Public Mobile Users Face RCS Messaging Challenges
Customers of Public Mobile, a wireless carrier owned by Telus, are currently grappling with persistent issues related to Rich Communication Services (RCS). Unfortunately, there seems to be no immediate solution in sight.
A number of users, myself included, have found that RCS functionality disappears after transferring either a physical SIM card or an eSIM to a new device. This glitch hampers the setup process for RCS and prevents users from sending or receiving messages thru this service.However, standard SMS and MMS messaging continue to function without any problems. I first noticed this issue about two weeks ago when I switched my Public SIM card from a Pixel 10 to the Pixel 10 Pro for testing purposes.
Since then, I've been in constant communication with Public Mobile's support team while trying various troubleshooting methods—both independently and alongside their representatives—to resolve the problem. Sadly, none of these efforts have yielded results.
A Growing Concern Among Users
I initially assumed that this was an isolated incident due to my frequent phone changes for work-related tasks; perhaps I had inadvertently disrupted something during the transition. However, on September 21st, I began suspecting that it was more widespread when a message from customer support indicated they were “aware of this situation” and that technicians were “working as quickly as possible” on it.
Additionally, reports from other customers started pouring in. Many shared their experiences on platforms like Reddit, along with threads on Public’s forums. It became clear that numerous users—both iPhone and Android owners—were facing similar disruptions after switching devices. Some iPhone users even reported losing RCS functionality following an upgrade to iOS 26; however, it's unclear if these issues are linked.
The Technical Glitch Explained
On my Pixel 10 Pro device, the Google Messages app displayed an ongoing attempt at setting up RCS for hours before finally showing a message stating that RCS is “Not supported” by Public Mobile—a claim that's simply untrue since RCS works perfectly fine when using my SIM in the original Pixel 10 model.Most affected individuals seem to encounter similar error messages within their messaging apps.
The day after my initial inquiry (September 22), I received another text from Public Mobile's support team confirming they were looking into “known issues” regarding RCS Chat services. They cautioned me it might take “days or weeks” before everything is back up and running smoothly again while suggesting periodic troubleshooting checks during this time frame.
The Wait Continues: Official Response From Telus
This prolonged outage has already persisted for several weeks now; hearing it could take even longer is certainly frustrating for many customers waiting eagerly for resolution. In response to inquiries about these challenges faced by Public Mobile subscribers regarding their messaging services post-device transfer or upgrade attempts,Telus stated:
“Some public Mobile customers may experience issues activating RCS messaging services after transferring their physical SIM card or eSIM to a new device…We are aware of the situation… Customers can still send standard SMS and picture messages at this time.”
This statement did not address questions concerning what caused these problems nor how extensive they might be across user bases—or when we can expect fixes!
Troubleshooting Tips for Affected Users
If you find yourself dealing with similar difficulties regarding your own device’s inability access its full range of features via Rich Communication Services here are some steps you might consider trying out! Keep in mind though—I’ve attempted all listed below multiple times without success thus far:
- Access Google Messages’ App info screen:(Press & hold app icon > tap ‘App info’ OR go through Settings > Apps > Messages).
- Select ‘Force stop’:This halts any background activity occurring within Messages app itself!
- Select ‘Storage & cache’, then hit ‘Clear storage’: (This clears both storage/cache but don’t worry—you won’t lose saved texts as those should sync back next time you open.)
- Navigating back into Messages settings:(Tap profile picture top right corner > Message Settings >RSC Chats > toggle off)
- Restart your phone!
- Toggling back ON again under same settings mentioned above!
If those steps fail? Try uninstalling updates:
- Select uninstall updates option available under App info screen;
- Navigating over Play Store redownload latest version; < li >< b >Check if issue persists afterwards!< / b >
Again—I’ve been attempting all options every few days hoping things will return online soon enough—but so far nothing has worked yet! With awareness raised around current concerns hopefully solutions won’t remain elusive much longer!
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Thanks Scott!
