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If RCS messages won’t send between an iPhone and an Android phone, first confirm that RCS is available and turned on at both ends. Then check the Android RCS status, internet connection, messaging setup, and recipient’s number. On iPhone, find the control at Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging. In Google Messages on Android, check Profile picture > Messages settings > RCS chats; the status should say Connected.

1. Check that RCS is available on the iPhone

On the iPhone, open Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging. Turn on RCS Messaging if the option appears and is off. Apple requires iOS 18 or later and a cellular plan from a carrier that supports RCS on iPhone; availability varies by carrier and region. Apple states, “To use RCS, you need iOS 18 and a cellular plan from a carrier that supports RCS messaging on iPhone.” See Apple’s RCS setup instructions.

If the RCS Messaging control is missing, first check that the iPhone is running iOS 18 or later. Then ask the carrier whether RCS is available for your country, plan, device, and line. A missing switch does not by itself show that the iPhone is faulty.

2. Read the Android RCS status

In Google Messages, open Profile picture > Messages settings > RCS chats. Some versions call this area Chat features. Check the displayed status and follow the matching action:

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Status What it indicates What to do
Connected RCS is available for conversations with other people who have RCS enabled. Check the individual conversation, number, and network if a message still fails.
Connecting Your phone number is being verified. Wait for verification to finish.
Trouble connecting. Awaiting retry Number verification is having a problem. Wait. If the retry status lasts more than 30 minutes, Google advises using Details > Submit feedback.
Not supported RCS may not be supported for the device or carrier, or the phone may lack internet access. Check the connection and ask the carrier about device and service eligibility.
RCS chats disabled by your carrier The carrier has disabled RCS for the line. Contact the carrier. After the issue is resolved, tap Retry.

Google explains these statuses in its guides to turning on RCS chats and resolving RCS activation problems.

3. Check Android’s messaging setup

For Google Messages RCS, confirm that Google Messages is the default SMS app, the phone can access the internet and receive SMS, and Google Messages is up to date. Google also recommends updating Google Play services. Its setup guidance specifies Android 5.0 or later. If the status says the carrier disabled RCS, the carrier is the next point of contact—not a repeated app reinstall.

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4. Rule out connection and conversation problems

Restore an internet and cellular connection

RCS uses Wi-Fi or mobile data. Open a webpage or otherwise confirm that the phone has internet access, then try a known-working Wi-Fi or mobile-data connection. Turn off airplane mode if it is enabled, check cellular signal, and make sure the SIM is properly inserted. Confirm that the account has an active messaging plan or balance. Apple’s message troubleshooting guidance and Google’s RCS FAQ cover connection and service checks.

Check the recipient’s number and contact

Confirm the recipient’s number, including the country code when needed. If the problem affects only one person, check whether that contact is blocked. Google also suggests deleting and re-adding the contact. If messages fail with everyone, focus first on RCS status and connectivity rather than changing one contact record.

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5. Restart, update, and test with a simple message

Restart both phones, check for app updates, and confirm the Android RCS status again. Apple recommends restarting the iPhone and checking its network connection; Google recommends updating Google Messages and checking RCS status. Send a short plain-text message to test. If text works but a photo or video does not, check the data connection and whether the media is being sent through RCS or an MMS fallback; media failure alone does not establish that plain-text RCS is also broken.

6. Use SMS/MMS fallback if you need to send now

Google Messages lets you choose what happens after an RCS send fails. Open Messages settings > RCS chats > Resend messages and choose an available resend option, such as SMS/MMS. Fallback availability depends on the service and settings on the line. A message sent as SMS/MMS may deliver without fixing the RCS connection, so check the RCS status separately.

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Be cautious with the SMS with a link resend option. Google warns that shared media may be accessible through a public link that Google does not control. See Google’s RCS resend guidance.

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Use the symptom to choose your next check

Symptom Likely area Next action
iPhone has no RCS Messaging setting iOS version, carrier plan, or regional availability Check for iOS 18 or later and ask the carrier about RCS on iPhone.
Android says “Connecting” Phone-number verification Wait for verification; if retry status lasts over 30 minutes, use Google Messages feedback guidance.
Android says RCS is unsupported or carrier-disabled Carrier or device eligibility Ask the carrier to check the specific plan, device, country, and line; retry after a carrier-side issue is resolved.
RCS fails on both devices or away from Wi-Fi Internet, mobile data, signal, or airplane mode Restore a working connection and try again.
Only one contact is affected Number, country code, blocked status, or contact record Verify the number, unblock the contact if needed, or delete and re-add it.
Messages send only as SMS/MMS RCS unavailable or fallback selected Use fallback if appropriate, then verify RCS status before treating the issue as resolved.

What green bubbles and SMS fallback do—and don’t—tell you

On iPhone, a green bubble does not prove that a message used SMS or MMS: Apple also uses green for RCS messages. Check the RCS setting and the Android status rather than relying on bubble color. Likewise, successful SMS/MMS delivery shows only that fallback worked; it does not confirm that RCS is connected.

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When to contact the carrier

Contact the carrier if the iPhone’s RCS control is missing after confirming the iOS requirement, or if Google Messages reports that the carrier disabled RCS or that the service is unsupported. Ask whether RCS is supported and enabled for the specific country, plan, device, and line. If the issue appears to be number verification rather than carrier eligibility, follow the status-specific guidance in Google Messages first.

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