Set up Advanced Messaging

Send high-resolution pictures and longer videos. See when your messages and chats are delivered and read using Rich Communication Services (RCS).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Yes, you can if you’re in our domestic coverage area and have:

An AT&T Wireless^SMaccount with HD Voice (not available for AT&T PREPAID^SM)
An Android smartphone that supports Advanced Messaging¹ (also referred to as Rich Communication Services or RCS)
Advanced Messaging turned on
A smartphone featuring the Messages by Google app that has Enable chat features turned on and a Connected status
Up-to-date software installed on your smartphone

You can use RCS outside our network coverage area with Wi-Fi data if Wi-Fi Calling is enabled.

Heads up: If you’ve blocked your line’s text messages or data, Advanced Messaging won’t work. Be sure to turn off any text or data blocks to use this feature. Bringing your own device (BYOD)? Find out if you can use Advanced Messaging (PDF, 647KB)

The feature is ON by default.
Open the default messaging app on your eligible AT&T smartphone and tap Menu, then Settings.
Choose Advanced Messaging and tap On or Off. If you’re using the Messages by Google app, you can enable or disable chat features.
- Tap On to send read receipts.
- Tap Off if you don’t want to send read receipts.
Start sending and receiving messages and files.

Good to know: Everyone in your conversation must use RCS eligible Android smartphones with Advanced Messaging or Chat Features turned on. We started to feature Messages by Google as the default messaging app on new Android^® smartphones with Android 12 OS and above that launched on or after February 25, 2022.

Want more help? Try our device tutorials.

Advanced Messaging vs. traditional messaging

Our Advanced Messaging experience, Rich Communication Services (RCS), offers features like read and delivery receipts, is typing notifications, large file transfers, and group chats. Advanced Messaging RCS is available for a growing list of popular smartphones. Look for more phones to be added in the future.

Advanced Messaging RCS varies by smartphone and software version.

Feature	Text messaging	Advanced Messaging RCS
Delivery receipts		Yes
Read receipts		Yes
Typing notifications		Yes
File sharing up to 1MB	Yes
File sharing > 1MB		Yes
Group message up to 20 contacts	Yes
Group chat up to 100 contacts		Yes
Open group chat (others can leave or be added to the same thread)		Yes

When you upgrade from a current Advanced Messaging RCS smartphone to a new smartphone featuring Messages by Google:

We suggest you use Samsung Smart Switch or other transferring applications to move messages from your current Samsung device to your new one if you don’t choose Copy apps & data during initial device setup. Smart Switch is in the app section in the Samsung folder.
You can copy text, picture, multimedia, and RCS messages from your old Samsung device to your new one.
You should know that AT&T Messages Backup & Sync (AMBS) isn’t compatible with Messages by Google.

Good to know: If you downloaded Messages by Google from Google Play Store on your previous smartphone, you may need to first de-register from Google RCS to accelerate setup with AT&T RCS Advanced Messaging on your new smartphone:

Enter your phone number at Messages by Google’s Disable Chat page.
Open the Messages app, go into Messages settings, then Chat features, and toggle on Enable chat features.

See all important details

Last updated: November 3, 2023

Looking for more info?

Learn about Advanced Messaging billing

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