Google Fi RCS Setting Up: A Step-by-Step Guide

Setting up Google Fi RCS is a straightforward process.

First, make sure your device is compatible with Google Fi RCS. According to the system requirements, your device must be running Android 5.0 or later.

To check if your device is compatible, go to the Google Fi website and click on the "Check compatibility" link. This will take you to a page where you can enter your device's IMEI number to see if it meets the requirements.

Google Fi RCS requires a stable internet connection to function properly. This can be either Wi-Fi or a cellular data connection.

A unique perspective: Google Maps No Internet Connection

Google Messages is the default texting app on many Android devices, and it's also available on iOS devices with the September 2024 iOS 18 update. Google Messages offers a range of features, including RCS (Rich Communications Services) messaging.

RCS messaging is a communication protocol that replaces MMS and SMS messages on Android devices. It was created in 2007 but only gained popularity after Google began pushing it in 2019. Many Android users can now use RCS Messaging, and it's also available on iOS devices.

Related reading: Google Fi Ios

To use RCS messaging on Google Messages, you need to enable it through the settings. If you haven't already done so, Google Messages may prompt you to activate RCS before you set it up. This is a one-time process, and once you've activated it, you can use RCS messaging to send and receive messages.

To turn on RCS chats in the Google Messages app, follow these steps:

Once you've turned on RCS chats, you can enjoy features like high-resolution photo and video sharing, sending messages over Wi-Fi and mobile data, and identifying whether someone has turned on RCS by checking for a bubble badge on the home screen.

RCS chats also offer additional features, including:

If you're on Google Fi, you're in luck - RCS is already set up for you on "Designed for Fi" phones like Google's Pixel lineup. Just make sure Messages is set as your default SMS app.

To test if RCS is enabled, start a conversation with someone through the Messages app. If they're on a compatible phone and network, the text field at the bottom of your message thread will say "Chat message" instead of "Text message".

However, if you've been using Hangouts as your SMS client, you'll need to disable Hangouts integration before you can use RCS in the Messages app. To do so, open Hangouts, head to the app's settings menu, select your Google Fi account, then disable the toggle next to "Messages".

Other phones that have recently been made compatible with Fi may or may not work with RCS. For example, if you bring your own Android device and it's running 6.0 Marshmallow or higher, it should work with the new standard as long as you text with the Messages app.

To get started with RCS on these devices, simply download Android Messages (v. 3.9 or newer) and set it as the default messaging app. A prompt will appear asking you to enable RCS, and that's it.

Here are the steps to enable RCS on Google Fi:

To check your RCS chat status, tap your profile picture in the upper-right corner of the screen, select Messages settings, then General, and finally RCS chats. You'll see your current status.

Your chat status can be one of three things: Connected, Setting up, or Disconnected. If you're Connected, you can use RCS chats with people who have them activated. If you're Setting up, Google is verifying your phone number, which should take a few minutes.

If you're Disconnected, ensure your internet connection is active and check again. If you're having trouble, you can try tapping Retry next to the status.

Here are the possible RCS chat statuses:

If you've switched to Public Mobile and your RCS chats are stuck in 'Setting up...' status, you're not alone. Many users have reported this issue.

Try clearing the cache and data of the Messages app. This worked for one user who had the same problem. To do this, go to app settings, messages, storage, and clear data.

Disabling the Messages app and re-enabling it after removing updates might also resolve the issue. One user found that this solution worked for them.

You can also try signing out of the Messages app, clearing the cache, and restarting your device. This might help you sign into RCS without linking your account to Messages.

Resetting your network settings is another possible solution. One user suggested trying this, but it's not clear if it worked for them.

Re-verifying your phone number through the Google account settings might also fix the issue. To do this, go to myaccount.google.com/phone and toggle the verification switch. Remove any other devices from the list that you're no longer using.

Remember that clearing the cache and data of the Messages app will remove your conversations, so make sure to back them up first.

On a similar theme: How to Remove Places from Google Maps

To understand chat statuses, you need to know what they mean.

Your RCS chat status tells you if RCS is activated on your device. To find it, tap your profile picture in the upper-right corner of the screen, select Messages settings from the drop-down menu, select General from the options, and tap RCS chats.

On a similar theme: Google Chat Bot

The status can be one of the following: Connected, Setting up, or Disconnected.

Connected means you can use RCS chats with people who have them activated.

Setting up indicates that Google is verifying your phone number. This should take a few minutes. If it takes longer, tap Retry next to the status.

Disconnected means that RCS chats are temporarily unavailable. Ensure your internet connection is active and check again.

Here's a quick rundown of the possible statuses: