Messages is pre-installed, but that doesn’t mean your US Galaxy S22 is using Google’s RCS backend

Abner Li | Feb 25 2022 - 11:48 am PT

In a big win for Google, its Messages app is the default client for the Galaxy S22 in the US. However, Google’s RCS backend might not be powering your messaging experience and that might result in an extra step during the set-up process.

Yesterday, Google explained that “GS22 devices will run off of T-Mobile’s proprietary RCS backend, and upon initial setup, users may experience a delay as data is migrated from Google’s RCS backend to T-Mobile’s.”

To resolve and accelerate that migration, users are told to enter their phone number and follow the instructions at messages.google.com/disable-chat, and then “Enable chat features” in Messages settings.

Previously, with the S21 and earlier in the US, Samsung Messages was the default, though things differed abroad. RCS was offered in the app via the carrier backend, but users could install Google Messages from the Play Store and use a backend that Google introduced to speed up RCS deployment worldwide due to carrier inactivity.

That direct approach to get RCS rolled out started in mid-2019 was completed by late 2020. However, carriers have always been allowed to let their RCS backend supersede Google’s once ready/available.

Google told us today that Galaxy S22 users on T-Mobile and AT&T will be using those carriers’ RCS backends, even with the Messages app pre-loaded. However, Verizon users will use the Google RCS backend. Additionally, Galaxy S21 users and earlier on T-Mobile are not being switched over and will remain on Google’s system.

In the grand scheme, which backend is being used does not matter as they are all interoperable (Universal Profile) with one another, but the implementation intricacies are quite interesting. Of note, is how T-Mobile and Google last May signed a big cross-service partnership that covers Messages and RCS, among many other products.