SMS & Text Message Character Limit (2026 Complete Guide)
The SMS character limit is one of the most technically misunderstood limits in digital communication. Unlike social media platforms where exceeding a limit simply blocks submission, SMS works differently — going over the limit does not stop your message. Instead, it splits your text into multiple segments, each of which may be billed separately.
For personal texting, this is a minor inconvenience. For SMS marketing campaigns sending thousands of messages, exceeding the SMS character limit can double or triple your costs without you realising it.
This guide explains exactly how the SMS character limit works in 2026, why it exists, how different character types affect the limit, and how to write text messages that stay within cost-efficient boundaries.
SMS Character Limits: Quick Reference (2026)
| Message Type | Character Limit |
|---|---|
| Standard SMS (GSM-7) | 160 characters |
| SMS with Unicode / Emoji | 70 characters |
| Concatenated SMS segment (GSM-7) | 153 characters |
| Concatenated SMS segment (Unicode) | 67 characters |
| MMS text | No strict limit (varies by carrier) |
| iMessage | No character limit |
| WhatsApp message | 65,536 characters |
| RCS message | No strict character limit |
What Is the Standard SMS Character Limit?
The standard SMS character limit is 160 characters.
This limit dates back to 1985, when Friedhelm Hillebrand and Bernard Ghillebaert at Deutsche Telekom studied the average length of postcards and telex messages to determine how much text could fit in a single radio transmission packet. They concluded 160 characters was enough for most human communication — and the standard has remained ever since.
A standard SMS uses GSM-7 encoding, which supports the basic Latin alphabet, numbers, and common punctuation. Every character in a standard English text message costs exactly 1 character toward the 160-character limit.
The Unicode SMS Limit: 70 Characters
Here is where most people get caught out.
When a message contains Unicode characters — including emojis, curly quotation marks, accented letters, or characters from non-Latin alphabets — the encoding switches from GSM-7 to UCS-2.
Under UCS-2 encoding, the SMS character limit drops to 70 characters.
This means a single emoji in your message cuts the single-message limit from 160 to 70. If your message is 100 characters with one emoji, it will be sent as two SMS segments even though it looks like a short message.
Characters that trigger Unicode encoding
- Emojis (😊, 🔥, ✅, etc.)
- Curly/smart quotes (” ” ‘ ‘)
- Em dash (—) and en dash (–)
- Accented characters not in GSM-7 (ñ, ü, ç — some are in GSM-7, some are not)
- Non-Latin scripts (Arabic, Chinese, Korean, etc.)
Important for SMS marketing: If your marketing platform automatically adds “smart quotes” to your message template, your entire campaign may be sending as Unicode — doubling your segment count and cost without warning.
How SMS Segments Work
When a message exceeds the character limit, it does not get blocked. It gets split into concatenated segments that the recipient’s phone reassembles into one message.
However, each segment in a concatenated SMS requires a header that takes up 7 characters. This means:
| Encoding | Single SMS | Each additional segment |
|---|---|---|
| GSM-7 | 160 characters | 153 characters |
| Unicode | 70 characters | 67 characters |
Example
You write a 200-character English SMS:
- Segment 1: 153 characters
- Segment 2: 47 characters
- Total: 2 SMS messages sent and billed
You write a 200-character SMS with one emoji:
- Encoding switches to Unicode (70 chars per segment, 67 per additional)
- Segment 1: 67 characters
- Segment 2: 67 characters
- Segment 3: 66 characters
- Total: 3 SMS messages sent and billed
The same 200-character message with one emoji costs 50% more to send than without it.
SMS vs MMS Character Limits
SMS (Short Message Service)
- Text only
- 160 characters (GSM-7) or 70 characters (Unicode) per segment
- Billed per segment by carriers
MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)
- Supports images, audio, video, and text
- No strict character limit for the text portion (varies by carrier, typically up to 1,600 characters)
- Carriers typically charge a flat MMS rate (usually higher than a single SMS but lower than multiple segments)
If your message is longer than 160 characters, sending it as an MMS with a small image can sometimes be more cost-effective than sending a multi-segment SMS.
SMS Limits for Marketing Campaigns
For SMS marketing, understanding the SMS character limit is directly tied to campaign costs. Here are the key rules:
1. Keep marketing messages under 160 characters This ensures a single segment, lowest cost, and fastest delivery.
2. Avoid emojis in high-volume campaigns unless budgeted for Each emoji switches encoding and can double or triple segment count.
3. Watch for smart quotes in your templates Copy-pasted text from Word or Google Docs often includes smart quotes that trigger Unicode encoding. Always verify your template uses straight quotes (‘ and “).
4. Always include opt-out text Regulatory requirements in most countries require SMS marketing messages to include opt-out instructions (“Reply STOP to unsubscribe”). This text counts toward your character limit.
5. Use a character counter before setting up templates Paste your message template into a character counter tool before uploading it to your SMS platform. Verify the exact count and check whether any characters trigger Unicode encoding.
Character Limits for Other Messaging Platforms
| Platform | Character Limit |
|---|---|
| Standard SMS | 160 characters |
| iMessage (Apple) | No limit |
| 65,536 characters | |
| Telegram | 4,096 characters |
| Facebook Messenger | 20,000 characters |
| RCS (Rich Communication Services) | No strict limit |
RCS is the next evolution of SMS, supported natively on Android and increasingly on iPhone. It has no strict character limit and supports rich media, read receipts, and typing indicators — without MMS charges.
How to Check Your SMS Character Count
Before sending an important SMS or setting up a marketing template, use a character counter tool to verify:
- Exact character count
- Whether your message exceeds 160 characters
- Whether any characters in your message might trigger Unicode encoding
Use the TextCharacterCounter tool to paste your SMS text and instantly see the character count. This takes seconds and prevents costly multi-segment surprises in campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SMS character limit?
The standard SMS character limit is 160 characters using GSM-7 encoding (standard Latin text). If your message contains emojis or Unicode characters, the limit drops to 70 characters per segment.
What happens when you go over 160 characters in a text?
The message is split into multiple segments. Each additional segment uses 153 characters (GSM-7) or 67 characters (Unicode) due to header overhead. The recipient receives one combined message, but you are billed per segment.
Does an emoji count as 1 character in SMS?
An emoji triggers a switch to Unicode encoding, which reduces the per-segment limit from 160 to 70 characters. The emoji itself counts as 2 characters under Unicode encoding, but the bigger issue is the reduced limit for the entire message.
What is the difference between SMS and MMS character limits?
SMS has a 160-character limit per segment. MMS supports multimedia content with no strict text character limit (typically up to 1,600 characters depending on carrier). MMS is charged at a flat rate rather than per segment.
How do I check if my SMS will be sent as multiple segments?
Paste your message into a character counter tool to check the exact length. Messages over 160 characters (or over 70 characters with emojis) will be sent as multiple segments.