diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ConnViaViewLayout.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ConnViaViewLayout.java
index 7b87a59dd..a13914d12 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ConnViaViewLayout.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/ConnViaViewLayout.java
@@ -20,11 +20,12 @@
 
 package org.eehouse.android.xw4;
 
+import android.app.Activity;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.util.AttributeSet;
 import android.widget.CheckBox;
-import android.widget.CompoundButton;
 import android.widget.CompoundButton.OnCheckedChangeListener;
+import android.widget.CompoundButton;
 import android.widget.LinearLayout;
 
 import junit.framework.Assert;
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ public class ConnViaViewLayout extends LinearLayout {
     private static final String TAG = ConnViaViewLayout.class.getSimpleName();
     private CommsConnTypeSet m_curSet;
     private DlgDelegate.HasDlgDelegate m_dlgDlgt;
+    private Activity m_activity;
 
     public interface CheckEnabledWarner {
         public void warnDisabled( CommsConnType typ );
@@ -52,6 +54,8 @@ public class ConnViaViewLayout extends LinearLayout {
         super( context, as );
     }
 
+    public void setActivity( Activity activity ) { m_activity = activity; }
+
     protected void configure( CommsConnTypeSet types,
                               CheckEnabledWarner cew,
                               SetEmptyWarner sew,
@@ -72,6 +76,21 @@ public class ConnViaViewLayout extends LinearLayout {
     }
 
     private void addConnections()
+    {
+
+        // We need SMS and PHONE permission to check if we can support SMS. So
+        // ask for it here. When we get what we're getting, proceed to
+        // actually check for what's supported. Those methods will return
+        // false if they don't have the permission they need.
+        Perms23.doWithPermission( m_activity, Perms23.Perm.READ_PHONE_STATE,
+                                  new Perms23.PermCbck() {
+                                      public void onPermissionResult( Perms23.Perm perm, boolean granted ) {
+                                          addConnectionsPostPermCheck();
+                                      }
+                                  } );
+    }
+
+    private void addConnectionsPostPermCheck()
     {
         LinearLayout list = (LinearLayout)findViewById( R.id.conn_types );
         list.removeAllViews();  // in case being reused
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameConfigDelegate.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameConfigDelegate.java
index 90b2bf84c..d6cc77cfc 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameConfigDelegate.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameConfigDelegate.java
@@ -288,6 +288,7 @@ public class GameConfigDelegate extends DelegateBase
                 LinearLayout layout = (LinearLayout)inflate( R.layout.conn_types_display );
                 final ConnViaViewLayout items = (ConnViaViewLayout)
                     layout.findViewById( R.id.conn_types );
+                items.setActivity( m_activity );
                 final CheckBox cb = (CheckBox)layout
                     .findViewById(R.id.default_check);
                 cb.setVisibility( View.VISIBLE );
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Utils.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Utils.java
index 9514555e5..c3fc76163 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Utils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/Utils.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class Utils {
 
     private static Boolean s_isFirstBootThisVersion = null;
     private static Boolean s_firstVersion = null;
-    private static Boolean s_deviceSupportSMS = null;
+    // private static Boolean s_deviceSupportSMS = null;
     private static Boolean s_isFirstBootEver = null;
     private static Integer s_appVersion = null;
     private static HashMap<String,String> s_phonesHash =
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ public class Utils {
             SMSService.SMSPhoneInfo info = SMSService.getPhoneInfo( context );
             result = info.isPhone && info.isGSM;
         }
+        DbgUtils.logd( TAG, "isGSMPhone() => %b", result );
         return result;
     }
 
@@ -122,18 +123,19 @@ public class Utils {
     // that's not allowed except on GSM phones.)
     public static boolean deviceSupportsSMS( Context context )
     {
-        if ( null == s_deviceSupportSMS ) {
+        boolean result = false;
+        if ( Perms23.havePermission( Perms23.Perm.READ_PHONE_STATE ) ) {
             TelephonyManager tm = (TelephonyManager)
                 context.getSystemService( Context.TELEPHONY_SERVICE );
-            boolean doesSMS = null != tm;
-            s_deviceSupportSMS = new Boolean( doesSMS );
+            result = null != tm;
         }
-        return s_deviceSupportSMS;
+        DbgUtils.logd( TAG, "deviceSupportsSMS() => %b", result );
+        return result;
     }
 
     public static void smsSupportChanged()
     {
-        s_deviceSupportSMS = null; // force to check again
+        // s_deviceSupportSMS = null; // force to check again
     }
 
     public static void notImpl( Context context )
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/CommsAddrRec.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/CommsAddrRec.java
index 87e39c04f..a030d819e 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/CommsAddrRec.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/CommsAddrRec.java
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ public class CommsAddrRec {
 
     public static class CommsConnTypeSet extends HashSet<CommsConnType> {
         private static final int BIT_VECTOR_MASK = 0x8000;
-        private static CommsConnTypeSet s_supported;
 
         public CommsConnTypeSet() { this(BIT_VECTOR_MASK); }
 
@@ -116,21 +115,18 @@ public class CommsAddrRec {
 
         public static CommsConnTypeSet getSupported( Context context )
         {
-            if ( null == s_supported ) {
-                CommsConnTypeSet supported = new CommsConnTypeSet();
-                supported.add( CommsConnType.COMMS_CONN_RELAY );
-                if ( BTService.BTAvailable() ) {
-                    supported.add( CommsConnType.COMMS_CONN_BT );
-                }
-                if ( Utils.isGSMPhone( context ) ) {
-                    supported.add( CommsConnType.COMMS_CONN_SMS );
-                }
-                if ( WiDirService.supported() ) {
-                    supported.add( CommsConnType.COMMS_CONN_P2P );
-                }
-                s_supported = supported;
+            CommsConnTypeSet supported = new CommsConnTypeSet();
+            supported.add( CommsConnType.COMMS_CONN_RELAY );
+            if ( BTService.BTAvailable() ) {
+                supported.add( CommsConnType.COMMS_CONN_BT );
             }
-            return s_supported;
+            if ( Utils.isGSMPhone( context ) ) {
+                supported.add( CommsConnType.COMMS_CONN_SMS );
+            }
+            if ( WiDirService.supported() ) {
+                supported.add( CommsConnType.COMMS_CONN_P2P );
+            }
+            return supported;
         }
 
         public static void removeUnsupported( Context context,