{"id":1083,"date":"2026-04-20T15:46:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1083"},"modified":"2026-07-08T15:03:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T15:03:08","slug":"maximum-length-sms-text-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/maximum-length-sms-text-message\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the maximum length of an SMS text message?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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What is the maximum number of characters in an SMS text message?<\/h1>\n

<\/p>\n

Every mobile phone in the world that has ever been made can send and receive SMS text messages. Despite being incredibly basic, SMS remains one of the most popular ways for us to communicate.<\/p>\n

If a message absolutely has to be received and read, then SMS is usually our messaging channel of choice. No apps, no internet or distractions. Just a message that (usually) gets read within minutes<\/p>\n

But what is the character limit for SMS messages? Is there any upper limit on the length of an SMS and if there is, why? This exciting blog reveals all.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Is there a character limit for SMS messages?<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Yes and no. The maximum number of characters for one text message (or credit) is 160 characters, including spaces. This has been a global standard ever since the first SMS was sent by a Vodafone engineer in December 1992.

However, you can of send texts that are way longer than 160 characters – behind the scenes, these are composed of multiple texts that are received seamlessly as one onto the recipient’s phone.<\/span><\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
\n

If you’re sending a message from one person to another, there’s no real maximum that you’re likely to come up against.

Most people in the UK are on mobile phone tariffs with very generous free SMS allowances, so it doesn’t really matter if a message you send uses 1 text or 10.<\/span><\/p>\n

The message length might be more of an issue for mobile phone users with pay as you go tariffs. If a standard text of 160 characters costs around 11\u201314 pence, then it’s easy to see how expenses can quite quickly mount up.<\/p>\n

Longer text messages are sometimes referred to as concatenated SMS.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the maximum length of text message that you can send using an SMS API?<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

The maximum number of characters that you can send in one transactional text using an SMS API is normally 1,280 characters.

\n

It varies for different SMS API providers<\/a><\/strong> so you’ll need to get the technical specification of the SMS company you’re using.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

How is message length calculated?<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re sending messages of over 160 characters, each additional text has a character count of just 153 characters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The remaining 7 characters are used as code to instruct the mobile handset to stitch the messages back together, so that they arrive as a single, long text rather than a series of individual messages.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If the message that you are sending uses any non-standard\u00a0unicode characters<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0then the maximum message length is reduced to the just 70 characters.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Unicode characters allow you to send messages in other language scripts and also lets you\u00a0send emojis<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Does sending a longer message cost more with an SMS API?<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Yes it does. The longer the text, the more text credits will be used to send the message.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The first 160 characters will use one text credit, then subsequent blocks 153 characters will use additional credits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The 7 character difference is used as code to allow the messages to arrive as one text, rather than a series of individual messages.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If you’d like to compare SMS API prices, take a look at our\u00a0review of some of the main SMS API providers.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Check your message with our free SMS length calculator<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

To help keep your messages under 160 characters and to see how many text credits will be required to send your\u00a0A2P message<\/a><\/strong>, we developed a free and\u00a0easy to use\u00a0SMS message length calculator<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Simply copy and paste the message in to the window, the number of characters used will be displayed, along with the number of credits needed to send the message.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

Of course other\u00a0OTT messaging platforms<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0like iMessage or Whatsapp have no restrictions on message length at all.<\/p>\n

A well as calculating the length of your messages, you can also reduce them in length, so that they use fewer characters and reduce your SMS costs overall.<\/p>\n

The SMS AI message optimiser uses ChatGPT<\/a><\/strong> to optimise messages that are just a little too long.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Related articles<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What is concatenated SMS?<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0Why use a simple word, when a complicated one will do. What is SMS concatenation? Find out here.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What is MSISDN?<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>Another jargon busting article. This time we’re investigating MSISDN. It’s a roller coaster.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What the maximum length of a text message<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0Is there a maximum? If so, what is it? Not a dull moment here at The SMS Works.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is there a limit to how many characters you can use in a business SMS message? Find out in this blog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5553,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t