RCS support in /e/OS

drew · October 5, 2026, 6:03pm

Hello there!

Is there any ongoing plan or roadmap for implementing RCS support in /e/OS?

Thanks

lexa · October 5, 2026, 6:52pm

Hello drew

The RCS protocol is only supported in Google’s messaging app, Google Messages.
Therefore, adding RCS support to e/OS Android, which aims to be a privacy-friendly, Google-free version of Android, seems complicated to me.

grzecel · October 5, 2026, 6:56pm

No chance Mate! It’s google through and through… forget it.

irrlicht · October 6, 2026, 4:21am

There has been an app called Replify in App Lounge or Aurora. This app has been able to receive and send SMS and RCS messages if the provider did support this. This means that there’s generally not only the Google Messages app.

Note: today there are several apps under the name Replify in App Lounge but the interesting one isn’t there anymore, so it has probably been deleted.

Update: It seems to be dead. Repo was here.

grzecel · October 6, 2026, 6:43am

That is good to know and people put pressure on for example Graphene OS to support RCS but my problem is that all the RCS traffic goes via google servers as far as I know! And it is a big ‘No, No!’ to me.

irrlicht · October 6, 2026, 8:00am

Sure, no question at all.

pefl · October 6, 2026, 7:58pm

There was a bounty of $15000 set on this issue about a year ago.
Hopefully someone will be able to solve this, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

github.com/microg/GmsCore

[BOUNTY] RCS Support [14999$]

opened 06:02PM - 01 Aug 25 UTC

unpluggederan

enhancement bounty

**Feature Description:** Google Messages is currently the only widely available …RCS client for Android. When attempting to use Google Messages with microG, users typically encounter issues such as: A persistent message stating "RCS chats aren't available for this device." An indefinite "Setting up...", where authentication of the phone number never completes. Recent developments suggest that Google Messages no longer strictly requires device attestation for RCS, making it possible to enable RCS functionality with microG. However, it appears there's a missing component or necessary adjustment within microG itself preventing successful setup. Google has effectively monopolized RCS, despite it being a GSMA-backed standard intended as a successor to SMS. Unlike SMS, RCS has become a closed ecosystem under Google's control, restricting open interoperability and limiting choice for users and developers. RCS has seen significant adoption, particularly in North America, and recently Apple added support RCS, further increasing its importance as a messaging standard. **Requested Solution** Provide a solution that enables Google Messages to successfully connect to and use RCS functionality when operating with microG. Acceptable outcomes include: - A fix or enhancement to microG itself, allowing seamless RCS connectivity. - Compatibility with recent versions of Google Messages is desired. Solutions that only support a specific Google Messages version from the past year will be awarded half of the bounty amount. - Modifications to AOSP or additional permissions changes are acceptable. - The solution must work on devices with a locked bootloader. Limitations Solutions relying on rooting, Magisk, or similar root-based tools are not acceptable. **Additional Information** GrapheneOS users, who leverage a Play services sandbox, have reported success with enabling RCS by applying permission changes. Although their setup differs from microG, the discussions that were taken in this thread (especially in the last year) may offer valuable insights for this bounty: https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/1353-using-rcs-with-google-messages-on-grapheneos

irrlicht · October 7, 2026, 4:29am

The problem is: the need for such messages is rather small since messengers are available and widely accepted in the public. It’s the same as with other notification systems, remember pagers (which also still exist).

There are some special use cases, mostly technical, where typically a rather open standard is used, for instance for sending status and emergency notifications from machines and facilities to maintainers and emergency services which should also happen when no internet access or even no power supply is available.

I know also another funny thing (I’m a sponsor of that): here in Switzerland we have a number of vultures flying around ( ← nice pictures there) carrying a rucksack with a small solar powered sender on their back, sending SMS from time to time about their position and some other data. (No, calling a vulture is not supported, the vultures have no headset for aerodynamical reasons …)

ehrt74 · October 7, 2026, 10:52am

rcs is an open standard and many providers have their own infrastructure.

nks · October 7, 2026, 12:32pm

At least in Germany, all mobile network operators rely on the Google Jibe infrastructure (essentially the equivalent of the “SMSC” for SMS).