What Is a Text Message? SMS, MMS and RCS Explained
By Free SMS Gateway teamUpdated 7 min read
A text message is a short message delivered to a mobile phone number over the carrier network, usually as an SMS (Short Message Service). One SMS holds 160 characters, or 70 if it contains Unicode characters such as emoji. SMS needs no app and no internet connection, only carrier signal, and reaches virtually any mobile phone.
What Is a Text Message?
A text message is a short written message addressed to a phone number and delivered through the mobile carrier network. In everyday speech, "text" and "SMS" mean the same thing. The full form of SMS is Short Message Service, and the SMS meaning explained guide covers the term in more detail.
You write the text in your phone's messaging app, send it to a number, and the carrier routes it to the recipient's phone. The two people do not need the same app.
SMS vs MMS
SMS carries text only, within the size limit covered below. MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) extends it to media such as photos, audio and video. When you attach a picture to a text, your phone typically sends it as an MMS. MMS support depends on your carrier, plan and device.
Is a text message the same as a chat message?
Not quite. A text message is addressed to a phone number and delivered by the carrier. A chat message belongs to an app such as WhatsApp or iMessage, which delivers it through its own service. Many people call both "texting", which is where the confusion starts.
Is a Text Message the Same as SMS or a Messaging App?
A text message is usually an SMS, but it is not the same thing as a message sent in a messaging app. "Text message" describes the everyday act, SMS is the technology behind it, and apps like WhatsApp and iMessage are separate services.
Texting (SMS/MMS) vs iMessage/WhatsApp
Texting means SMS or MMS: you address a phone number and the carrier delivers the message. iMessage and WhatsApp are apps with their own accounts, so both people need to use that service. SMS needs nothing installed on either phone. The SMS vs WhatsApp comparison sets the two side by side.
Why bubble colors differ by app, not by "text message" meaning
Bubble color shows which service carried a message, not whether it counts as a text. On an iPhone, Apple's shorthand is blue = iMessage; green = RCS or SMS/MMS (Apple Support). A green bubble is still a text message, and a blue one went through Apple's iMessage service.
RCS is texting in your phone's default messaging app that falls back to SMS when RCS isn't available. That fallback is why a green bubble can be either RCS or SMS. Our guide to how RCS texting works has the details.
How Long Can a Text Message Be?
One SMS holds 140 bytes, which is 160 characters in the GSM-7 alphabet or 70 characters in Unicode, as set out in 3GPP TS 23.038 and TS 23.040. This is the number behind every question about SMS character counts and the character limit for SMS messages.
| Alphabet | Characters in one SMS | Characters per part when split |
|---|---|---|
| GSM-7 | 160 | 153 |
| Unicode (UCS-2) | 70 | 67 |
160 characters vs 70 Unicode characters
GSM-7 is the default SMS alphabet. It covers basic Latin letters, digits and common punctuation, and fits 160 characters in 140 bytes. Unicode uses more bytes per character, so the same 140 bytes hold 70.
Any Urdu letter, emoji or curly "smart" punctuation switches the whole message to Unicode, not just that character. That is how the 70-character limit catches people out. A 100-character plain English message is one SMS. Swap one straight apostrophe for a curly one and the whole message becomes Unicode, which no longer fits in 70, so it goes out in two parts.
What happens when a text goes over the limit (concatenated SMS)
A message too long for one SMS is split into parts and sent as a concatenated SMS. Each part carries a header that lets the receiving phone put the parts back in order. The header uses part of the 140 bytes, so each part holds 153 GSM-7 or 67 Unicode characters instead of 160 or 70.
A 320-character plain-text message, for example, needs three parts: 153, 153 and 14 characters. Check how your provider counts parts, because it can affect what you pay. The full guide to SMS character limits covers the limits in more depth.
When Was the First Text Message Sent?
The first text message was sent on 3 December 1992.
The first SMS ever sent (1992)
Neil Papworth, a 22-year-old software programmer, sent "Merry Christmas" from a computer to his colleague Richard Jarvis, according to Vodafone's account of the first text message.
Can You Send a Text Message Online?
Yes. You can send an SMS from a web page, app or software instead of typing it on a phone, using an online SMS service.
What "online SMS" means
Online SMS means the message starts on a website, an app or an API connected to an SMS provider rather than on a handset. The provider hands it to the carrier network, and the recipient receives it as an ordinary text. Tools that do this are often called online SMS senders. Online SMS explained covers the details.
Checking your message length before you send
The same limits apply whether you send from a phone or a web tool, so check the length first. The SMS character counter tool shows whether your message fits in a single SMS, and which character switched it to Unicode. Replace that character with a plain equivalent and the message can drop back to the 160-character limit.
Check your message length before you send it
What does SMS stand for?
SMS stands for Short Message Service. It is the standard behind plain text messages sent between phone numbers, and one SMS holds 160 GSM-7 characters or 70 Unicode characters.
Is a text message the same thing as an SMS?
In everyday use, yes: a text message is usually an SMS. It can also be an MMS when it carries media such as a photo, or an RCS message that falls back to SMS when RCS isn't available.
How many characters can one text message hold?
One SMS holds 140 bytes, which is 160 characters in the GSM-7 alphabet or 70 characters in Unicode. An Urdu letter, an emoji or curly punctuation switches the whole message to Unicode and the 70-character limit.
Why do some texts split into multiple messages?
A text that exceeds one SMS is split into parts, called a concatenated SMS. Each part carries a header, so it holds 153 GSM-7 or 67 Unicode characters instead of 160 or 70. A single emoji can push a message into Unicode and split it sooner.
What's the difference between texting and messaging apps like WhatsApp?
Texting uses SMS or MMS, addressed to a phone number. SMS needs no app and no internet connection, only carrier signal, and reaches virtually any mobile phone. Apps like WhatsApp and iMessage run on their own services, so both people need to use the same service.
Can I check how many characters my message uses before sending it?
Yes. The FreeSMSGateway SMS character counter tool shows whether your message fits in a single SMS and which character switched it to Unicode. Check it there, then edit the text before you send.
Sources
Vodafone, the first text message (last checked 2026-11-12)
3GPP TS 23.038, alphabets and language-specific information (last checked 2026-10-03)
3GPP TS 23.040, technical realization of the Short Message Service (last checked 2026-10-03)
Apple Support (last checked 2026-11-12)
Frequently asked questions
What does SMS stand for?
SMS stands for Short Message Service. It is the standard behind plain text messages sent between phone numbers, and one SMS holds 160 GSM-7 characters or 70 Unicode characters.
Is a text message the same thing as an SMS?
In everyday use, yes: a text message is usually an SMS. It can also be an MMS when it carries media such as a photo, or an RCS message that falls back to SMS when RCS isn't available.
How many characters can one text message hold?
One SMS holds 140 bytes, which is 160 characters in the GSM-7 alphabet or 70 characters in Unicode. An Urdu letter, an emoji or curly punctuation switches the whole message to Unicode and the 70-character limit.
Why do some texts split into multiple messages?
A text that exceeds one SMS is split into parts, called a concatenated SMS. Each part carries a header, so it holds 153 GSM-7 or 67 Unicode characters instead of 160 or 70. A single emoji can push a message into Unicode and split it sooner.
What's the difference between texting and messaging apps like WhatsApp?
Texting uses SMS or MMS, addressed to a phone number. SMS needs no app and no internet connection, only carrier signal, and reaches virtually any mobile phone. Apps like WhatsApp and iMessage run on their own services, so both people need to use the same service.
Can I check how many characters my message uses before sending it?
Yes. The FreeSMSGateway SMS character counter tool shows whether your message fits in a single SMS and which character switched it to Unicode. Check it there, then edit the text before you send.