TL;DR
- Customers who’ve rooted their telephone, have their bootloader unlocked or are utilizing some customized ROMs report that their RCS messages usually are not being despatched, despite the fact that RCS reveals them as related.
- The Google Messages app doesn’t present any error messages when blocking RCS messages of those customers and doesn’t ship the messages out as SMS or MMS both.
- Google famously campaigned for Apple to incorporate RCS messaging in iMessage however is now blocking it for sure Android customers.
Replace: March 1, 2024 (12:35 PM ET): A spokesperson from Google has reached out to Android Authority and offered the next assertion:
– Making certain that message-issuing/receiving gadgets are following the working measures outlined by the RCS commonplace is among the methods Google Messages stop spam and abuse.
– As we battle spammers and fraudsters, we consider completely different indicators. A big quantity of RCS spam comes from automation, which generally depends on modifications to the sending system.
– Our spam prevention strategies continuously evolve in response to the altering conduct of spammers. We are going to proceed to search for methods to forestall spam and fraud whereas minimizing the variety of customers affected.
Authentic article: March 1, 2024 (4:46 AM ET): We’ve all seen Google wax poetically and relentlessly on how RCS messaging is the subsequent neatest thing since sliced bread and the way Apple ought to undertake the usual on its iPhones to deliver a fantastic messaging expertise to all customers. We agree with the sentiment, and even Apple has dedicated to together with RCS in iMessage this 12 months, possible with the upcoming iOS 18 replace. However as a lot as Google needs others to make use of RCS, the corporate is obstructing rooted Android telephones and customized ROM customers from utilizing it on their gadgets.
Many customers are complaining on Reddit (h/t Mishaal Rahman) that Google is quietly blocking RCS messages on rooted gadgets and customized ROMs. Extra particularly, it seems that Google has begun implementing Play Integrity API attestation checks (popularly generally known as “SafetyNet checks,” impressed by the predecessor SafetyNet API) on the Google Messages app.
Heads up: Customers are reporting that the Google Messages app gained’t allow them to ship or obtain RCS messages if the OS is rooted or hasn’t handed GMS certification (like most customized ROMs).
The Play Integrity API and the predecessor SafetyNet API are each anti-abuse APIs that test for the integrity of the Android system. If an Android system is tampered with in any method, reminiscent of having its bootloader unlocked for putting in a customized ROM or is rooted, these APIs throw up an error. Apps that test for this error can acknowledge that the system isn’t in inventory situation and might react accordingly, usually refusing to work.
Probably the most logical meant utilization for that is for high-security requirement apps, reminiscent of banking apps. Nonetheless, there was a rising pattern of comparatively low-security requirement apps additionally utilizing these checks. This results in locking out rooted telephones and telephones with customized ROMs on obscure grounds.
With Google Messages, Google isn’t even throwing up any error that the consumer is locked out of RCS. Within the video above, RCS seems enabled (as seen within the chat textual content field), however messages being despatched merely disappear into skinny air. The messages usually are not going by as SMS/MMS fallback both until you turn off RCS options.
You may blame your telephone or service for this conduct, not realizing that Google is obstructing RCS from working in your telephone with out clearly explaining its causes. Customers have needed to examine the problem independently to search out out about SafetyNet checks on the Google Messages app.
Google mentions to 9to5Google that a few of these telephones are prevented from utilizing RCS, citing the necessity to stop spam and abuse by ensuring gadgets abide by the RCS commonplace’s “working measures.”
SMS and MMS proceed engaged on rooted telephones with unlocked bootloaders. However additionally they do on iPhones, so Google’s stance does seem fairly hypocritical.
If you’re savvy sufficient to root your telephone or unlock your bootloader to put in a customized ROM, you may bypass the checks with the Play Integrity Repair Magisk module. Nevertheless, this can be a sport of cat and mouse, and also you’d continuously be combating towards Google for the privilege of sending an RCS textual content. Possibly it’s time for Google to get the message too? Within the interim, you should use different messaging apps that help RCS.
We’ve reached out to Google for extra data and a press release. We’ll replace the article after we hear again from them.