SMS segment counter and GSM-7 checker
One special character can switch a text from 160 characters per segment to 70, and double your cost. Paste your message to see what it will use, then fix the characters that cause trouble.
GSM-7 counts 160 characters in one segment and 153 per segment once a message is split. Unicode (UCS-2) counts 70, then 67. The characters ^ { } \ [ ~ ] | and the euro sign count as two in GSM-7. Carriers and platforms can differ slightly, so treat this as a very close estimate. Marketing texts also need clear opt-out wording, such as "Reply STOP to opt out."
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- Paste or type your message into the box.
- Check the segment count and whether it is GSM-7 (160 characters per segment) or Unicode (70).
- If it switched to Unicode, use the list of problem characters and the one-click fix to swap smart quotes, dashes and emoji for plain ones.
Common questions
How many characters fit in one SMS?
A single text holds 160 characters in the GSM-7 alphabet, or 70 characters if it contains any character outside that alphabet (Unicode/UCS-2). Longer messages are split into segments of 153 (GSM-7) or 67 (Unicode) characters each, and you are usually billed per segment.
Why did my text suddenly cost double?
One curly quote, long dash or emoji is enough to move the whole message to Unicode, which cuts the per-segment limit from 160 to 70 characters. Pasting from Word, Google Docs or a phone keyboard is the usual cause.
Do emojis cost more?
Yes. Any emoji forces the entire message into Unicode, so the same words take roughly twice as many segments.
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