Link to Windows error: Resend as RCS message

Question

Link to Windows error: Resend as RCS message

Mike Williams 5

I have Phone Link on Windows 11 and Link to Windows on a Pixel 10a with dual Sims. It used to work, but something changed and now when I send a message on the desktop, on the phone it says "Not Sent. Check Options [link]." Check OPtions leads to a choice of "Resend as RCS message" -- which seems impossible on the desktop -- and Delete, which doesn't help. What's happening, and how can I get it back the way it was?

Mike Williams 5 Reputation points

2026-08-13T12:36:06.1166667+00:00

It seems that RCS is only a Samsung thing, and L2W won't use it, and my Pixel doesn't either. Why is it asking me to Resend as RCS?

2 answers

Your answer

Mike Williams 5 Reputation points

2026-08-13T12:36:06.1166667+00:00

It seems that RCS is only a Samsung thing, and L2W won't use it, and my Pixel doesn't either. Why is it asking me to Resend as RCS?

Answer 1

Thomas4-N 23,265 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello Mike Williams,

The message is likely related to the dual-SIM selection rather than a general Phone Link connection problem.

Phone Link supports SMS and MMS on Android, but its RCS integration is limited to select Samsung devices. Your Pixel can use RCS through Google Messages, but Phone Link cannot resend the failed message as RCS through that integration.

Try this:

On the Pixel, open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs and set one SIM as the default for text messages.
Open Google Messages, open the affected conversation, select Details, and confirm it uses the intended SIM.
Open Link to Windows on the phone, then retry sending from Phone Link. If the phone asks which SIM to use, select the intended one.
If it still fails, temporarily disable the second SIM and test again.

If sending works with one SIM enabled, this confirms the issue is the dual-SIM routing rather than the Phone Link connection.

Mike Williams 5 Reputation points

2026-08-16T15:54:00.7833333+00:00

This could be helpful, I'll try it.
Is there a way to disable RCS on the Pixel 10a?
Mike Williams 5 Reputation points

2026-08-16T16:06:04.3166667+00:00

This could be helpful, I'll try it.
This could be helpful, I'll try it. I'm also going to disable RCS on the Pixel and see how that works.
Thomas4-N 23,265 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-17T14:09:59.9133333+00:00

Hello,

On the Pixel 10a, see if you can open Google Messages, select your profile picture, then choose Messages settings > RCS chats and turn off RCS chats.

After that, try sending another message from Phone Link.
Thomas4-N 23,265 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-18T10:56:17.12+00:00

Hello Mike Williams,

Just check in to see how things are going. Let me know if you need anything.
Mike Williams 5 Reputation points

2026-08-18T11:13:32.0733333+00:00

I was able to switch everything over to SMS/MMS only, and the problem seems to have cleared up. Not sure what I lost in not having RCS, but it's better than scrambled/lost texts.

Answer 2

This behavior is consistent with an RCS-related mismatch between Phone Link and the phone’s messaging setup.

Supported facts:

Phone Link does not support all RCS features. Typing indicators and read receipts are not supported.
RCS in Phone Link is supported only on select Samsung devices and supported mobile operator networks, and only when Samsung Messages is the default messaging app.
If a third-party app is being used as the primary messaging platform, some or all messages can be missing or not behave as expected.
Delays or sync issues can also happen if the network connection is slow.

Given the Pixel 10a scenario, the practical way to get back to the previous SMS/MMS behavior is to focus on reconnecting Phone Link and removing conditions that interrupt normal message sync:

On the phone, make sure Link to Windows is updated to the latest version.
On the PC, open the Microsoft Store and update Phone Link.
Confirm both devices are signed in with the same Microsoft account.
Check that Battery saver is off on both the PC and phone.
On Android, turn off battery optimization for Link to Windows:
- Settings > Apps & notifications > App info > Link to Windows > Advanced > Battery > Manage Battery Usage > Battery optimization
- Select Link to Windows and choose Don't optimize
- On some devices: Settings > Apps > Link to Windows > Battery > Optimize battery usage > All > Link to Windows > Off
On the PC, make sure Phone Link can run in the background:
- Start > Settings > Privacy > Background apps
- Ensure Phone Link is enabled
On the phone, verify notifications are enabled for Link to Windows and Do not disturb is Off.
If it still fails, unlink and relink the devices:
- On Android: open Link to Windows > tap the Microsoft account under Linked Account > Account Settings > Sign out and unlink account > confirm Unlink
- On PC: open Phone Link > Settings > Devices > Add new device and pair again
If the issue persists after relinking, restart Phone Link on the PC.

What is happening:

The desktop side is likely trying to work through a messaging path that now expects RCS handling on the phone, while Phone Link does not provide full RCS support in this scenario.
Re-establishing the Phone Link connection and ensuring the apps are updated is the supported recovery path in the available guidance.