Samsung text messages not sending? 9 fixes that work

Why do text messages fail on a Samsung phone?

A text can fail for a simple reason, such as no signal, or a deeper one, such as a stuck RCS connection. Your Galaxy sends three kinds of messages: SMS (plain text), MMS (pictures, videos and group texts) and RCS (chat features over data). Each uses a different route. A phone with full bars can still fail on picture messages if mobile data is off, or fail on RCS if the chat service is not connected. Knowing which kind fails points you to the right fix.

Which kind of message is failing?

• Plain text fails: check signal, the number format, a blocked contact and the SIM.
• Picture or group text fails: turn on mobile data and check the APN, since MMS needs it.
• Chat features fail (typing dots, read receipts): check RCS and your data connection.
• Only one person fails: check blocking, their number and delete the thread.

Default messaging app and RCS

On most Galaxy phones in the US, Google Messages is the default app, and Samsung Messages may be available too. Open the app you use, tap your profile picture (or the three dots), then Settings › RCS chats (or Chat settings in Samsung Messages). If it says Connecting or Setting up, turn RCS chats off, wait a minute and turn it on again. Make sure only one messaging app is set as default under Settings › Apps › Choose default apps › SMS app. Two competing apps can cause missed or failed texts.

Number format, contacts and blocked numbers

A wrong number format is a surprisingly common cause. Check that the contact has the right digits and a country code if needed. If you are sending to a short code or a shared number, check that your plan allows it. Open the Messages settings and look at blocked numbers and spam protection. A number you blocked will not receive texts from you. Also try typing the number by hand rather than choosing a saved contact, in case the contact has an old number.

Mobile data, APN and picture messages

MMS needs mobile data even when you are on Wi-Fi, so turn mobile data on in Quick Settings. Then go to Settings › Connections › Mobile networks › Access point names and choose the default for your carrier. If you recently changed carriers or phones, the APN may be wrong. Use the option to reset to default if you see one. Also check that Data saver or Data usage limits are not blocking the Messages app in the background.

Storage, cache and app updates

A full phone can stop texts from sending. Check Settings › Battery and device care › Storage. Then clear the cache for the messages app in Settings › Apps › Messages › Storage › Clear cache. If it keeps failing, clear storage too, but only after you back up your texts, since that deletes your stored conversations in some cases. Update the app in the Play Store or Galaxy Store and install the latest software update.

SIM, carrier and the message center number

Remove and reinsert the SIM, or try it in another phone to test it. Ask your carrier to confirm that your plan includes texting, that your account is in good standing and that the message center number is right. Most modern networks set it automatically. Also check whether your carrier has an outage. If you see a Not registered on network message, see a Not registered on network error.

Reset network settings as a last step

Go to Settings › General management › Reset › Reset network settings. It clears Wi-Fi passwords, Bluetooth pairings and mobile settings, but keeps your messages. Restart the phone and send a test text to a friend. If it still fails, ask your carrier for a new SIM and, if you rely on texts for banking or two-factor codes, take it seriously and fix it quickly. Missing codes can lock you out of important accounts.

Size limits for pictures, videos and long messages

Picture and video messages have a size limit that depends on your carrier, and a clip that is too large will fail with no clear reason. If a video will not send by text, share it with a link from Google Photos or Samsung Cloud, or send it through an app. Long text messages are usually split into parts and rejoined by the other phone, which can fail on a weak signal. Try sending a short message first. If a short message works and a picture does not, the problem is almost always mobile data or the APN.

Roaming, travel and Wi-Fi calling

When you travel, check that your plan allows texting abroad, and that data roaming is on if you need MMS. On many plans, texts to and from US numbers may work, but picture messages need roaming. If you are in a place with no signal but have Wi-Fi, turn on Wi-Fi calling in Settings › Connections, which also lets texts go through. If you use a travel SIM or an eSIM, choose the right line for messages in the SIM manager.

Switch between Google Messages and Samsung Messages

If one app keeps failing, switch to the other. Open Settings › Apps › Choose default apps › SMS app and pick the one you want. Your old messages stay in the app where they were received, and some are shared between them. Check that the new app has permission for SMS, Phone and Contacts in Settings › Apps › [app] › Permissions. Do not keep a third app that blocks or filters texts, such as a spam blocker, since these can stop your outgoing messages too.

Safe mode and software conflicts

Restart the phone in Safe mode (hold the power button, then press and hold Power off and tap the check mark). In Safe mode, only built-in apps run. If texts send, a downloaded app is interfering, often a call blocker, a battery saver or a second messaging app. Restart normally, then remove recent apps one at a time and test after each. If texts fail even in Safe mode, the cause is the SIM, the network or the phone's software.

What to do while you wait for a fix

If you must get a message through now, send it a different way. Use WhatsApp, Telegram or email, or call the person. For one-time codes, ask the company to send the code by email or voice call. Once your texts work again, send one to a friend as a test, then check that picture messages also work.

Texting iPhone users

Texts to an iPhone arrive as SMS, MMS or RCS, depending on versions. If your messages to iPhone users fail, check that RCS is on, and ask the person whether they have blocked you or set filters. To see how the other side may be failing, read about texts failing on iPhone and about missing texts from iPhone users.

Check the message center number

Text messages need a correct SMSC number from your carrier. A wrong one after a SIM change stops SMS from sending. Your carrier can confirm the right number and push it to your phone.