SMS message Text message (single segment) character limit
The SMS message text message (single segment) limit is 160 characters.
Check your text against the SMS limit
About the SMS message character limit
A single SMS segment is 160 characters using GSM-7 encoding, which covers standard Latin letters, numbers, and common punctuation. Messages longer than 160 characters are split into multiple segments and may be billed separately.
Tips for writing within the SMS message limit
- Using any non-GSM character (like a curly apostrophe, emoji, or accented letter) switches to UCS-2 encoding, which reduces the per-segment limit from 160 to 70 characters.
- Multi-segment messages (over 160 chars) use 153 characters per segment — 7 characters are reserved for segmentation headers.
- Most modern phones concatenate multi-segment messages seamlessly for the recipient.
- Marketing SMS messages have additional regulatory constraints beyond character limits.
Why character limits exist
Character limits serve different purposes across platforms. On Twitter / X, the 280- character limit encourages concise communication and keeps the timeline scannable. On SMS, the 160-character limit is a technical constraint from the GSM protocol dating back to 1985. For SEO fields like meta descriptions and page titles, limits reflect the physical pixel width of Google's search result snippets — not a character count enforced by Google, but a practical constraint for avoiding truncation.
Need to check character counts across all platforms at once? Use the full character counter →
Frequently asked questions
What is the SMS message text message (single segment) character limit?
The SMS message text message (single segment) limit is 160 characters. Using any non-GSM character (like a curly apostrophe, emoji, or accented letter) switches to UCS-2 encoding, which reduces the per-segment limit from 160 to 70 characters.
Does the SMS message text message (single segment) limit include spaces?
Yes. Spaces count as characters toward the 160-character limit on SMS message, the same as letters and punctuation.
What happens if I exceed the SMS message character limit?
SMS message will prevent you from posting or saving if you exceed the 160-character limit. The character counter in the platform's editor turns red when you approach or hit the limit.
Do emojis count as characters on SMS message?
Yes, emojis count as characters. Most emoji use 1–2 characters of your limit depending on the platform's encoding. Check the live counter above as you type — it shows the exact count as SMS message would see it.