Android txt messages - not showing as blue

[Zhao0]

Hi

I just switched to Public yesterday from Fido. I own a Samsung S9 (still same phone). I just noticed today that my text messages to other Android users are now green instead of blue.  I checked my phone and nothing has changed. Has anyone else experienced this before? 

Your help is greatly appreciated!

[Zhao0]

Thank you very much. I think the article has answered my question - as it's carrier dependent. 

[dust2dust]

@DennyCrane- I've been musing playing around with it a bit to see how well it works.

[DennyCrane]

RCS is a significantly improved experience over SMS. And if you're roaming it will still work with those contacts who also use RCS. Having said that, it's mostly just my iPhone contacts that refuse to use WhatsApp and whom with I still have to use SMS because of it being cross-platform. I.e. most my texting (outside of WhatsApp) is still via SMS anyway. I'm really looking forward to Apple adopting RCS though.

[dust2dust]

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@DennyCrane wrote:

and further to that this article implies that it could be carrier specific (interesting).

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@DennyCrane- That is interesting. It's not a feature I cared about so I didn't know I missed it. My phone has the default Samsung texter. No RCS. My other Samsung phone has the Google texter. RCS. I could run the Google texter on my phone and RCS is there so it would seem to be something about the Samsung texter as myself and Zhao0 are seeing.
Yes if this is an important feature then switch to the Google texter.

[Zhao0]

Not a problem at all. Thx for all the suggestions. I did try clearing cache, but didn't work. It's just frustrating hour it works one day and not the next. 

[DennyCrane · Accepted solution]

I didn't go too deep into this, but a quick google search revealed that Samsung Messages has in past been problematic with respect to RCS, and further to that this article implies that it could be carrier specific (interesting). Additionally, Samsung now uses Google Messages as their default text messaging app.

Based on the above, I'd say that's an even bigger reason to switch to Google Messages instead.

https://www.androidcentral.com/how-set-rcs-chat-samsung-phones

[DennyCrane]

@Zhao0 Oh my gosh I misunderstood. I thought you had said you were texting iPhones. This makes way more sense! Sorry about that.

So basically your issue is that since changing to Public Mobile RCS has been disabled. For the record, my RCS works fine with Google Messages on Public Mobile. I'm not familiar with the Samsung Messages settings, unfortunately. As others have said, if you can't find an RCS setting, maybe try going into your system settings under Apps, and clear cache for the Samsung Messages app. Or switch to Google Messages.

[Zhao0]

No I have an android, and the people who I txt with also have androids. The RCS function worked fine between us android users (see screen shot earlier) until I switched to Public. When I text ppl who have iPhone, the standard green message comes in

[DennyCrane]

@Zhao0 It sounds like RCS, yes. But what's throwing me is how RCS is working with iPhones. That shouldn't work right now, but was recently announced it would be available in about a year. You're certain your contacts aren't using Android?

As for RCS, maybe try switching to the Google Messages app vs Samsung?

https://mobilesyrup.com/2023/11/19/could-rcs-iphone-make-android-devices/

EDIT: Ignore me. OP said it was Android to Android. Don't know what I thought I read 🙃

[Zhao0]

No this is strictly text. I've had this feature on my S9 for years. It's the RCS feature. I did a quick search on Youtube about it and it has been around for years for Android 

[DennyCrane]

@Zhao0 Did you always get read receipts when texting iPhone users? And this isn't Telegram or WhatsApp or anything like that?

EDIT: Ignore me. OP said it was Android to Android. Don't know what I thought I read 🙃

[softech]

@Zhao0 PM sim would not make any difference, it is more am app settings

If you don't want to try another app, please try clear cache with. your Samsung default message app

[DennyCrane]

@BKNS27 It sounds like you're posting about the perspective of an iPhone user, not an Android user. Blue/Green isn't a thing on Android a far as I'm aware, though that screenshot with a read receipt is really confusing me.

[Zhao0]

Exactly! I really don't know what happened.  The RCS feature seemed to have just disappeared. 

[DennyCrane]

You also got a read receipt, which is really weird. That should only happen if RCS to RCS or iMessage to iMessage.

EDIT: Ignore me. OP said it was Android to Android. Don't know what I thought I read 🙃

[dust2dust]

I use the standard Samsung texter. There's no RCS. I'll look for it when I connect to a US tower with my US service in case the provider is disabling it. But I don't think so. The Google texter does show RCS.

[Zhao0]

No that's not true. Here's a screen grab of my txt with my buddy (Android user). The day before it was blue, but the next day (when I switched to Public) it's now green

 

[Zhao0]

So before I switched to Public, my messages to other Android users were blue. As soon as I switched and ported my number over, all texts to Android devices are green. It seems like the RCS feature from my messages have disappeared. I really don't understand why.  I went through my settings and can't find the RCS setting or even chat setting anymore

[BKNS27]

@Zhao0 

I would worry about it. Any your replies in blue is to an iPhone user. Any of your replies in green is to an Android user.

This is a feature on Apple iPhone iMessage and is to be available for Android phones.

[DennyCrane]

That's very bizarre. Are you sure they have iPhones? What colour is it when you text another Android? Have you checked your RCS settings? I don't use the Samsung app, so I can't check the settings to see what they are.

EDIT: Ignore me. OP said it was Android to Android. Don't know what I thought I read 🙃

[Zhao0]

I'm just using the same messaging app that came with the Samsung phone (default app).  This only started happening when I switched to Public. I really do appreciate your help. It's just very weird.  I didn't do anything else to my phone settings. I just ported my number over. 

[softech]

@Zhao0 

are you using Samsung stock messaging app or Google Messenger? 

If you are still using Samsung's , try download Google Message and set it as default

if you are already using Google Message, try to clear cache and then reset all settings to default and test

[Zhao0]

Hi. I did try this also before I posted. But it didn't help :(.

[DennyCrane]

Messages between Android and iPhone are all SMS right now, though Apple did finally announce they will adopt RCS messaging late 2024 for cross platform messaging. They'll still use their proprietary iMessage for messages between iPhones, but that will be complemented with RCS for cross platform messages.

In any case, carrier should make no difference because iPhone to Android is all SMS. It has to be a setting on your device, likely just a display issue.

EDIT: Ignore me. OP said it was Android to Android. Don't know what I thought I read 🙃

[Handy1]

@Zhao0  sorry I wasn’t aware I have iPhone and when I text an android user it’s green for me but blue when it’s another iPhone . I think @softech  might be in the money then 

[softech]

@Zhao0 

I think Samsung uses Green Blue as well
If the message bubbles are green, then they have been sent in SMS or MMS format, while blue bubbles have been sent as a chat format.

try 

Open the Messages app.
Tap the profile icon on the right side of the search bar.
Go to Messages settings > Chat features.
Toggle chat features and test

[Zhao0]

No messages between Android devices also have blue texts. It was working before I changed to Public 

[Zhao0]

Yes I am. I've tried with wifi on and off. Doesn't make a difference  :(.

[softech]

@Zhao0 your friends received your messages?

The Blue  and Green are more iMessage vs SMS on iPhone.  

For android, usually it is dark blue vs light blue for RCS vs Text

I wonder if you change the colour theme

[Handy1]

@Zhao0  Android is green text bubbles iPhone has the blue text bubbles