Forum Discussion
T-Mobile RCS Messaging Stability Issues
Since moving to the S23 with official locked Tmobile ROM, RCS messaging has been terrible. Fails to connect to RCS servers, fails to send text, fails to receive text all at random. Rebooting phone, clear Google Messages cache and deleting all text threads helps for a while, then it's back to terrible again.
I have researched online and others have the exact same issue. It all started when Samsung moved from Samsung Messages to Google Messages for the text app. The problem is that Google Messages which is now the official messaging app on Galaxy phones, still uses T-Mobile's unreliable RCS services. They can reprogram the Google Messages app that official Tmobile Samsung phones have to use the stable Google Jibe RCS services instead. This only effects official Tmobile phones and not unlocked Samsung phones on Tmobile, as their Google Messages client uses Googles RCS services and not T-mobiles. ATT just moved all their users from ATT RCS services back to Google Jibe for these performance reasons.
When is T-Mobile going to move Samsung Galaxy users off the unstable Tmobile RCS services and onto Google Jibe RCS services? If any Tmobile reps are listening, please open a case with backend engineering to fix this. Tmobile Samsung phone users have been dealing with for a year now. This issue is enough to lose a substantial amount of subscribers over.
Need proof?
syaoran wrote:
fireguy_6364 wrote:
@syaoran. you have a 23 dont you? issues on your end with RCS?
I don't use RCS. The more secure is basically a myth because Google sells your data. I have zero issues with SMS and MMS using Pulse. Samsung Messages is full of issues. Especially if you accidentally update it from the ay Store and not the Samsung Store. The versions are different!
Nonsense. Encryption > no encryption.
Thanks. Now if only someone will listen. This is complete garbage. There is absolutely no valid reason for the failure to support encrypted messaging in 2023. It has even sent messages by SMS without my OK despite NOT having that selected. It also is completely unacceptable that it takes it 5 minutes to decide it's failed. This is completely inexcusable.
Havok970 wrote:
syaoran wrote:
fireguy_6364 wrote:
@syaoran. you have a 23 dont you? issues on your end with RCS?
I don't use RCS. The more secure is basically a myth because Google sells your data. I have zero issues with SMS and MMS using Pulse. Samsung Messages is full of issues. Especially if you accidentally update it from the ay Store and not the Samsung Store. The versions are different!
Nonsense. Encryption > no encryption.
What good is that encryption when Google will sell the key to anyone interested? Google would gladly decrypt any texts at the request of the government without a second thought.
The issue is on Google's end. T-Mobile has no control over Google Messages. The issue also affects some Samsung Messages users that update from the PlayStore versus the Galaxy Store. Personally, I use Pulse which doesn't use RCS. No issues at all.
pharbrian wrote:
syaoran wrote:
The issue is on Google's end. T-Mobile has no control over Google Messages. The issue also affects some Samsung Messages users that update from the PlayStore versus the Galaxy Store. Personally, I use Pulse which doesn't use RCS. No issues at all.
I disagree. I have 2 galaxy s21 ultras being used on my tmobile account. The Google messages app on these devices use the Jibe network for RCS and don't have any issues with sending or receiving RCS messages.
The google messages app on my T-mobile ROM S23 ultras are forced to use the T-mobile RCS servers instead of Google Jibe RCS servers. If I switch my messaging app to Samsung messages, which apparently doesnt use the T-mobile RCS servers, RCS messages send and receive with no problem. The issues lies with T-mobile and not Google since the issue only occurs when RCS messages are managed by T-mobile's RCS servers.
It's the same Android Messages app in the PlayStore. There is no separate version of the app for T-Mobile ROM's.
syaoran wrote:
pharbrian wrote:
syaoran wrote:
The issue is on Google's end. T-Mobile has no control over Google Messages. The issue also affects some Samsung Messages users that update from the PlayStore versus the Galaxy Store. Personally, I use Pulse which doesn't use RCS. No issues at all.
I disagree. I have 2 galaxy s21 ultras being used on my tmobile account. The Google messages app on these devices use the Jibe network for RCS and don't have any issues with sending or receiving RCS messages.
The google messages app on my T-mobile ROM S23 ultras are forced to use the T-mobile RCS servers instead of Google Jibe RCS servers. If I switch my messaging app to Samsung messages, which apparently doesnt use the T-mobile RCS servers, RCS messages send and receive with no problem. The issues lies with T-mobile and not Google since the issue only occurs when RCS messages are managed by T-mobile's RCS servers.
It's the same Android Messages app in the PlayStore. There is no separate version of the app for T-Mobile ROM's.
It is the same app, but in RCS settings in Google messages you can see the RCS server is either Jibe or Tmobile. On my S21 Ultras, it is Jibe. On my sS23 Ultras, it is Tmobile servers.
I also would also be willing to try to pulse sms that you use, but it doesn't look like they have a wear OS app.
My wife has a S23 Ultra (I am the account owner) and she has had this issue for quite a while now. I keep putting off calling in but looks like T-Mobile is mute on this issue anyway. Frustrating.
syaoran wrote:
fireguy_6364 wrote:
@syaoran. you have a 23 dont you? issues on your end with RCS?
I don't use RCS. The more secure is basically a myth because Google sells your data. I have zero issues with SMS and MMS using Pulse. Samsung Messages is full of issues. Especially if you accidentally update it from the ay Store and not the Samsung Store. The versions are different!
Do you have any evidence of this or any pending lawsuits you can refer to? Google claims the encryption is native only on the 2 devices transmitting/receiving messages (at least last I checked). Throwing in conspiracy theories to the mix is not helpful ATM.
JoeMikeGent wrote:
syaoran wrote:
fireguy_6364 wrote:
@syaoran. you have a 23 dont you? issues on your end with RCS?
I don't use RCS. The more secure is basically a myth because Google sells your data. I have zero issues with SMS and MMS using Pulse. Samsung Messages is full of issues. Especially if you accidentally update it from the ay Store and not the Samsung Store. The versions are different!
Do you have any evidence of this or any pending lawsuits you can refer to? Google claims the encryption is native only on the 2 devices transmitting/receiving messages (at least last I checked). Throwing in conspiracy theories to the mix is not helpful ATM.
Read Google's Terms of Service in full.
Are you still having this issue? I got a new T-Mobile s23 ultra 3 weeks ago and RCS has been terrible. So unreliable. There's no rhyme or reason to when it will/won't decide to work. I did all the T-Mobile troubleshooting and all the Google troubleshooting and even did a factory reset a few days ago. I have been on every forum with other users who have had the same issue. I called T-Mobile today and told them what troubleshooting I did, they transferred me to Samsung advanced support, and it still isn't working right. I wish I would have returned it within the 14 days and got an unlocked version instead. Lesson learned, I guess.
