How to change your RCS number and fix chat issues on Android

You got a new number or swapped SIMs, and now your RCS chat is broken?

Messages are stuck in “Verifying,” read receipts have vanished, and your group threads are half-functioning (if at all). Why is this happening?

RCS may feel like a modern messaging upgrade, but it still depends heavily on your phone number and carrier.

Change one of those things, and suddenly your rich messaging experience can fall apart.

So how do you fix it fast, without waiting hours or digging through confusing settings?

This guide is built for Android users, support reps, and messaging pros who need clear, up-to-date steps to reset or reactivate RCS after a number change. 

Why changing your number can break RCS chat

If RCS still thinks you’re using your old number, you might experience:

• Messages not sending or getting stuck in “Sending…”
• Group chats reverting to MMS or failing altogether
• Your old number showing up to recipients
• Persistent “Connecting…” or disabled chat features

These issues come from how RCS verifies your identity through both your phone number and network, if either changes, you’ll need to reset or reconfigure RCS to reestablish full functionality.

The fix? A simple reset or refresh of RCS settings in your messaging app like Google Messages or Samsung Messages will usually do the trick. 

We’ll show you how in the next sections.

How to change your RCS number in Google Messages

If you’ve recently changed your SIM card or mobile number, RCS in Google Messages may not update automatically. Since RCS is tied to both your number and device, resetting it ensures your messages are sent from the correct identity and prevents delivery issues.

Follow these steps to safely reset RCS and reactivate it with your new number:

1. Open Google Messages: Launch the app and tap your profile icon (top right) → go to Messages settings.
2. Navigate to Chat Features: Tap Chat features and toggle off “Enable chat features”
3. Clear app cache and data: Go to Settings → Apps → Messages → Storage → tap Clear Cache and Clear Data. Repeat this for Carrier Services
4. Re-insert SIM or update number: If you’ve just switched SIMs, remove and reinsert the new one. If your number changed via porting, give it a moment to register
5. Re-enable Chat Features: Open Google Messages again → go to Settings → Chat features, and turn chat back on
6. Wait for RCS to verify: It may take a few minutes to show as “Connected.” You’ll now be messaging from your new number

Once reactivated, your new number should be fully synced with RCS, allowing messages, read receipts, and media delivery to resume normally.

How to change your RCS number in Samsung Messages

Samsung Messages supports RCS, but the way it handles number changes can vary,  since some Samsung devices use carrier-provided RCS infrastructure instead of Google’s Jibe platform. This makes proper reactivation even more important when switching SIMs or updating your number.

Follow these steps to reset RCS and ensure your new number is properly registered:

1. Open Samsung Messages: Launch the app and go to Settings → Chat settings (may appear as Chat features on some devices)
2. Turn off Chat Features: Disable RCS by toggling off Chat features
3. Restart your device: This step helps clear any cached number information from your previous SIM
4. Re-insert SIM or update number: If you’ve changed SIMs or updated your mobile number, make sure the correct SIM is active in your phone
5. Re-enable Chat Features: Head back to Messages → Settings → Chat settings, and toggle RCS back on
6. Wait for re-registration: Samsung’s RCS setup may take longer than Google Messages to reactivate, especially if your carrier is managing the RCS backend. Allow up to 24 hours for the new number to register fully

Troubleshooting RCS activation issues

After changing your SIM or phone number, it’s not uncommon for RCS chat to get stuck in a “Verifying” or “Connecting…” state. This can block messages from being sent or received, particularly rich messaging features like read receipts, typing indicators, or group chats.

Before assuming something is broken, try these proven troubleshooting steps:

RCS activation checklist

If RCS chat isn’t working or stuck in “Verifying”:

Toggle Airplane Mode

• Turn Airplane Mode on for 30 seconds, then turn it off.
• This forces a fresh reconnection to your mobile network.

Restart your device

• A full reboot can reset your device’s RCS service status and network configuration.

Clear cache for messages + Carrier services

• Go to: Settings → Apps → Messages → Storage → Clear Cache and Clear Data
• Repeat this for the Carrier Services app as well

Reinstall Google Messages

• Uninstall and reinstall the app to ensure the latest version is running with clean settings.

Wait for carrier activation

Some mobile carriers require up to 24 hours to re-register and verify your number for RCS, like after:

• Porting a number
• Switching SIMs
• Changing plans or carriers

What businesses need to know about RCS numbers

For brands using A2P (Application-to-Person) RCS messaging, number changes work very differently than in personal messaging. Instead of relying on a user’s SIM or mobile number, A2P RCS is built around brand-verified sender identities.

These verified sender IDs ensure your messages are:

• Trusted and recognized by recipients
• Compliant with global messaging regulations
• Delivered reliably across carriers and regions

Key points for businesses to keep in mind:

• Sender identity is verified, not tied to a SIM: In A2P RCS, businesses don’t send messages from a regular phone number. Instead, they use a verified sender ID, such as a business name, logo, and brand colors, that’s provisioned through Google and telco partners.
• Infobip manages identity mapping and updates: When your brand’s sender ID or backend configuration changes (e.g., during migration or scaling), Infobip ensures those changes are validated and synced across all carrier networks. This prevents message disruptions or delivery mismatches.
• A centralized platform avoids errors and delays: Infobip’s infrastructure handles sender verification, message routing, fallback logic, and analytics, all from one place. This reduces dependency on fragmented systems or manual setups.
• Fallback logic ensures your message is delivered: If a recipient’s device or network doesn’t support RCS, Infobip automatically reroutes the message via SMS, WhatsApp, or Viber, preserving continuity and reach.

RCS messaging that just works, even when numbers change

Changing your phone number shouldn’t mean losing access to advanced messaging features. But with RCS tightly linked to SIM identity and carrier configuration, reactivation issues can happen fast across different apps, networks, or devices.

That’s why, for businesses, Infobip eliminates the guesswork.

Whether you’re sending verified A2P RCS messages, switching sender configurations, or managing large-scale campaigns, Infobip ensures:

• Correct sender identity mapping every time
• Reliable delivery across RCS, SMS, and OTT channels
• Automated fallback when chat services aren’t available
• Compliance-ready infrastructure with full message traceability

We help you scale rich messaging without worrying about the backend.

Ready to simplify RCS delivery? Start sending verified RCS messages with Infobip or talk to an expert about setting up your sender identity.

FAQs about changing your RCS number