Public Mobile says some of its customers are having trouble activating RCS (Rich Communication Services) after switching devices or SIMs/eSIMs.
The problems started the day after Apple’s iPhone 17 and iPhone Air launch, with many customers switching to eSIMs as the new devices no longer have physical SIM slots. It also affected some Android users too.
The company confirmed the problem in a statement on Tuesday: “We’re aware that some Public Mobile customers are experiencing issues activating RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging after switching devices or SIMs/eSIMS. Our team is actively investigating this issue with the appropriate partners, and we’re working on a fix.”
RCS is basically the upgrade to regular texting (SMS/MMS). It lets you send higher-quality photos and videos, see when someone is typing, get read receipts, and chat in group threads—kind of like iMessage or WhatsApp, but built into your phone’s default messaging app.
Until the issue is resolved, customers can continue using regular text and picture messaging. “While this issue is being investigated, you can continue to rely on standard SMS and MMS (text and picture messaging), which remain fully functional,” the company said on Tuesday.
Public Mobile added that certain RCS features won’t work in the meantime, but standard services aren’t affected. “Features specific to RCS may not work until the issue is resolved, but your standard messaging services are unaffected.”
The company says it will provide updates through its Community page when more information is available.
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