SMS Character Counter — Guide 2026
SMS limits depend on encoding. GSM-7 (Latin alphabet) allows 160 characters per SMS. Any emoji, accented char, or special symbol switches the entire message to Unicode (UCS-2), dropping the limit to 70 characters per SMS.
Multi-part (concatenated) SMS
Messages exceeding the single-SMS limit become concatenated SMS. Each part reserves 7 characters for header info, giving 153 chars per part (GSM-7) or 67 per part (Unicode).
Common Unicode-triggering characters
- Emojis (😊, 🎉, ❤️) — switch entire message to Unicode
- Smart/curly quotes (" " ' ') — use straight quotes instead
- Em dash (—) — replace with hyphen (-)
- Accented letters (é, ñ, ü) — use ASCII equivalents when possible
Other platform counters
Frequently Asked Questions
How many characters fit in one SMS?
A standard SMS using GSM-7 (Latin alphabet) fits 160 characters. With emojis or special characters (Unicode), the limit drops to 70 characters.
What is the difference between GSM-7 and Unicode SMS?
GSM-7 uses 7-bit encoding for standard Latin characters (160 chars/SMS). Unicode uses 16-bit encoding for emojis and non-Latin scripts (70 chars/SMS).
What happens when my SMS exceeds the character limit?
It splits into multiple parts. Each part has a 7-character header, reducing usable space to 153 (GSM-7) or 67 (Unicode) chars per segment.
Do emojis count extra in SMS?
Yes. A single emoji forces the entire message to Unicode, reducing the per-SMS limit from 160 to 70 characters.
Which characters trigger Unicode in SMS?
Emojis, smart quotes, em dashes, the euro sign (€), accented characters, and any character outside the GSM-7 set.