Google rolls back a buggy update that stopped people from sending texts

An update to the Carrier Services app is reportedly the cause.

Update, December 10 (10:00 am ET): Google has rolled back the buggy Carrier Services update.

What you need to know

• Many Android users are reporting issues with SMS messages.
• Some are unable to send or receive messages entirely, while others report long delays when texting.
• Google’s Carrier Services app is seemingly to blame.

Many Android users have reported facing SMS issues over the last couple of days. From Reddit to OnePlus’ support forums to the Google Play Store, a number of users, with phones from a variety of Android manufacturers, are experiencing either long delays while texting or are simply unable to send or receive SMS messages.

The problem’s origins can reportedly be traced back to a November 23 update to Google’s Carrier Services app, which powers a lot of the carrier-related services on your phone. Users experiencing these issues have suggested that deleting the app from your phone may be a temporary fix.

Though, that may not be the best option. While you may have never used the app, Carrier Services is responsible for a number of background tasks, so deleting it may result in other issues. Additionally, it also supports the newest features in the Android Messages app, so its removal could turn features like the new RCS Chat experience off.

While Google has yet to acknowledge the issue, it did update the app with “bug fixes and stability improvements” earlier today. Maybe installing that will fix the issue.

If you’re one of the users experiencing these issues, do let us know in the comments below if the latest update fixes the problem.

Update, December 10 (10:00 am ET) — Google has rolled back the buggy update via the Play Store.

Google has issued an update that reverts the app back to its previous version (via Android Police). Once installed, you should no longer suffer from the messaging issue. You can accelerate the fix by navigating to the “app info” screen and selecting uninstall updates, though it’s probably wiser to wait for the update if you don’t need to send any urgent texts.

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