📋 Forms & Templates · Free

SMS Character Counter

Count SMS characters and segments in real time. Free SMS character counter — detects GSM-7 vs Unicode encoding automatically.

sms character limittext message character countersms segments calculator
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GSM-7 encoding0 chars · 0 segments

Results

0
Characters
0
SMS segments
160
Characters remaining
GSM-7 (standard)
Encoding

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Frequently asked questions

How many characters fit in one SMS?

Standard GSM-7 SMS: 160 characters. If your message is longer, it splits into segments of 153 characters each. Unicode (emoji, special chars): 70 characters per SMS, 67 per segment.

What is a multi-part SMS?

When an SMS exceeds 160 characters, it's split into multiple segments (each 153 chars) that are reassembled on the recipient's phone. You're billed per segment.

Do emoji count as extra characters?

Yes — emoji use Unicode encoding (UTF-16), which reduces the single-SMS limit from 160 to 70 characters. Even one emoji triggers Unicode mode for the entire message.