Google Messages group chat not working points to RCS setup, MMS group mode, an outdated app, mobile network trouble, or a phone number still tied to iMessage. The fixes below start with the fastest checks and move toward account, carrier, and device-policy problems.
Identify the group type first
The send button tells you which system the thread is using. In the compose bar, check for Send by Wi-Fi or mobile data, Send by SMS, or Send by MMS.
Send by Wi-Fi or mobile data means the conversation is using RCS. Send by SMS and Send by MMS mean regular carrier texting.
An RCS group requires every group member to have RCS turned on. When that is not true, RCS features do not apply to that group.
Set Google Messages as the phone's texting app before changing anything deeper. Open Settings > Apps > Default apps > SMS app, then select Google Messages.
Update Google Messages and Google Play services
This fixes stale app and service versions behind broken RCS setup or group behavior.
Open Google Play Store and tap your profile icon. Go to Manage apps & device, then tap See details under Updates available.
Tap Update next to Google Messages. Use Update all when you want every pending app updated at the same time.
Next, open Settings and go to Apps > Google Play services > App details. Tap Update if it appears.
Return to Google Play Store and go to profile icon > Manage apps & device > Manage > Google Messages > More. Turn on Enable auto update.
Turn on RCS for the whole group
Use RCS when the group needs Wi-Fi or mobile data messaging instead of SMS or MMS.
- 1.Open Google Messages.
- 2.Tap your profile picture or Initial.
- 3.Go to Messages settings > RCS chats.
- 4.Turn RCS chats on.
- 5.Check the status shown on RCS chats.
- 6.Have every Android member repeat these steps. On iPhone, open Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging and turn RCS Messaging on, which needs iOS 18 or later and a cellular plan from a carrier that supports RCS on iPhone.
Read the RCS status and act on it
The RCS chats screen gives the next move. Open Google Messages > profile picture or Initial > Messages settings > RCS chats, then read the status.
If Trouble connecting. Awaiting retry lasts longer than 30 minutes, tap Details, then tap Submit feedback.
If the screen says your carrier disabled RCS chats, contact the carrier, then tap Retry after the carrier resolves it.
Do not toggle RCS chats off and back on to refresh it. Google advises against turning RCS chats on and off because it removes you from your group chats, and the remote deactivation page warns that you are removed from all RCS group chats if RCS is not turned back on within 30 days.
If the status still will not reach Connected, start a fresh RCS group instead of continuing the broken thread.
Start a fresh group thread
The most common cause this section handles is a broken or downgraded group thread.
Open Google Messages and tap Start chat. Choose Create group, select the contacts, then tap Next. Send a short test message and check for Send by Wi-Fi or mobile data in the compose bar.
To add a group icon while creating the group, tap Next and then Edit before sending. For a group that already exists, open the group conversation, tap the group name, then tap Edit to the right of the contact photos.
Either way, choose Camera, Gallery, Google Photos, or Illustrations, select an image, adjust the crop or rotation, then tap Next. Group icons require the latest Google Messages version and are not available to iPhone RCS users.
Keep MMS replies in one thread
This fixes group texts where replies arrive as separate one-on-one conversations.
Open Google Messages and tap your Profile picture or Initials. Go to Messages settings > Advanced > Group messaging, then select Send an MMS reply to all recipients (group MMS). Leave Send an SMS reply to all recipients and get individual replies (mass text) off when everyone belongs in one group thread.
For missing pictures or media, go to Google Messages > profile photo or icon > Settings > Advanced. Turn on Auto-download MMS. When roaming, turn on Auto-download MMS when roaming only after checking your carrier's roaming data charges.
Repair the phone connection
Use this when RCS and MMS both fail, messages stay stuck, or group texts only send intermittently. Google Messages relies on your carrier, signal, data plan, SIM, and Android network settings.
Confirm that your carrier supports SMS, MMS, or RCS, and check your plan or credit balance. Check signal strength and reseat the physical SIM if your phone uses one. Open Settings > Network & Internet and turn off Airplane mode.
Open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, turn on Mobile data, and choose the SIM for Texts and Mobile data. Update Android from Settings > System > Software updates, then follow the on-screen steps. If the connection still fails, open Settings > System > Reset options > Reset Mobile Network Settings.
Deregister iMessage and old RCS devices
Former iPhone users miss Google Messages group texts when the phone number is still registered with iMessage. This applies to group texts from iPhone users that never reach the Android phone.
If you still have the iPhone, put the SIM back in it and connect to cellular data. Open Settings > Apps > Messages and turn off iMessage. Then open Settings > Apps > FaceTime and turn off FaceTime.
If you no longer have the iPhone, open https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage/, enter your phone number, enter the image or audio code, tap Send Code, then submit the 6-digit confirmation code.
For RCS tied to an old Android phone, open https://messages.google.com/disable-chat, enter your phone number, tap Send code, enter the 6-digit verification code, then tap Deactivate. If this method fails, return to Google Messages and create a new group after deregistration is complete.
Restore permissions and remove blockers
Denied permissions break parts of Google Messages. Open Settings > Apps > Google Messages > Permissions, open each denied permission needed for messaging, and tap Allow.
For one broken contact, verify the phone number, add the country code, then delete and add the contact again. For US numbers, use +1. To undo a block, open Google Messages, tap your Profile photo or icon, go to More options > Spam & blocked, select the blocked contact or group, then tap Unblock.
When the issue starts after another messaging app, companion app, cleanup tool, VPN, or device-management utility is installed, review other apps with SMS access from Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > Permission manager > SMS, then set the interfering app to Deny. Restart in safe mode with your phone maker's safe-mode steps and test Google Messages; when it works there, restart normally and remove recent apps one at a time.
If you cannot find RCS chats, look for Chat features, which is how some devices label the same setting.
On a work or school-managed phone, an admin policy controls RCS in Google Messages. Contact your IT admin when the setting is locked, greyed out, or turns off again on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Google Messages group chats work on Messages for web or a tablet?
Yes. Set up Google Messages for web or tablet, tap Switch now if the QR-code flow asks for it, and keep the phone connected because Messages for web and most tablet setups depend on the phone and app connection. Some tablets with mobile connectivity and a SIM card can send messages without a connection to your phone.
What if Google Messages disappeared or was archived?
Open Google Play and install, enable, or reinstall Google Messages. On Android 15 and up, tap the dimmed Google Messages icon to unarchive it, then turn off Manage app if unused under Settings, Apps, Google Messages.
When do I clear the Google Messages cache?
Clear cache from Android settings for app malfunction. Use Clear storage or Clear data only after messages are backed up or synced because it resets app data and settings.
What does Google Fi require for messaging problems?
Open the Google Fi app and sign in to the Google Fi account tied to the phone number.