How many characters would fit within 1 x SMS?

The GSM standard specifies a maximum character length for each SMS message. These are ultimately determined by the carrier and the receiving mobile, but generally as a guideline

  • A message body containing only ASCII characters can have up to 160 characters

  • For messages that contain even a single character other than the ASCII character set, such as Japanese kanji, the maximum length is 70 characters.

Up to 660 characters on Xoxzo SMS APIs

Xoxzo's SMSAPI accepts 660 characters per request (since 2025/04)

longsms

Please refer to the table below for the details how your messages will be split while being sent and charged.

SMS Part Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
double byte 70 132 198 264 330 396 462 528 594 660
single byte 140 264 396 528 660 - - - - -
  • Please note that a request with over-limit text will return Message too long.

SMS Message Counter

If your message is ready, enter it below to pre-check how many SMS will be sent:

While crafting clear and compelling messages is important, keep in mind that SMS charges are based on message length. By managing your character count carefully, you can reduce costs and ensure your SMS campaigns deliver the best possible performance.