No group text messages - switched from Samsung Android

Sorry for repeating this common complaint, but after three weeks of using the Brax3 phone on Mint mobile, I’m still not getting group text messages. I moved my prior number from Samsung (Android) Verizon, using google messages, to Mint - Brax3.

I tried QKSMS with no success and a week and a half ago went to the google to deactivate my phone number from using RCS. Does is take a full 30 days to deactivate? Is there anything else I can do? This have been stressful as I know that I’m missing many messages. I so want this to work.

RCS is a telecommunications protocol that modern phones can use, it shouldn’t have anything to do with Google. It should be a setting in the messaging app only.

What app do you use for group messaging ?

Are your APN settings correct ?

RCS must be supported by both the sender and the recipient and their respective carriers, are you sure that the lost messages aren’t RCS ?

For the time being I don’t know whether Brax3 supports RCS, probably not, and the app should support it too so you probably won’t find an open-source app that supports it though I have found an open source implementation on github.

You could try some proprietary software from Aurora to see if there is any difference at least with RCS.

If you are using Fossify(the native app) search here, GitHub · Where software is built , I had a look but the closest issue was someone who can see the message initially but then it disappears.

Reiterating what george wrote, do check your APN settings against what Mint says they should be. In the past I had no problem with SMS while MMS wasn’t getting sent or received; changing my APN - the APN type if memory serves - solved my problem.

RCS is not supported on microG yet. Once it is supported, it can be enabled for all Operating Systems relying on microG.

There’s been a bounty of 10k$ to resolve that - recently increased to 15k$. You can track the progress of this here: [BOUNTY] RCS Support [14999$] · Issue #2994 · microg/GmsCore · GitHub

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@plamen Why this can’t be deployed ? GitHub - android-rcs/rcsjta: RCS-e stack for Android with GSMA API

Thank you for your response. I’m back to using Fossify again. I’m going to try toying with different APN settings. My APN settings appear to be the one that Mint recommends.

As mentioned below, MicroG doesn’t currently support RCS which means the current Brax3 won’t either (if running iodeOS). My research on this blog tells me that if I don’t disconnect Gtext messaging from the prior number, it may swallow up RCS text messages. I have no idea if this is happening. The majority of people I text with are iphone users.

Thank you for your response and suggestion. I did check my APN setting and they appear to be the Mint recommended one. I will try some different APN settings to see if it works. Some on the web has suggested T-mobile settings. I will update everyone if I have success.

Thank you plamen for your response.

You can try to delete the APNs and add them again, for some reason this fixes many problems after the update.

I still can’t understand how Google is correlated with RCS messages. A message will depart from a device, will go through the cellular network and will arrive at your device.

What is Gtext?

iphones support RCS since iOS 18

Not sure. Seeing that it’s been last updated about 9 years ago, I’d imagine there is little code of use. Otherwise, somebody would scoop the rcs bounty.

We’ve added this to our board for further research. It seems that rcs is working on some degoogled devices like huawei, which is a positive sign.

@plamen They claim to have implemented the RCS stack, I have found the latest specifications on GSMA so we can compare them. I imagine that the most work has been done and it’s a matter of applying the important updates(if any) of the protocol to make it work and integrating it in Fossify. The bounty is tehcnically for fixing MicroG and not for implementing the protocol.

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It takes the full 30 AFTER you deregister from Google.

I went through this exact thing. Deregister, wait 30-ish days and you should be good to go.

I meant to write “Google Messaging” instead of Gtext. Google messaging essentially is the text messaging for most Androids phones, including my prior one, and is linked to Google play/Gmail and other google accounts. Google messages uses RCS.

I hope so its just that after 30 days. I have not idea how many messages I’m missing.

As I read on the internet the carrier would convert the RCS to SMS if RCS is not supported.

I still can’t understand where Google gets into the game beyond the messaging app.

The messages leave the carrier and come to the phone, they should have nothing to do with Google.

Its been about a month and still missing all group texts. I can only hold out for about a week or so before I will need to switch back to Apply or Android. I really like the Brax3 phone and the principles phone but it’s not working out. Any suggestions on what else I can or try or which phone to go back to?

Did you try the Google Messages app ?

I have not tried Google Messages. A big reason to get the Brax3 was to avoid big tech and especially Google. However, I may try that as a last resort. I fear that it would require google play to properly work. Thank you for the suggestion. Other than this I really like the phone.

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As I can see the group SMS are actually MMS.
Have you configured your MMS APN correctly?

I’m on Mint. I switched MMS APN multiple times including a T-mobile one and nothing works. I don’t know if it is proper or one not. We I contact Mint I get a different suggestions but nothing works. They are now telling me that the phone is locked and there is nothing they can do.