In late 2023, people running rooted devices or custom ROMs started noticing that RCS chats weren’t quite working right in Google Messages. The situation came to a head last March, when Google outright confirmed it was blocking RCS functionality on modded devices to “prevent spam and abuse.”
But if you weren’t paying close attention to Android news at the time, you may have spent the last year wondering why your RCS messages were failing to send, because the app itself never explained the situation. That finally seems to be changing, based on new code found in Google Messages version 20250730.
In an APK teardown for Android Authority, code sleuth AssembleDebug found a new string suggesting that Google is getting ready to inform people exactly why RCS is failing to connect on devices that fail the Play Integrity check (generally, rooted phones or those with custom firmware installed).
‘Your device does not meet security requirements’
It looks like the message contained in this new string of code will appear in the RCS chats menu in the app’s settings. If your phone is unable to connect because of its Play Integrity status, this menu will finally say “Your device does not meet security requirements.”
<string name="rcs_not_supported_desc_disabled_by_security">Your device does not meet security requirements</string>
This new string was found after an APK teardown two weeks ago revealed that Google is working on a new button for this same settings menu that should soon let you “Learn more” or “Send feedback” about RCS failing to connect on your device. This would show a pop-up with details about the RCS connection, with the goal being to help you troubleshoot problems like this one.
While this isn’t exactly the best news for people running custom ROMs or rooted phones, there are still ways around Google’s Play Integrity check with the help of Magisk modules. But it’s a game of cat and mouse, and the odds are becoming increasingly stacked against the rooted mice out there.
