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How to Fix RCS Chat Stuck on “Setting up” or “Connecting”

When Google Messages RCS won’t finish setting up, check the exact status, verify your number by SMS, confirm carrier support, and work through device and dual-SIM settings.
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If Google Messages RCS is stuck on “Setting up” or “Connecting,” check number verification and SMS reception first. “Connecting” means the app is trying to verify your phone number; if “Trouble connecting. Awaiting retry…” lasts more than 30 minutes, Google says verification is having trouble. If “Setting up” lasts more than a day, a Google Messages Community Manager says the app can’t verify the number. Follow the checks below in order, and contact your carrier if Google Messages says RCS is disabled by the carrier.

Check the exact RCS status

In Google Messages, open your profile picture or initials, then go to Messages settings → RCS chats. Some app versions may call this setting “Chat features.” Read the displayed status before changing settings:

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  • Connecting: Google Messages is working on phone-number verification.
  • Trouble connecting. Awaiting retry…: If it remains for more than 30 minutes, Google’s FAQ says number verification is having trouble. This is a troubleshooting threshold, not a guarantee that every case will resolve after a particular wait.
  • Setting up: A Google Messages Community Manager’s guidance says that if this lasts more than a day, the app cannot verify the number.
  • Verify your number or Retry: Use the prompt after checking that the number is correct and can receive SMS.
  • Carrier disabled or unsupported: This points to service availability or carrier support, rather than a setting you can fix solely in Messages.

Google’s RCS chats FAQ explains that “Connecting” appears while the phone number is being verified.

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Verify your number and make sure SMS works

  1. On the RCS chats screen, tap Verify your number if it appears.
  2. Check that the displayed number is the one you want to use for RCS, then follow the verification prompt.
  3. Confirm that the phone can receive ordinary text messages (SMS) on that number. RCS verification depends on SMS reception.
  4. If the screen offers Retry, tap it after confirming the number and SMS service are working.

If SMS does not arrive, or the number is newly ported or transferred, ask your carrier to check that messaging service is active for the number. Google’s guidance establishes SMS reception and carrier support as requirements; it does not identify every recent transfer as a guaranteed cause of stuck setup.

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Check app, device, carrier, and connection prerequisites

RCS availability depends on the device, carrier, and region. Google lists these setup conditions:

  • Your device and carrier must support RCS in your region.
  • Google Messages must be the phone’s default SMS app.
  • The phone needs internet access and a working mobile connection to receive SMS.
  • Update Google Messages and Google Play services. Google’s setup troubleshooting page lists Android 5.0 or higher.
  • Make sure airplane mode is off and the phone has signal.

Google’s troubleshoot RCS chats setup covers setup requirements. If Messages specifically says your carrier disabled RCS, contact the carrier and try setup again after the carrier resolves support or provisioning.

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Check dual-SIM settings and iPhone transfers

Dual-SIM phones

If both SIM slots are occupied, Google’s FAQ says to configure the Call SIM as the Data SIM. Then return to Messages settings → RCS chats and check the status again.

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Switching from iPhone

If you moved your number from an iPhone, deactivate iMessage for that number as applicable. Google’s Google Messages troubleshooting guidance includes this step. It is especially relevant if messages from iPhone users are not reaching you; it is not, by itself, proof that iMessage caused an RCS setup delay.

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Only one contact is affected

If RCS setup is complete but messages fail only with one person, check that person’s phone number and country code and make sure the contact is not blocked. Those are delivery checks for an individual conversation, not a diagnosis of a phone-wide RCS verification problem.

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Escalate if verification still fails

  • Carrier-disabled message: Contact your carrier to confirm RCS availability and provisioning for your number; retry after the carrier resolves the issue.
  • No verification prompt or repeated failed retries: In Google Messages, open RCS chats → RCS Details → Submit feedback to send Google the issue details.
  • Still stuck after Retry: A Google Messages Community Manager suggested clearing the app’s storage or cache as a later step. This is community guidance, not the primary setup instructions. Clearing storage can reset app state, so try it only after the number, SMS, carrier, and app checks above.

Google does not identify buying a new phone, replacing a SIM, or using a cleanup tool as a standard fix for number verification. Use carrier support for carrier-side problems and Google’s feedback path for app-side failures. The timing thresholds above come from Google’s FAQ and a Community Manager post dated February 20, 2025; carrier and regional availability can vary.

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