Forum Discussion
Does T-Mobile really support RCS?
My wife and I just got new phones from T-Mobile: a Moto G 5g, and a Samsung Galaxy A54 5G. Both were set to send messages by RCS by default. No such messages are ever sent. If I check the status, I always get "waiting to connect." I tried setting "Switch from RCS chats if a message can't send," but after a few minutes it still shows "waiting to connect." I had to turn off RCS entirely to send a text message. What's the problem?
tidbits -
Thanks for the details. I tried it, and . . .
First I had to learn about eSIMs. This is my first phone with one, and I had been wondering why each of my communications apps was showing options for SIM 1 and eSIM 1. After researching it, I realized the store had not transferred the (very recently updated) SIM card from my old phone, yet some apps on the new one (or at least their Settings screens) were acting as if one were there. I went ahead and transferred the card, then went into the SIM Management and turned off the eSIM.
I then followed your directions above. I found that the default Samsung Messages app would not show me an option to turn on RCS, so I went back to the Google one, and it does. But when I "Turn on RCS chats," the Status was shown as "Setting up..." "Trying to verify your phone number," ans it just hung there interminably. . . .
That is, *until I reactivated the eSIM and set it as Primary.* Now RCS shows Status: Connected. And I can send messages properly, with RCS as default and "covert to SMS - only using the eSIM. Interesting. So I guess I will reserve the SIM card option for overseas use, if needed.
Nuevamente, gracias.
No. It was working fine with Verizon but when I changed to T-Mobile it CONSTANTLY has issues. It either acts like it sends then errors out 5 minutes later or it automatically switches to SMS despite the option being set to NOT do so. I have tried everything in this forum and it either doesn't apply or it doesn't fix it. It's absolutely inexcusable, especially when it sends messages unencrypted without express permission to do so.
Havok970 - I agree. After the steps I described above, I gave up. Both my wife's and my new phones (one Samsung, one Motorola) had the same problems I described above, similar to yours, and nothing resolved them. I disabled RCS on both, and now our text messages *usually* - but not reliably - go through. Even with everything else working (good phone/data signal, good WiFi, etc.) messages sometimes hang interminably, sometimes in the middle of a conversation - a series of messages go through with no trouble and then they just stop sending. Often one seems to send but really doesn't, but a follow-up comment goes through, so the people at the other end are wondering what in the world I'm referring to, and I can't explain. "Resend" doesn't work. Copying to a new message and trying again doesn't work. If it's at all important, I have to call. (I try to explain the glitch by email, but too many people rarely check their email.) The messages eventually send, for the most part, but as much as 20-30 minutes later. Text messaging just seems to be something T-Mobile does badly.
It works sometimes. Other times it's absolutely HORRIBLE. The WORST part is that sometimes it will send your message via plain SMS without any permission or notification. It says the recipient is offline, yet they can send RCS to me and have full connectivity. The bottom line is that it's a horribly insecure joke that is more likely to cause you a false sense of privacy.
