SMS Character Counter
Count characters for SMS messages with multi-message support
SMS Character Limits
SMS Character Encoding
GSM 7-bit (Standard)
Supports basic Latin characters, numbers, and common symbols. Allows 160 characters per message.
UCS-2 (Unicode)
Supports all characters including emojis, accented letters, and non-Latin scripts. Limited to 70 characters per message.
Concatenated SMS
Long messages are automatically split into multiple parts. Each part has a small header, reducing the character limit slightly.
SMS Character Counter FAQ
Why is my SMS limited to 70 characters instead of 160?
Your message likely contains emojis, accented characters, or non-Latin scripts, which triggers Unicode encoding (UCS-2). This reduces the limit to 70 characters per message.
How much does it cost to send a long SMS?
Long SMS messages are split into multiple parts, and you're charged for each part. A 320-character message would be charged as 3 separate SMS messages.
Will my long SMS arrive as one message?
Yes, most modern phones automatically reassemble multi-part SMS messages. However, older phones might display them as separate messages.
Can I use emojis in SMS messages?
Yes, but emojis trigger Unicode encoding, which reduces your character limit to 70 per message and may increase costs.