An SMS (Short Message Service) message becomes an MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) when it exceeds the standard 160-character limit for plain text, or when it includes any media like pictures, audio, or video, automatically converting to MMS to handle the extra data. While a single SMS is 160 characters, longer texts are split into "multi-part" SMS messages, but if it's too long or contains media, it switches to MMS, which supports much larger messages (often 1,200+ characters or more) and files.
Is it possible to send texts longer than 160 characters? Yes, you can send texts longer than 160 characters as MMS messages. You can also send an SMS over 160 characters, but it will be broken up into two messages or more.
The maximum size of the text message can vary depending on your device and firmware version. Any message over the maximum size (sometimes 160 characters) will automatically be sent as an MMS.
Standard SMS messages have a 160 character limit. This limit is derived from how letters, symbols, and characters (including spaces) are encoded and transmitted. This encoding standard is referred to GSM-7.
MMS is growing in popularity as it becomes easier to send larger messages between phones, and businesses continue adopting MMS marketing because they want to text customers rich media. MMS messages are not as limited in character count. In fact, MMS allows up to 1,600 characters.
The text message body of an MMS can contain 1600 from any character set. Unlike SMS, MMS message are not broken into multiple parts when they are sent.
Convert SMS to MMS for longer texts
If you need to send a long message, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is an excellent alternative. MMS allows you to send up to 1,600 characters without breaking the message into multiple SMS segments.
With extended messaging you can send messages up to 306 characters. Depending on the mobile carriers, longer texts may break into two messages of up to 153 characters as they send. For example, a message with 161 characters may send as two texts—one with 153 characters and a second with the remaining 8.
Step-by-Step Fix
FAQ. Can I send an SMS longer than 160 characters? Yes, you can send longer texts using concatenation, which splits your message into segments of 153 characters for GSM-7 or 67 characters for Unicode. Each segment is billed as a separate SMS, and most carriers support up to eight segments per message.
Disadvantages of SMS
From the Android Messages app, clear the cache and restart the device. If you believe your outgoing messages are incorrectly blocked, contact Support. If you're still having trouble, try these troubleshooting steps. After each step, check to find out if your issue is fixed.
You are not able to choose between SMS or MMS. Your messaging service will automatically switch to MMS if you are sending a picture message, or if your text message goes over the character limit, normal SMS length is 160 characters. To find the Messages app, you may have to look in your Samsung folder.
Sending messages through apps like WhatsApp or Facebook messenger are actually considered MMS because they use internet and cellular data.
Neil Papworth who sent the world's first text message on 3 December 1992. One year later in 1993, Nokia introduced an SMS feature with a distinctive 'beep' to signal an incoming message. At first, text messages had a 160-character limit.
Clear Old Messages & Media Attachments
Messages and the attachments that come with them, can quickly use up your storage space. So it's important to go through your text messages, as well as instant messaging apps like WhatsApp.
The standard SMS character limit encoded in the GSM language is 160 characters, including spaces. GSM is the standard language for SMS that allows you to use Latin letters A to Z, numbers 0 to 9, and some special characters (e.g., exclamation marks).
2. Concatenated SMS: When a message exceeds 160 characters, it's split into multiple segments, which are then reassembled by the recipient's phone. Most modern SMS platforms handle this process automatically.
On December 3, 1992, the first SMS text message in history is sent: Neil Papworth, a 22-year-old engineer, uses a personal computer to send the text message “Merry Christmas” via the Vodafone network to the phone of a colleague.
Jonathan Coe's 2001 novel The Rotters' Club has a sentence with 13,955 words. It was inspired by Bohumil Hrabal's Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age: a Czech language novel written in one long sentence.
The "3-Day Rule" in texting is a dating guideline suggesting you wait three days to text someone after getting their number or a first date to avoid seeming too eager and to see if they reach out, but its relevance is debated, with some seeing it as outdated game-playing and others using a variation as a gauge for interest before moving on. Modern views often favor more direct communication or a shorter waiting period to establish genuine connection, moving away from the "play hard to get" strategy.
Typically, if you go over the standard 160 character limit, the texts separate into multiple messages. Those messages aren't always delivered in the order written. The result is a jumbled, confusing mess. If the message is hard to read, it's less likely to increase engagement.
No, *67 does not work for text messages; it's a vertical service code that hides your number for single phone calls only, displaying "No Caller ID" or "Private," but you can use your phone's settings to block caller ID for all calls, try other codes like #31#, or use apps like Google Voice to send texts from a different number, say Reddit and USA Today users on Reddit and USA Today.