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Google’s Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging has stopped functioning for Kenyan Android phone users across all three of the country’s main mobile networks, effectively returning users to paid Short Message Service (SMS) and other online messaging options. RCS is activated via Google Messages, the default messaging app on most Android devices. This feature enables users to send messages over mobile data or Wi-Fi, similar to internet-based platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. It is designed to be Android’s equivalent of Apple’s iMessage, and when active, it supports high-resolution photo and video sharing, typing indicators, read receipts, and longer messages without character limits. However, in recent weeks, users on Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom networks have reported that they can no longer send RCS messages, with the settings page in Google Messages showing a notification stating “RCS chats are supported by your operator.” Messages can now only be sent as standard SMS or MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), which require airtime or SMS bundles. It remains unclear how widespread this disruption is, but customers of different network providers in other African markets, including Zambia, Tunisia, and Algeria, have also reported receiving similar error messages on social media. On its website, Google advises users who see the message “RCS chats are disabled by your carrier” to contact their mobile operator. However, customers who have reached out to some telecom companies have been directed back to Google. For example, Safaricom acknowledged the issue and informed a customer that the disruption originated from Google’s systems and that users could either wait for the service to restore itself or contact the US tech company directly. “There was an issue from the Google end, so you can either wait for services to self-restore, or contact them for further assistance,” the telco stated on its X account in November 2025. The feature has not resumed working since. When contacted about the matter, a Safaricom spokesperson told the Business Daily: “It is not our service; it is Google’s. They disabled it for other networks’ users in several other markets, not just Kenya.” Airtel and Telkom did not respond to requests for comment. Industry analysts suggest that Google may have reduced support for its Jibe platform, the cloud-based infrastructure that powers RCS functionality on Android. Google acquired Jibe in 2015 to help carriers provide advanced messaging features without building their own RCS systems. Jibe allows cross-network RCS messaging even where telecom operators lack their own backend infrastructure. If Google has withdrawn support for the platform in certain markets, mobile operators would need to deploy and maintain their own RCS systems, an investment some may be unwilling to make. Read: Rich Communication Services: The telco networks’ second wind “Google owns the RCS platform, and they are most likely the ones who stopped support. Network operators can only facilitate connectivity,” said Joseph Khago, an IT specialist based in Nairobi, in an interview. Mr. Khago added that differences in international subsea cable infrastructure could explain why the feature may still work in some African markets and not others. Google did not respond to requests for comment. Analysts say that in markets like Kenya, where SMS is still a paid product, operators may have little incentive to support RCS because it directly affects their messaging revenues, which are already declining due to the rise of online messaging channels. Safaricom dominates Kenya’s SMS market, accounting for 91.08 percent of total traffic as of September 2025, compared with Airtel’s 8.87 percent and Telkom’s 0.03 percent, according to data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). The RCS feature disruption comes at a time when traditional SMS usage and revenues are already in decline. CA data shows that the average number of SMS messages sent per subscriber fell to 62.4 per month in the three months to September 2025, down from 66.3 in the previous quarter and 65.9 in the three months to December 2024. Safaricom itself reported a 10.9 percent drop in SMS revenue to Sh5.5 billion in its half-year results for the six months to September 2025. The company cited increased smartphone adoption and the rapid growth of internet-based messaging platforms. At the same time, Android devices account for the vast majority of smartphones in Kenya. With RCS now unavailable, experts say this pushes Android users further towards third-party messaging apps, further accelerating the shift away from traditional telecom messaging services. Google’s operating system powers about 94 percent of smartphones in the country, according to estimates by US cybersecurity firm Cloudflare. Apple’s iPhones account for just 5.8 percent of mobile connectivity traffic. → dmusau@ke.nationmedia.com Follow our WhatsApp channel for the latest business and markets updates. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.Syndigate.info).