Message Length - Concatenated Messages

Standard GSM 03.38 Character Set

Single text messages are limited to 160 characters, including spaces. The maximum length of two-part or three-part concatenated text messages is 306 (2 x 153) and 459 (3 x 153) characters, respectively. This refers only to messages that contain the standard GSM 03.38 character set.

Each concatenated text message is limited to 153 characters rather than 160 due to the need for user-data headers (UDHs) information. Mobile phones use UDH information to enable them to link long messages together so that they appear as single SMS messages in recipients’ phone inboxes.

Number of SMS	Number of characters in the linked message
1	160 characters
2	306 characters (2 x 153)
3	459 characters (3 x 153)

Unicode Characters

Using Unicode, for such languages as Russian, Arabic, or Chinese, restricts your message to a maximum of 70 characters per SMS. You can, however, send longer text messages, with our system splitting them into two or at the most three separate text messages. The maximum lengths of two-part and three-part concatenated Unicode text messages are 134 (2 x 67) and 201 (3 x 67) characters, respectively.

Number of SMS	Number of Characters in the linked message
1	70 characters
2	134 characters (2 x 67)
3	201 characters (3 x 67)