Why is RCS not working between my iPhone running iOS 18 and Android?

I would disable rcs chat on both phones, and then do a setting reset on the iPhone and an app reset on the android phone. on the android phone you may also have to stop the google messaging app and clear cache and data, then start it back up.

apple Reset iPhone settings to their defaults - Apple Support

Droid/ google https://support.google.com/messages/answer/9363493?hl=en#zippy=%2Cstep-clear-google-messages

I would disable rcs chat on both phones, and then do a setting reset on the iPhone and an app reset on the android phone. on the android phone you may also have to stop the google messaging app and clear cache and data, then start it back up.

apple Reset iPhone settings to their defaults - Apple Support

Droid/ google https://support.google.com/messages/answer/9363493?hl=en#zippy=%2Cstep-clear-google-messages

See this Apple support document that lists the carriers that support RCS.

Wireless carrier support and features for iPhone in the United States and Canada - Apple Support

And this link to a 9to5Mac article about RCS

https://9to5mac.com/2024/09/16/heres-how-to-check-if-your-carrier-already-supports-rcs-on-iphone/

Your Android friend’s carrier must also support RCS as well as the Android phone itself.

Not sure if this will help but a couple of thoughts.

It’s possible your carrier does not support RCS yet. You can check here: Wireless carrier support and features for iPhone in the United States and Canada - Apple Support

Another issue is that RCS on iPhone does not work with VPNs (yet). Here’s an article that may help explain: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/rcs-messaging-and-mozilla-vpn

It’s specifically about Mozilla’s VPN, but it’s true for other VPNs too.

Best of luck to you.

amp68 wrote:

If you need to have a group chat with Android users, use ANYTHING ELSE. Don't like Telegram? There's a ton of other free chat clients out there.

Indeed:

• Skype
• Signal
• Microsoft Meet
• WhatsApp
• Facebook Messenger
• Google Chat
• Google Meet
• Zoom for real time
• Groups.io (for larger groups; free up to 100, $220/year for unlimited size groups)

Works fine on my iPhone 15 Pro Max on both the Verizon line and T-Mobile line. You may need to contact Verizon to make sure there isn’t a provision on their end that needs to be enabled or if you have to have specific plans (sometimes older grandfathered plans may be excluded from some features).

I'm running iOS 18 (was using public beta and RCS was working). Now just on mastered iOS 18 and RCS is still working.

If you are switching from Android to iPhone and still have your android phone, you might want to make sure you disabled RCS on that Android before switching to the iPhone — you may need to put your Sim back in the Android to do this.

Side note, sending texts via Satellite works too. Great for sending updates on status during remote hikes or anywhere you don't have signal.

T-Mobile (US)

iPhone 15 Pro Max

Almost all Android phones support RCS: "You must have Android 5.0 or higher for RCS chats to work. "

Myphone284 wrote:

RCSis active on my phone. However, some messages/recipients I have the option to send later but others don’t. Is this due to carriers?

Yes

I’m to that point as well. I think it’s on Apple’s end, but as always they won’t admit it. Hopefully they do something about it soon.

Send later only works iPhone to iPhone. Apple for some reason wanted to separate iPhone users from their Android friends.

i've only gotten 2 out of 3 of my android contacts to use RCS. the 2 i’ve gotten to work are Samsung Galaxy S22’s but the one that won’t work is on (i think) a Samsung Galaxy A53. i’m on Verizon btw.

Just got iPhone 16 RCS does not work on this phone keeps saying waiting activation

I think ur right. I have Verizon & I think it’s a Verizon thing. I have a couple Android contacts that RCS works with, but RCS isn’t working with most of my Android contacts.

Mine had stopped working properly but after I did a network reset on my iPhone it’s been working.