The #1 Problem New Ghost Phone Users Face

You’ve just set up your new privacy-focused Ghost Phone with GrapheneOS, excited about taking control of your digital privacy. But then you notice something odd – some calls come through normally while others seem to disappear into the void. Or maybe some text messages arrive perfectly while others never show up. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

This is the most common issue new Ghost Phone users experience, and it has a simple explanation: your phone number is still partially tied to your old services.

Why This Happens: The Hidden Connections

When you’ve used an iPhone or Android phone for years, your phone number becomes deeply connected to various services that you might not even realize. These connections don’t automatically disappear when you move your SIM card or eSIM to a new device. Let’s break down what’s happening in simple terms:

How Phone Calls Work

When someone calls your number, your mobile carrier routes that call to whatever device has your active SIM card. This usually works seamlessly as long as there aren’t any other services intercepting those calls.

The problem: Services like Google Voice, certain VoIP apps, or call forwarding settings from your previous provider might still be “grabbing” some of your calls before they reach your Ghost Phone.

How Text Messaging Actually Works

Text messaging is even more complicated:

• Regular SMS: These are basic text messages sent through your carrier’s network
• MMS: These are multimedia messages (photos, videos, group texts) also sent through your carrier
• iMessage: Apple’s system that uses data instead of SMS when messaging between Apple devices
• RCS: The newer “Rich Communication Services” that Google has implemented to compete with iMessage

The key issue: If your number is still registered with Apple’s iMessage or Google’s RCS system, messages sent to you from those platforms might never reach your Ghost Phone because they’re being routed through Apple/Google servers instead of your carrier’s SMS network.

What is RCS and Why It Matters

RCS or “Rich Communication Services” is a messaging protocol that provides enhanced features beyond traditional SMS/MMS. It offers:

• Higher quality photos and videos
• Read receipts
• Typing indicators
• Better group chats
• Messages sent over data instead of traditional SMS

As of March 2025, Apple has fully implemented RCS with iOS 18, creating a more unified messaging experience between iPhone and Android users. According to MacRumors, “Apple adopted Rich Communication Services (RCS) with the launch of iOS 18, upgrading messaging standards for non-iMessage conversations.” This means that iPhone users can now send high-quality media and enjoy better group chats with Android users.

When moving to a Ghost Phone with GrapheneOS, your number might still be registered with previous messaging systems. GrapheneOS intentionally limits certain Google services for privacy reasons, which can affect how RCS messages are routed to your device.

A Note About RCS on Your Ghost Phone

While RCS provides enhanced messaging features that make communicating with both iPhone and Android users much better, there’s an important limitation you should be aware of with your Ghost Phone:

The stock GrapheneOS messaging app that comes with your Ghost Phone does not have RCS capabilities.

This is an intentional design choice by GrapheneOS to maintain maximum privacy. To use RCS messaging on your Ghost Phone, you would need to:

• Install Google Messages app
• Install sandboxed Google Play Services
• Potentially install the Carrier Services app
• Grant various permissions to these Google services

While this is technically possible, it represents a significant privacy trade-off that goes against the core reason many people choose a Ghost Phone in the first place.

Our Recommendation

For most Ghost Phone users, we recommend:

• For basic messaging: Use the stock GrapheneOS messaging app or our pre-installed QUIK app for SMS/MMS
• For enhanced messaging: Use Signal or another privacy-focused messaging app for secure communications with contacts who also use that app
• Avoid Google Messages: Only install Google Messages if RCS features are absolutely necessary for your specific use case and you understand the privacy implications

This recommendation balances practical usability with maintaining the privacy benefits that led you to choose a Ghost Phone.

How to Fix These Issues

Step 1: Disconnect from Apple’s iMessage (for former iPhone users)

If you previously used an iPhone, this is critical:

Use Apple’s deregistration tool:

• Visit Apple’s official deregistration page
• Enter your phone number and the confirmation code
• This tells Apple’s servers to stop intercepting your messages

Or deregister directly on your old iPhone (if you still have it):

• Go to Settings > Messages > toggle OFF iMessage
• Then go to Settings > FaceTime > toggle OFF FaceTime
• This ensures all messages come through as SMS/MMS instead of iMessage

Step 2: Disconnect from Google Services (for former Android/Google users)

Remove your number from Google Voice (if you used it):

• Visit Google Voice Settings
• Click on “Linked numbers” and remove your phone number

Disconnect from Google Fi (if applicable):

• Visit Google Fi Account Settings
• Follow the number disconnection process

Deregister from RCS:

• On your old Android phone, open Messages app
• Go to Settings > Chat features > turn OFF “Enable chat features”
• This disconnects your number from Google’s RCS system

Clear RCS cache and data on your old phone:

• Go to Settings > Apps > Google Messages > Storage > Clear Cache and Clear Data
• This helps ensure no lingering RCS connections remain

Step 3: Ensure Proper RCS Setup on New Device (if desired)

With Apple now supporting RCS as of iOS 18, cross-platform messaging has improved. If you want to use RCS on your Ghost Phone:

• Consider using Signal or another privacy-focused messaging app as your primary messaging tool instead of relying on SMS/MMS/RCS
• If you must use RCS, be aware that GrapheneOS limits Google services by design to protect your privacy, which may impact some RCS functionality

Step 3: Check Other Messaging Apps

Review any other messaging apps you previously used that might be intercepting communications:

• WhatsApp
• Signal
• Telegram
• Facebook Messenger
• Any VoIP services or business phone systems

For each app, either deregister your number or ensure call/message forwarding is disabled.

Using Messaging Apps on Your Ghost Phone

One common mistake new Ghost Phone users make is switching between different messaging apps, which can cause confusion and missed messages. Here’s what you need to know:

The QUIK Messaging App vs. Stock Messaging App

Your Ghost Phone comes with two messaging apps:

• The stock GrapheneOS messaging app: Basic but very private
• QUIK messaging app: Pre-installed by MARK37 with more features

Important: Pick ONE messaging app and stick with it! We recommend using QUIK because:

• It offers more customization options
• Better media handling for photos and videos
• More user-friendly interface
• Scheduled messaging features
• Better group messaging capabilities
• Enhanced privacy features with minimal data storage
• End-to-end encryption options

Constantly switching between messaging apps can cause notification issues and missed messages. Set your preferred app as the default and use it exclusively.

RCS and Apple iOS 18 Update

With Apple’s adoption of RCS in iOS 18 (released in 2024), iPhone users can now communicate more effectively with Android users. As described by MacRumors, this means iPhones can now send high-resolution photos and videos to Android phones, including your Ghost Phone.

However, there’s an important limitation with GrapheneOS: The stock GrapheneOS messaging app does not support RCS functionality. To use RCS on a Ghost Phone with GrapheneOS, you would need to install Google Messages and potentially Google Play Services to support it.

This presents a privacy trade-off:

• Using Google Messages with RCS gives you better messaging features but requires installing Google services
• Using the stock GrapheneOS messaging app or QUIK provides better privacy but without RCS capabilities

For most privacy-conscious Ghost Phone users, we recommend:

• Using the stock messaging app or QUIK for basic SMS/MMS messaging
• Using Signal or another privacy-focused messaging app for more secure communications
• Only installing Google Messages if RCS features are absolutely necessary for your needs

Additional Troubleshooting Steps

If you’ve disconnected from all previous services and are still experiencing issues:

• Restart your Ghost Phone: Sometimes a simple restart will refresh connections and fix routing issues
• Contact your carrier: Ask them if there are any call forwarding or messaging services still active on your account
• Check for system updates: Ensure your Ghost Phone is running the latest version of GrapheneOS
• Reset network settings: Go to Settings > System > Reset options > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth
• Check app permissions: Make sure your chosen messaging app has all necessary permissions
• Clear cache on your messaging app: Go to Settings > Apps > [Your Messaging App] > Storage & cache > Clear cache
• Check for carrier-specific settings: Some carriers require specific APN settings or have their own messaging services that need to be configured correctly
• Switch to the primary user profile: If you’re using a secondary user profile on your Ghost Phone, some messaging issues occur only on secondary profiles. Try switching to the primary user to see if messages appear there
• Force stop and restart the messaging app: Sometimes the app itself needs to be reset. Go to Settings > Apps > [Your Messaging App] > Force stop, then reopen the app

When All Else Fails

If you’ve tried everything above and still experiencing issues:

• Email us at support@mark37.com with “Call/Text Routing Issue: Order #[Your Order Number]” in the subject line
• Include which steps you’ve already tried
• We’ll work with you directly to solve the problem

When contacting support, please include:

• Your carrier name
• What specific issues you’re experiencing (missed calls, missing texts, etc.)
• What troubleshooting steps you’ve already tried
• Whether you previously used an iPhone or Android device
• Whether the issue happens with all contacts or just specific ones
• If you’re using any secondary user profiles on your Ghost Phone

User Profile Issues

Some Ghost Phone users may experience messaging issues when using secondary user profiles. GrapheneOS has enhanced security features that can sometimes affect how SMS/MMS messages are received on secondary profiles. If you notice that messages aren’t appearing in your secondary profile:

• Switch to the primary user profile to check if messages appear there
• If messages do appear in the primary profile but not secondary ones, this is a known behavior with GrapheneOS
• Consider using the primary profile for communications or using alternative messaging apps like Signal for more reliable delivery

Patience During the Transition

Remember that moving to a privacy-focused system like GrapheneOS means disconnecting from many conventional systems that made communication “convenient” (but at the cost of your privacy). Some minor inconveniences during this transition period are normal as you break free from Big Tech’s ecosystem.

The good news is that once you’ve properly disconnected from these services, your communications will be more private and secure than ever before – which is why you chose a Ghost Phone in the first place!

Need More Help?

Visit our complete Ghost Phone Guide for additional resources; -or- here for more Ghost Phone troubleshooting steps, -or- reach out to our support team for personalized assistance.

At MARK37, we’re committed to helping you achieve digital privacy without technical headaches. If this guide helped you, please share it with others who might benefit from taking control of their digital lives.