Google Messages RCS Bug Blocks Media Sends to Android Phones
Android users report Google Messages fails to send GIFs, photos, and stickers over RCS to other Android phones, while SMS/MMS and iPhone RCS sends work.
Android users are reporting that Google Messages is failing to send media files to other Android phones when RCS is enabled. The issue affects GIFs, pictures, photomoji, and stickers, according to user reports.
Switching to SMS/MMS reportedly resolves the problem for most affected users. Sending RCS media to an iPhone with RCS enabled reportedly works without problems, suggesting the failure is specific to Android-to-Android RCS transfers.
Common troubleshooting steps — restarting the phone, clearing cache, force-stopping the app, resetting the network, and toggling the RCS connection — reportedly do not fix the issue. One user said the problem went away after clearing storage, but lost the Photomoji tab and the ability to create photomoji.
Google has been contacted for comment, and the article will be updated with new information. The reports were first covered by androidauthority.com.
Quick answers
Why won't Google Messages send pictures to other Android phones?
Users report that media sends fail when RCS is enabled. Switching to SMS/MMS reportedly resolves the issue for most affected users.
Does the Google Messages RCS bug affect iPhone users?
Sending RCS media to an iPhone with RCS enabled reportedly works without problems, according to user reports.
What fixes the Google Messages media sending issue?
Common troubleshooting steps such as restarting the phone, clearing cache, force-stopping the app, resetting the network, and toggling the RCS connection reportedly do not fix the issue. One user said clearing storage resolved it but removed the Photomoji tab and photomoji creation.