Quick Answer
A single SMS is 160 characters using standard GSM-7 encoding. If you include emojis or special characters (Unicode), the limit drops to 70 characters per segment.
SMS Character Limits Explained
| Encoding | Single SMS | Per Segment (Concatenated) | Notes |
|---|
| GSM-7 (Standard) | 160 characters | 153 characters | Standard Latin characters, numbers, common symbols |
| Unicode (UCS-2) | 70 characters | 67 characters | Emojis, non-Latin scripts, special characters |
Concatenated (Multi-Part) Messages
When you exceed the single-SMS limit, your message gets split into segments. Each segment reserves a few characters for reassembly headers, which is why concatenated segments hold fewer characters than a standalone SMS. Most carriers support up to 10 segments (1,530 GSM characters or 670 Unicode characters).
Check Your SMS Length
Paste your SMS text into our free word counter tool to see the exact character count. Stay under 160 to keep it in a single segment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many characters in a text message?
A single SMS supports 160 characters using standard GSM-7 encoding, or 70 characters if the message contains emojis or special Unicode characters.
Do emojis change the SMS character limit?
Yes. Any emoji in your message forces Unicode encoding, which drops the limit from 160 to 70 characters per segment. This can significantly increase the number of segments (and cost) for longer messages.
What is an SMS segment?
When a message exceeds the single-SMS limit, it gets split into segments. Each segment is billed separately. Concatenated segments hold 153 characters (GSM-7) or 67 characters (Unicode) due to reassembly headers.
How many SMS segments can a message have?
Most carriers support up to 10 concatenated segments, allowing up to 1,530 GSM characters or 670 Unicode characters in a single message thread.
What triggers Unicode encoding in SMS?
Emojis, non-Latin scripts (Chinese, Arabic, etc.), curly quotes, em dashes, and certain special characters all trigger Unicode encoding.
Where this data comes from
The sources and check dates in this table come from one versioned data file — the place we record every check we make. The rest of this page, and the limits built into our tools, are still separate copies, so when we correct a figure we correct it in each place. This table is how we keep ourselves honest while we do.
We have not verified these figures yet
Every figure on this page was carried across from our own older pages. Not one of them has been checked against the platform’s own documentation, so none of them carries a source or a last-checked date. We would rather show you that plainly than print a date we have not earned.
Still to be checked against: The 3GPP TS 23.038 specification, which defines GSM 7-bit and UCS-2 SMS encoding
| Field |
Limit |
Notes |
Source |
Last checked |
| GSM-7 (Standard) — single SMS |
160 characters |
Standard Latin characters, numbers, common symbols. CHECKED 2026-09-19: the figure is corroborated by telecom vendor documentation (e.g. Twilio's SMS glossary, which explains the underlying 3GPP TS 23.038 / GSM 03.38 standard), but a CPaaS reseller is not GSMA, a carrier, or the standard itself — per this task's own sourcing rule for SMS, that falls short of an acceptable primary source. Left unverified rather than accepting a borderline citation. The actual 3GPP TS 23.038 spec document was not directly accessible in this pass. |
No source recorded |
Not yet verified against the platform’s own documentation |
| GSM-7 (Standard) — per segment when concatenated |
153 characters |
Standard Latin characters, numbers, common symbols (not reached against a compliant primary source in the 2026-09-19 pass — see gsm_7_standard note) |
No source recorded |
Not yet verified against the platform’s own documentation |
| Unicode (UCS-2) — single SMS |
70 characters |
Emojis, non-Latin scripts, special characters (not reached against a compliant primary source in the 2026-09-19 pass — see gsm_7_standard note) |
No source recorded |
Not yet verified against the platform’s own documentation |
| Unicode (UCS-2) — per segment when concatenated |
67 characters |
Emojis, non-Latin scripts, special characters (not reached against a compliant primary source in the 2026-09-19 pass — see gsm_7_standard note) |
No source recorded |
Not yet verified against the platform’s own documentation |
