Overview
Understanding SMS character limits helps you keep your messages concise and manage your SMS credit usage effectively.
Standard SMS Length
A standard SMS is 160 characters in length.
You can send longer messages using a process called concatenation. Special characters are used to join the SMS together and deliver them as one message to your client.
Each SMS part is charged separately.
Due to the characters used to join messages, after the first part, all subsequent parts are reduced to 153 characters.
| Parts | Character Limit |
|---|---|
| 1 SMS | 160 characters |
| 2 SMS | 306 characters (160 + 146) |
| 3 SMS | 459 characters (160 + 146 + 153) |
| 4 SMS | 612 characters (160 + 146 + 153 + 153) |
Example: If you have a message that is 2 SMS in length and you send it to 500 clients, you will be charged for 1,000 SMS credits.
Escape Characters
Certain characters take up 2 character spaces instead of 1. These are called escape characters:
| ^ { } [ ] ~ \ €
If your message contains these characters, the effective length of your SMS will be shorter.
Unicode Characters
Unicode characters include emojis, special symbols, and characters from non-Latin alphabets. When a message contains any unicode character, the entire message switches to unicode encoding.
A unicode SMS is limited to 70 characters per part (instead of 160), and concatenated parts are limited to 67 characters each.
| Parts | Standard SMS | Unicode SMS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 SMS | 160 characters | 70 characters |
| 2 SMS | 306 characters | 134 characters |
| 3 SMS | 459 characters | 201 characters |
Tip: A single emoji or special character will convert your entire message to unicode, significantly reducing the available characters. If you want to maximise your message length, stick to standard characters.
Common Unicode Characters to Watch For
- Emojis (e.g. smiley faces, thumbs up)
- Smart quotes or curly quotes (often auto-inserted by word processors)
- Non-Latin characters (e.g. Chinese, Arabic, Cyrillic)
- Special currency symbols beyond standard $ and pound
Tip: If you're copying text from a word processor, watch out for smart quotes being pasted in. These are unicode characters and will reduce your message length.