Xfinity. While I appreciate the detailed workaround I'm kinda past that stuff for phones these days. I want to click on one button in the settings and have it work and I don't think that's an unreasonable request on a $999 phone. I'm starting to feel like I'm on some AARP plan (no offense AARP) instead of a major Telecom carrier.

[Raifordcap67]

But it is being reported that Google has made it so that we aren't dependent on our individual carriers. What's up with that?

[Shnookskis]

You are correct, initially Google stated that the latest Messages App & Carrier Services would activate RCS with or without your Carrier permission. I can only get the Hack to work with Messages Beta & Activity Launcher...

[Board373]

Yes I agree and I've posted in Google forums questioning why the tweets/statements were made that caused such confusion. As you can imagine they have yet to address those statements and just use the "check with carrier and device". So 100% Google's fault for causing the confusion but now 100% on Xfinity for not being able to pull off the rollout when so many other carriers and devices have.

[Board373]

Still waiting on Pixel 4XL...

[Shnookskis]

So today, out of the blue, while in messages I'm prompted to enable RCS and so I'm back on RCS just like the snap of a finger! I'm running the latest Google Messages Beta app(from the Play Store), the latest ver of Carrier services and Activity Launcher...

[TAJones99]

RCS is now officially working on Xfinity Mobile my Note 10 and Pixel 4 XL, are both working without a work around