SMS segment counter.
A text message is billed in segments: 160 characters in plain GSM-7, or 70 once a single emoji or curly quote switches it to Unicode. Paste your text to see its length, the characters that cost extra, and what it costs to send.
- Segments
- 3
- Characters
- 173 of 3 × 67
- Left before the next segment
- 28
- Encoding
- Unicode (70 per segment)
These characters switch the whole text to Unicode: ’
That is 3,000 texts on Textually, where one segment is one text: $75 to $150 depending on the bucket. Replies are free.
See the text as sent
Hi Maya, it’s Sam from Northwind. Are you still looking at solar for the new office? Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.
How segments are counted
Phones and carriers measure a text in segments. The limit depends on the character set the whole text needs:
| Encoding | One segment | Each part when split |
|---|---|---|
| GSM-7 (letters, digits, common punctuation) | 160 characters | 153 characters |
| Unicode (any emoji, curly quote or other character) | 70 characters | 67 characters |
One character outside GSM-7 switches the whole text, not just that character. Characters from GSM-7’s extension table, such as [, ], {, } and €, stay in GSM-7 but count as two.
Leave room for the opt-out line
Business texts carry an opt-out line until the person replies. Ours reads “Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help.” and, with the blank line before it, adds 89 characters. To keep a GSM-7 text in one segment, write the message in 71 characters or fewer.
For the standards behind these numbers and how to write texts that fit, read what is an SMS segment. For what a text costs on Textually, see pricing.
Questions
How many characters fit in one text message?
One SMS segment holds 160 characters when every character is in the basic GSM-7 set, or 70 when the text contains an emoji, a curly quote or any other character outside it. A longer text is split into parts of 153 (GSM-7) or 67 (Unicode) characters, and each part is billed as a segment.
Why is my short text counted as two messages?
Usually one character switched it to Unicode, which drops the limit from 160 to 70. Curly quotes and long dashes pasted from a document are the most common cause, then emoji. Characters such as [ ] { } and € stay in GSM-7 but count as two each.
Does the opt-out line count toward the length?
Yes. The opt-out line and the blank line before it add 89 characters, so a text that should stay in one GSM-7 segment has 71 characters left for the message itself.
Do replies cost anything?
On Textually, replies you receive are free. Each segment you send uses one text from your bucket.