Troubleshooting iMessage and RCS
If you’ve recently transferred your number to SmartLess Mobile or changed your phone number, iMessage or RCS settings may take a little time to update with Apple or Google. During this update period, you might notice:
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Messages not sending as iMessage (no blue bubbles on iPhone)
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“Text Message” or “Send as SMS” appearing in the message field
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An old or incorrect phone number showing in messaging settings
The steps below will help your device recognize your new number and restore full messaging features.
What you’ll need
Before troubleshooting, make sure you have:
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Your SmartLess Mobile phone number
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Your device (iPhone or Android)
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A WiFi or mobile data connection
Set up iMessage on iPhone
Update your phone number
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Go to Settings
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Tap Apps
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Tap Phone
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Tap My Number
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Confirm your current number is displayed. If needed, update it.
Check your iMessage settings
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Go to Settings
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Tap Apps
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Tap Messages
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Ensure iMessage is toggled ON
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Tap Send & Receive
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Under “You can receive iMessages to and reply from,” select both your phone number and Apple ID
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Under “Start new conversations from,” select your phone number
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Restart your iPhone
Check your FaceTime settings
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Go to Settings
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Tap Apps
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Tap FaceTime
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Make sure FaceTime is ON
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Under “You can be reached by FaceTime at,” ensure both your number and email are selected
Your iPhone should now recognize your updated number across iMessage and FaceTime.
Switching from Android to iPhone?
If you’re switching from Android to iPhone, make sure RCS (Rich Communication Services) is turned off on your old device to prevent messaging issues.
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Open Google Messages on your Android phone
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Go to Messages settings
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Select RCS chats
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Turn RCS OFF
If you no longer have access to the device, you may need to manually disable RCS through Google. After setting up your iPhone, you can re-enable RCS if needed.
Set up RCS
iPhone (iOS 18 or later)
Apple also supports RCS on iPhones. If you're not seeing RCS features (like read receipts or typing indicators) when messaging Android users:
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Make sure your iPhone is running iOS 18 or later
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Go to Settings
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Tap Apps
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Tap Messages
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Toggle RCS Messaging ON Restart your iPhone
RCS rollout on iPhone is still evolving. If you don’t see the toggle, update to the latest iOS version.
Android
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Open Google Messages
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Tap your profile icon (top right)
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Tap Messages settings
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Select RCS chats
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Toggle RCS chats OFF
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Restart your phone
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Go back and toggle RCS chats ON
You may need to verify your number and wait a few minutes for RCS to activate.
Switching from iPhone to Android?
Turn off iMessage on your iPhone before removing the SIM. If iMessage remains active, incoming texts may continue routing to your old device. You can also deregister iMessage through Apple Support if needed.