How to force Google Messages to use SMS texts when RCS fails

Simply this morning, I used to be sitting in my automobile ready for Alternate Facet of the Avenue parking to finish (a dance that many car-owning New Yorkers undergo) and texted my companion to return take his flip. As regular, I used the Messages app on my Pixel 6 cellphone to contact him and waited for the same old reply (“On my manner!” or “Be there in a couple of!”), however after about 4 minutes or so, I noticed that I hadn’t had a response. Once I checked the app, I noticed that the textual content hadn’t been despatched — as an alternative, there was a tiny message saying my companion’s cellphone was off and asking if I wished to ship an SMS / MMS as an alternative.

What?

I selected to ship the SMS and acquired a direct reply (proving that the cellphone was not off). What was the issue? I’m not completely certain, however Google Messages makes use of RCS, a web-based protocol that Google has been attempting to make an ordinary — and for some motive, the app had apparently determined that my companion’s Pixel was not out there.

Google has been making a number of noise about Messages these days and has even made it extra pleasant when messaging with iPhones. However clearly, there are nonetheless kinks.

For those who use Google Messages to your chats (fairly than Chat, or Hangouts, or no matter) and, for some motive, your Messages app decides that you may’t ship an RCS textual content, right here’s a function that you could be wish to allow — simply in case. It’ll be sure that you don’t should verify whether or not or not your textual content has gone out; as an alternative, it’s going to routinely ship your message by way of the less-secure however still-available SMS / MMS protocol. As soon as RCS is on the market once more, it’s going to change again. (These instructions are for a Pixel 6 with Android 12 — as regular with Android, YMMV.)

• Open the Messages app, faucet the three dots within the high proper nook of the principle display screen, and choose Settings
• Choose Chat options

• Discover Robotically resend as textual content (SMS/MMS) and toggle it on
• While you toggle on the function, you’ll get a warning that messages despatched as SMS/MMS aren’t end-to-end encrypted however that messages will change again when the chat options reconnect. If that’s okay with you, choose Enable.

And that’s it! I just like the safety and media options that include the Message app’s RCS protocol, however once I ship a textual content, I undoubtedly need it to undergo asap. (In any other case, I’d ship an e mail — or possibly a pleasant snail mail observe.) For those who agree, you could wish to make it possible for this function is toggled on.