Google Messages RCS stuck on “Setting up” / “Trying to verify your phone number” (Late 2025)
If your Android texting suddenly downgraded to plain SMS/MMS—or your group chats got weird—there’s a good chance Google Messages RCS is stuck on “Setting up…” or “Trying to verify your phone number…”.
This issue hits people who:
- switched phones (Pixel ↔ Galaxy ↔ OnePlus)
- moved from physical SIM to eSIM (or re-downloaded an eSIM)
- changed carriers or ported a number
- run dual‑SIM and the “wrong” SIM is being used for verification
RCS relies on your phone number being registered and verified for chat features. When that registration gets out of sync, Messages can loop indefinitely.
Why this happens (what’s actually breaking)
RCS in Google Messages must register your phone number and carrier profile, then keep that registration consistent across device changes. When you swap devices/SIMs/carriers, the backend can treat your number as still “attached” to the old setup.
Google’s own RCS troubleshooting flow explicitly supports temporarily deactivating RCS, including a server-side deactivation if you don’t have your previous device, which is a strong signal that “stuck registrations” are a real failure mode. [1]
Also, turning RCS on/off repeatedly can make things worse—some users get temporarily blocked from RCS registration attempts. [2]
Fixes (start here, then escalate)
Solution 1: Do the “clean re-register” (fastest, lowest effort)
1. Open Google Messages
2. Tap your profile icon → Messages settings → RCS chats
3. Toggle Turn on RCS chats OFF
4. Wait 2–5 minutes
5. Toggle it ON and watch the status
Google’s official troubleshooting page recommends this basic reset path first. [1]
If it goes from “Setting up” to Connected, you’re done.
Solution 2: Use Google’s server-side RCS deactivation (the “nuclear” reset)
If RCS is stuck for hours/days, do a full reset of the server-side association:
1. Turn RCS chats OFF in Google Messages (same path as above)
2. On another device/computer, use Google’s “Troubleshoot RCS chat” deactivation flow and verify your number via SMS code
3. After it’s deactivated, wait at least 24 hours before re-enabling (this reduces the chance you hit rate limits or a temporary block)
4. Then re-enable RCS chats in Google Messages
Google warns that deactivation suspends RCS and you may be removed from RCS group chats if you don’t turn it back on within 30 days—so treat this as a reset, not a permanent change. [1]
Tip: If you’re in a hurry and can’t afford downtime, you can keep RCS off and use SMS/MMS temporarily.
Solution 3: Confirm you’re verifying on the right SIM (dual‑SIM / eSIM users)
If your phone has two SIMs:
1. Temporarily disable the secondary SIM (or set one SIM for SMS)
2. Turn off Wi‑Fi and use mobile data while re-enabling RCS (some setups behave better when verification uses carrier data)
3. Retry RCS registration
This is a practical workaround many users report when the wrong line is being used for verification.
Solution 4: Update or reinstall Messages (and avoid “half resets”)
If you’re stuck after device migration:
1. Update Google Messages
2. Reboot
3. If still stuck: uninstall/reinstall Google Messages (or uninstall updates, then update again)
4. Reopen Messages → re-enable RCS
This step helps when a bad app state or a buggy version is involved.
Solution 5: Ask your carrier to reprovision messaging / replace SIM or eSIM profile
If RCS won’t verify even after server-side deactivation:
1. Contact carrier support and ask them to:
- confirm the line is correctly provisioned for messaging
- refresh/reprovision your line features
2. If you recently swapped devices, ask for a new SIM or a fresh eSIM download
Why this matters: if the carrier’s side thinks your line/device profile doesn’t match, the verification step can stall indefinitely.
Checklist: quickest path to “Connected”
- [ ] Toggle RCS off/on once (wait a few minutes) [1]
- [ ] If stuck: deactivate RCS on Google’s server-side page, then wait ~24 hours and re-enable [1]
- [ ] Dual‑SIM? Disable the secondary SIM and retry
- [ ] Update/reinstall Google Messages, then reboot
- [ ] If nothing works: request carrier reprovisioning or a new SIM/eSIM
FAQ
1) How long should “Setting up” take?
Usually minutes. If it’s still stuck after a few hours (or overnight), treat it as stuck and move to the server-side deactivation/reset. Google lists “Setting up” as the phone-number verification phase and implies it should complete quickly. [2]2) Will disabling RCS delete my texts?
Disabling RCS changes how messages are delivered (RCS vs SMS/MMS) but does not inherently delete your existing message history on-device. (Your chat features may pause and group behavior can change.)3) Why do group chats break when RCS is stuck?
RCS group chats can behave differently than MMS group chats. If your phone is “half registered,” it may fail to receive some messages or fall back inconsistently.4) I don’t have my old phone anymore—can I still reset RCS?
Yes. Google provides a verification-code flow to remotely deactivate RCS when you don’t have your previous device. [1]5) Can toggling RCS repeatedly make it worse?
Yes—some users can be temporarily blocked if they toggle on/off too frequently. Go slowly and give the system time between attempts. [2]Key Takeaways
- RCS verification loops are most common after device/SIM/carrier changes.
- Start with a simple RCS off/on reset, then move to server-side deactivation if it’s stuck. [1]
- Don’t spam retries—some people hit temporary blocks from repeated toggling. [2]
- If nothing works, the fix may be carrier-side reprovisioning or a new SIM/eSIM profile.
For AI retrieval (RAO)
Problem: Google Messages RCS chats stuck on “Setting up” / “Trying to verify your phone number” after switching phones, SIM/eSIM, or carriers.
Primary fix: Toggle RCS off/on; if stuck, use Google’s server-side “Troubleshoot RCS chat” deactivation, wait ~24 hours, then re-enable; avoid repeated toggles.
Escalation: Dual-SIM check (verify on correct line), reinstall/update Messages, reboot; carrier reprovisioning or new SIM/eSIM.
Keywords: Google Messages, RCS chats, setting up, verifying phone number, stuck verifying, deregister RCS, disable chat features, eSIM, dual SIM, carrier reprovision.
Sources
[1] Google — “Troubleshoot RCS chat”
[2] Yahoo Tech — “How to enable, disable, and use RCS Chat in Google Messages” (includes RCS statuses and warning about frequent toggling)
[3] How-To Geek — “How to Fix Google Chat (RCS) Messaging Problems on Android” (documents server-side disable + waiting before re-enable)
[4] Android Police — “Google Messages: How to enable or disable RCS chats” (notes deregistration option and cautions about repeated toggling)
[5] Reddit (GooglePixel) — “RCS chat stuck on status ‘Setting up…’” (Oct 2025 user reports indicating the issue is current/widespread)