RCS chats not connecting? Google Messages may soon make it easier to diagnose (APK teardown)
TL;DR Google Messages may be about to add a 'Details' button to help diagnose issues with RCS chats connections.
The button was spotted within a recent beta version of the app, and includes a 'Submit feedback' option.
Google has previously advised users to provide this kind of technical info if they're having problems with the feature.
If you've ever found RCS chats registration stuck on 'Connecting' or 'Verifying' in Google Messages, you know how frustrating it is. Google may be about to introduce a small but helpful tool that could get the issue diagnosed a lot quicker.
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An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
In Google Messages version 'messages.android_20250713_01_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic', we spotted a flag-restricted feature that adds a new 'Details' button to the RCS chat settings screen while registration is in progress. This debug-style popup reveals technical info like your status code, carrier, and device IDs — exactly the kind of details Google's support team needs to help you out, but often don't receive.
A pinned Reddit post by the official GoogleHelpCommunity account urges frustrated users to include data like carrier, device model, and app version when reporting issues. But most people don't — either because they don't know the full details or are unaware of Google's advice. This new Details button looks like Google's direct response to that problem, making it easier for users to collect and share the information when the issue happens. You can see how it looks in the screenshots below.
The Details button appears just below the Status
It disappears once you are successfully connected.
There's also a built-in 'Submit feedback' button that automatically attaches a screenshot of the details dialog and other system logs to help the Messages team diagnose problems faster. It's far from a guarantee that they'll get on to your issue in a timely manner, but the info is handy context for both you and Google. Once RCS successfully connects, the Details option disappears from the settings.
Again, this feature is only visible in the beta build with specific flags enabled, and it's not guaranteed to be rolled out. However, its presence strongly suggests that Google is actively working to improve RCS troubleshooting after years of vague error messages.
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