RCS Not Working With One Person? 10 Fixes That Work

Every chat seems to use RCS except the one person you need to reach. If you have RCS not working with one person, both of you need RCS enabled and an internet connection, so the fault is usually at their end when your other chats work. To send a stuck message as SMS/MMS, use conversation > message timestamp > Switch to text (SMS/MMS).

You see, RCS working with one contact does not guarantee it will work with another. Their connection, phone change or carrier support can affect that conversation. Start with the clue you can see.

What you see	What it usually means	First fix
The thread says Text message	RCS is unavailable for that conversation	Ask your contact to check whether RCS is enabled and connected
Your message remains undelivered	Either person may have lost service	Use conversation > message timestamp > Switch to text (SMS/MMS)
Your contact recently changed phones	Their previous device may still have RCS registered	Ask them to deactivate RCS on the old device
Your contact moved from iPhone to Android	Their number may still be registered with iMessage	Ask them to deregister iMessage
Their iPhone has no RCS option	Their carrier or line may lack RCS support	Ask them to confirm support with their carrier

Why RCS Fails With Just One Contact

RCS depends on both ends of the conversation. Your phone can be ready while the other person’s number is still being verified, their internet is unavailable or their carrier cannot provide RCS. When the trouble affects just one thread, these are the causes to check.

• Their RCS is off or disconnected. Your contact needs RCS enabled and connected. If their phone is still verifying their number, your conversation cannot use RCS yet.
• Their old phone still has the registration. After a device change, an active RCS registration on the previous phone can interfere with receiving messages. They may need Google’s deactivation page if they no longer have that device.
• Their number is still linked to iMessage. If they moved from iPhone to Android, Apple says they may need to deregister iMessage to receive RCS or ordinary texts.
• Their iPhone or carrier lacks support. RCS on iPhone requires iOS 18 or later and a compatible carrier. A missing RCS option can mean the service is unavailable for their line.
• One of you has no internet connection. RCS uses Wi-Fi or mobile data. Google Messages can use SMS/MMS when you lack data or your recipient is offline.
• The contact record or blocking needs checking. Google recommends checking the number, adding a country code where needed and confirming you have not blocked the contact. Deleting and adding the contact again is another suggested step.
• A reported 2026 bug may be involved. August reports linked error 3100 to phone transfers or carrier changes. A separate October bug affected RCS attachment delivery, with Google announcing a fix arriving over several weeks.

Start by checking the other person’s RCS connection and recent phone changes. One failing conversation alone does not tell you which of these causes applies.

How to Tell Whether a Message Went as RCS or SMS

Before changing anything, check the message type shown in your conversation. Color helps in Google Messages, but on iPhone a green bubble can represent either RCS or SMS/MMS.

Where you look	RCS	SMS or MMS
Android compose bar	RCS message	Text message
Android message bubble	Dark blue	Light blue
iPhone text field	Text Message • RCS	Text Message • SMS
iPhone message bubble	Green	Green
Encryption lock	A lock identifies an encrypted RCS conversation	SMS/MMS has no end-to-end encryption

The iPhone text-field labels above come from Verizon’s support wording. A missing lock does not prove a message used SMS, since iPhone RCS encryption also requires iOS 26.5 and carrier support on both sides.

10 Fixes When RCS Isn’t Working With One Person

When one conversation refuses to use RCS, start with the connection checks on both phones. Then work through contact details, delivery options and any recent device changes. You see, a stuck message and an old phone registration need different fixes. Here is what to check, in order.

1. Check your own RCS status first.

Before asking your contact to change anything, confirm your phone is ready. Connected means you can use RCS with another person who has it enabled. Connecting means your number is still being checked.

1. Open Google Messages and tap your profile photo or initial.
2. Follow Messages settings > RCS chats.
3. Check the status displayed there.

Trouble connecting. Awaiting retry means verification has run into trouble. Not supported means RCS is unavailable, so check your internet connection and carrier support. Google’s RCS troubleshooting page lists the same statuses.

2. Ask the other person to check theirs.

Your phone being connected is only half the job. Ask your contact to check their own phone, even if they normally use RCS. Your iPhone contact must be running at least iOS 18, with RCS available through their carrier.

1. Android. Open Google Messages > profile photo or initial > Messages settings > RCS chats. Confirm RCS is enabled and the status is Connected.
2. iPhone. Open Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging. Enable RCS there.

If your iPhone contact cannot find that option, their carrier or line may lack support. Activation can take a few hours, so an immediate failure does not necessarily mean it cannot work.

3. Update Google Messages and Google Play services on both phones.

If you both use Android, ask your contact to update Google Messages while you do the same. Google also recommends using the latest Google Play services. Make sure Google Messages is your default SMS app.

1. Follow Settings > Google Messages > App details > Update.
2. If the app is not listed immediately, use Settings > See all apps > Google Messages > App details > Update.

Keeping the app current also matters for reported delivery bugs. Google’s October 2026 media fix was being distributed over several weeks.

4. Delete the contact and add it back.

A problem limited to one person is a good reason to check their saved number. Google recommends removing the contact and creating it again, checking the digits and adding a country code where needed. For a US number, that code is +1.

Also check whether you have blocked the person. These checks are part of Google’s guidance for problems with a specific contact, so include them before trying another connection fix.

“Check both ends before you change everything.”

5. Push the stuck message through as a text.

Need the message delivered while you sort out RCS? Google Messages lets you send an undelivered message through SMS/MMS instead. Remember that ordinary texts do not have end-to-end encryption. Unencrypted texts are also where scams show up, so see our guide to spotting an Apple Pay scam text.

1. Open the conversation.
2. Follow message timestamp > Switch to text (SMS/MMS).
3. For automatic fallback, use Messages settings > RCS chats > Automatically resend as text (SMS/MMS).

You can also choose a resend method through Messages settings > RCS chats > Resend messages, or Messages settings > Chat features > Resend messages on some phones. Be careful with the option that sends media through a link, since that link may be publicly accessible.

6. Re-verify your number instead of toggling RCS on and off.

If your number will not finish verification, check the number itself. You must be able to receive SMS because Google sends a verification text. Repeatedly switching RCS off and back on is something Google advises against.

1. Open Google Messages > profile photo or initial > Messages settings > RCS chats > Verify your number.
2. Confirm your number and watch for Google’s verification SMS.
3. If verification trouble lasts beyond 30 minutes, use Messages settings > RCS chats > Details > Submit feedback.

Turning RCS off also removes you from group chats, according to Google’s guidance. Keep that consequence in mind before using an off-and-on troubleshooting sequence.

7. Clear Carrier Services data and restart.

Google suggested this sequence for the August 2026 connection bug affecting some people after phone transfers or carrier changes. It included an RCS restart, despite Google’s advice against repeated toggling. The sequence did not solve every reported case.

1. Update Google Messages.
2. Open Messages settings > RCS chats and disable RCS.
3. Clear the stored data for Carrier Services.
4. Restart your phone.
5. Return to Messages settings > RCS chats and enable RCS.

If you still cannot connect, Google said it was working with carriers on the fault. No repair date was given for that August issue.

8. Deregister an old phone that still holds the number.

If you changed phones without disabling RCS on the previous device, its registration may interfere with receiving messages. When you still have that phone, use Google Messages > avatar > Settings > RCS chats and disable RCS there. Without it, use Google’s web form.

1. Open messages.google.com/disable-chat.
2. Enter the affected phone number.
3. Enter the 6-digit verification code sent by SMS.
4. Tap Deactivate.

You still need access to SMS on that number. If you leave RCS disabled for 30 days, Google’s portal says you will be removed from RCS group chats.

9. Deregister iMessage if they left iPhone.

If your contact recently moved to Android, ask them to remove their number from iMessage. Apple recommends this when messages stop arriving after leaving iPhone. They can do it on their previous iPhone or online.

1. If the SIM was moved elsewhere, return it to the iPhone and turn cellular data on.
2. Use Settings > Apps > Messages > iMessage and disable it.
3. Use Settings > Apps > FaceTime > FaceTime and disable it.

Without the iPhone, use selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage. Other Apple devices may need several hours to recognize that the number no longer uses iMessage.

10. Check the network and SIM, then call the carrier.

If RCS still fails, check whether your internet connection or SIM is involved. Verizon says some workplace and international Wi-Fi networks have firewalls that interfere with RCS. Google also recommends checking SIM placement, signal and carrier support.

1. Confirm your phone has internet access and airplane mode is off.
2. On a dual-SIM phone, open Settings > Network & Internet and confirm the Call SIM is set as Data.
3. Contact your carrier if the status says RCS chats are disabled by your carrier.

If your iPhone remains at Waiting for activation, AT&T recommends contacting the carrier. After a carrier change, ask whether your number transfer has finished, since an incomplete transfer was identified in one reported connection case.

iPhone and Android RCS Problems With One Contact

An iPhone and an Android phone can use RCS together, but both phones need the required software, carrier support and internet access. If your other conversations work, check these details with the person you cannot reach. Apple’s RCS setup guide has the full requirements.

• iOS version. Your iPhone contact needs iOS 18 or newer. Having an iPhone alone does not establish that RCS is available.
• Carrier support. Apple’s September 15, 2026 US list includes AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Cricket, Mint and Visible among carriers supporting RCS. Check the carrier serving your contact’s line.
• Missing option. Ask your contact to check Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging. If that option is absent, their carrier or line may not provide RCS.
• Green bubbles. On iPhone, RCS and SMS/MMS both appear green. You cannot identify the delivery method from that color alone.
• Encryption requirements. Cross-platform encrypted RCS needs iOS 26.5, the latest Google Messages and encryption support from both carriers. Look for the Encrypted label with a lock. The beta rollout began May 11, 2026.
• Mixed groups. Verizon says disabling RCS on iPhone can move a group to SMS/MMS and create new threads for Android members. An Android member who disables RCS stops receiving group messages until they enable it again, with messages stored for up to 30 days.

Known RCS Bugs in 2026

Sometimes you can complete the usual checks and still have trouble. Two reported 2026 faults are worth checking against your symptoms, especially after a phone transfer or when attachments fail.

When	What broke	Who it hit	Google’s status
August 19-20, 2026	RCS connection failures associated with error 3100	Some people changing devices, using Samsung Smart Switch or changing carriers	Google confirmed work with carriers, without giving a completion date
October 2, 2026	Disrupted RCS delivery, with reports involving media attachments	Some Google Messages users	Google said a repair was being distributed over the following weeks

Keep Play Store auto-updates enabled so you receive fixes when available. Installing an older Google Messages version is a risky workaround, since Google warns that downgrading can erase the app database and permanently remove data.

How to Keep RCS Working After You Switch Phones

Before you change devices or carriers, take these steps to reduce the chance of missing messages. Moving off an older phone like the Pixel 6? Our Pixel 6 end of life guide covers your next move.

• Disable RCS on the old phone. Do this before changing devices or transferring your number to another carrier.
• Wait for the number transfer. After changing carriers, confirm the transfer has finished before enabling RCS again.
• Leave iMessage properly. Deactivate iMessage for your number before moving from iPhone to a non-Apple phone.
• Keep Google Messages ready. Use it as your default SMS app and keep it updated.
• Leave mobile data enabled. Google says this helps messages reach their destination faster.

Final Word

If RCS works with everyone except one person, check your connection first, then ask them to check theirs. A recent phone change, unfinished registration or unsupported carrier can explain why that single conversation behaves differently.

Need to reach them now? Send the undelivered message through conversation > message timestamp > Switch to text (SMS/MMS). You can deal with the RCS fault afterward, knowing that SMS/MMS does not provide end-to-end encryption.

If texts keep vanishing along with other odd behavior, check our guide on how to know if your phone is hacked.

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