Sounds like the Google RCS servers haven’t recognised that your registered device has been assigned a different mobile number, ​@henderjd. 

You could try the following steps:

• Turn OFF RCS chats (“Chat features”) in the Google Messages app.
• Turn OFF the handset and carefully remove the iD SIM card.
• Check the SIM card is clean and undamaged, wait 30-minutes before re-inserting the iD SIM card.
• Turn ON the handset.
• Turn ON RCS chats.

Otherwise, have a look through your Google Account, maybe an old device is still registered as linked to your mobile number, or a current device is linked to the wrong mobile number.

As a last resort, just turn OFF RCS chats for 2-weeks, and then try again. The Google RCS servers appear to have a long latency for devices registered to use RCS (“Chat features”).

Hi there ​@henderjd, we hope that ​@andewhite was able to help.

Please let us know if any further questions.

Thanks,

Tyler

Thanks to @andewhite for taking the time to reply. As I mentioned, I have an eSIM, so taking it out and cleaning it is not an option. I did try turning it off.

I also checked and I have no old device still registered, but when I switch to my old decommissioned EE SIM, RCS chats do connect with my current number (although obviously I can't use it with a decommissioned SIM) so, as I mentioned previously, I think that may be part of the problem.

I note the advice to wait for two weeks, but I have had this problem for over three weeks now. Is it important to not even try turning RCS on during tat period?

If you’ve left the EE network, probably best to remove the EE SIM card or delete the EE eSIM from the phone using your iD SIM product, ​@henderjd.

When you switched to iD, your EE SIM / eSIM was deactivated - currently, deactivated SIM products cannot be reactivated.

I waited two weeks without turning on RCS and it is now working! (I did need to do one final clearance of storage and cache first.) Thanks for your help.

Hey there ​@henderjd, thank you for the update and that’s great to hear!

Thanks,

Tyler

I had similar issue and resolved it by replacing eSIM with physical SIM. I do t think ID mobile supports RCS over eSIM

Hi, I had pretty much exactly the same problem as you and something did work:

1. Switch off RCS in the Google messages app (go into the app, choose setting, message settings, RCS chats, Turn off RCS chats)

2.  Then go back out of the Google Messages app and go into your phone settings

3. At the very top of the menu, depending on which phone you're using, you'll see 'Google Services and Preferences' - click on that

4. Then click on 'All Services'

5. Scroll down and you'll see 'Phone Number Verification' and click on that

6. Switch off where it says 'Automatically verify phone number(s)’ and then leave it off for a few seconds

7. Switch it back on and then go back to the Google messages app and switch RCS chats back on.  Mine connected to RCS virtually instantly

Hi, I had pretty much exactly the same problem with eSims, but something did work without having to revert back to a physical sim:

1. Switch off RCS in the Google messages app (go into the app, choose setting, message settings, RCS chats, Turn off RCS chats)

2.  then go back out of the app and go into your phone settings

3. At the very top of the menu, depending on which phone you're using, you'll see 'Google Services and Preferences' - click on that

4. Then click on 'All Services'

5. Scroll down and you'll see 'Phone Number Verification' and click on that

6. switch off where it says 'Automatically verify phone number(s) and leave it off for a few seconds

7. Switch it back on and then go back to the Google messages app and switch RCS chats back on.  Mine connected to RCS virtually instantly

Thank you!!! I've tried about 5-10 other solutions, if not more. Everything recommended and spouted online didn't work. THIS one did!!

You. Are. A. Gem! 💎

Ty! 

No problem :-)

It's so annoying isn't it when it won't connect! You would have thought Google would have found a simpler way to do it all by now.