0Characters
0SMS segments
160Left in segment
160Chars / segment
GSM-7Encoding
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How SMS length works
| Encoding | Single SMS | Each part of a long SMS |
|---|---|---|
| GSM-7 (plain English) | 160 | 153 |
| Unicode / UCS-2 (Urdu, emoji) | 70 | 67 |
A single Urdu letter or emoji switches the whole message to Unicode, cutting capacity by more than half. Some symbols — € [ ] { } ^ ~ | \ — count as two characters in GSM-7. Long messages are split into parts with a small header, which is why each part holds fewer characters.
Operators bill per segment, so trimming a message from 161 to 160 characters can halve its cost.
Last reviewed: 2026-11-14. Codes and procedures can change — confirm with the official source before relying on them.