Google is investigating an issue that some Android devices are encountering when trying to use RCS messaging. According to Reddit threads and Android-focused websites, some people switching to new devices, most commonly smartphones from Samsung, or who are switching carriers, are encountering error code 3100, a connection error, when using Google Messages.
“We’re aware of this issue and are working with our carrier partners to get it fixed as soon as possible,” a Google spokesperson said in an email to CNET.
A spokesperson for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Several Reddit posts point to issues accessing messaging for people who have purchased new phones like Samsung’s Galaxy S26 or Galaxy Z Fold. The problem may also be affecting people who used Samsung’s Smart Switch feature, according to an expert from Google’s help community on the Google Messages subreddit.
Workarounds for solving the issue range from the elaborate, like a six-step plan that includes turning off two-step verification and removing Google Play Services updates, to a trick using a VPN to connect to another country before trying RCS again. Others have suggested a factory reset or, if dealing with the issue in hindsight isn’t the problem, turning off RCS messaging before migrating to a new Android device or switching carriers.
The rise of RCS
For years, Google championed RCS as a messaging standard to succeed SMS, which it hoped Apple would adopt, something that eventually happened in 2024. The protocol, which stands for Rich Communication Services, allows people with Android and iOS phones to message each other in ways that bridge the gap between the two different operating systems.
Later in 2024, Samsung formally partnered with Google to ensure RCS worked well on Samsung devices running Android. But Samsung discontinued its Samsung Messages app, which went dark in July. The hardware maker encouraged its customers to switch over to Google’s Messages app.
This summer, Apple and Google began to add end-to-end encryption to their RCS services.