How to add RCS Test Devices

When you're developing and testing an RCS Business Messaging (RBM) agent, it’s necessary to invite testers who can receive messages from your RCS agent before the official launch. Using the RBM console, you can easily add test devices and start testing without carrier approval. This guide walks you through the process of adding test users and what they should expect.

1. Check the RCS Status of the Device

Before adding a device as a tester, it’s important to verify that RCS is enabled on the test device.

Steps to check RCS status:

1. Open the Messages app on the Android device.
2. Navigate to Messages settings.
3. Tap RCS chats (or Chat features if you can’t see "RCS chats").
4. Check the Status:
   • If the status is Connected, RCS is active on the device and you can proceed to add the device as a tester.
   • If the status is Disconnected or Inactive, follow the next steps to enable RCS.

2. Enable RCS on the Device

If RCS is not active on the device, you need to enable it before proceeding.

Steps to enable RCS:

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Navigate to Messages settings.
3. Toggle RCS chats (or Chat features) to ON.

After enabling, the device's status should update to Connected, meaning RCS is ready for testing.

3. Add Test Devices Using the RBM Console

Once RCS is active, you can add the test device through the Business Communications Developer Console. This is done by sending a tester invitation to the RCS-enabled device.

Steps to add test devices:

1. Open the Business Communications Developer Console and sign in using your RBM Google account.
2. Navigate to your agent by selecting it from the agent list.
3. In the left navigation menu, click Devices.
4. In the Add test devices section, enter the phone number of the RCS-enabled device. Include the country code and area code (e.g., +12223334444).
5. Click Add to send the tester invitation.

4. What Happens After Adding a Test Device

Once the test device is added, the user will receive a message inviting them to become a tester of your RCS agent. The message will look like this:

The message includes the agent name and asks the user to confirm their participation as a tester.

User Confirmation:

• If the user taps Make me a tester, they are added as a tester for your agent.
• Once confirmed, your agent can start sending messages, events, and requests to the test device.

5. Managing Test Devices

After you have added test devices, you can manage them from the Devices section in the RBM console. The Test devices list will show the phone number of the test device, the time it was added, and its current status.

You can track the progress of each device and remove testers if needed.