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SMS character counter

See how many characters and SMS parts your message uses — and whether it's standard or Unicode — before you send.

Characters
0
SMS parts
0
Left in this part
160
Characters per part
160

Standard (GSM) message — each SMS holds 160 characters (153 when split).

How SMS length works

Message typeOne SMSEach part of a long SMS
Standard (GSM) — English letters, numbers, common symbols160 characters153 characters
Unicode — Hindi, other Indian scripts, emoji, curly quotes70 characters67 characters

One Unicode character anywhere — even a single emoji or a ’ curly apostrophe pasted from a document — switches the whole message to Unicode and cuts the space per SMS by more than half.

Ways to fit more in each SMS

  • Replace curly quotes and long dashes with plain ones when the message is in English.
  • Skip emoji in transactional messages.
  • Use a short link — it must be whitelisted on DLT, or operators may block the message.
  • Cut words like "kindly" and "please note that"; customers read SMS in seconds.

Business SMS in India needs DLT

Every business SMS must use a sender ID and a template registered on a DLT platform, as required by TRAI. Our DLT registration guide explains the steps, and our SMS service can handle it for you.

Setting up business SMS in India?

We handle DLT registration, sender IDs and templates, and connect OTPs and order alerts to your website or store.

Free, no obligation. We only use your number to call you about this.

FAQ

Common questions.

Why does my SMS count as two messages?

A standard SMS holds 160 characters. Longer messages are split into parts of 153 characters each (the rest is used to join them back together), and each part is charged as one SMS.

How many characters fit in a Hindi SMS?

Hindi and other Indian scripts use Unicode, so one SMS holds 70 characters, and 67 per part when the message is split. The same applies if an English message contains an emoji or a curly quote.

Do spaces and line breaks count?

Yes. Every space and line break counts as a character.

How do DLT template variables affect length?

Each {#var#} in a DLT template is replaced by real values like names or order numbers when the message is sent. Count the length with realistic values, not the placeholder, so you don't go over a part by accident.

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