Free tool
Text message character counter
See exactly how many texts your message will be, find the characters that quietly cut your limit in half, and preview it with a real name filled in. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Try the longest name on your list. Names change the length of every message.
Characters
128
Text
1
Encoding
Plain SMS
Left in this text
32
Plain SMS fits 160 characters in one text, or 153 per text once it splits.
What Sarah will see
Hi Sarah! Reminder: practice is tomorrow at 5:30 at the north field. Bring water and cleats. Reply if your player can't make it.
How text message length works
| Message type | One text | Each part when split |
|---|---|---|
| Plain SMS (GSM-7) | 160 characters | 153 characters |
| With emoji or special characters (Unicode) | 70 characters | 67 characters |
- Split messages lose a few characters per part to the information that tells the phone how to put them back together.
- A few plain characters count double:
{ } [ ] ~ ^ | \ €. - One special character changes the whole message. An emoji, a curly quote, or an em dash anywhere switches every character to Unicode.
Why it matters when you text a group
When you send one message to fifty people, a message that splits becomes a hundred texts. Split texts can arrive out of order on some phones, and long bursts of identical messages are more likely to be filtered by carriers. Keeping each message to one text, and personalizing it with a name, helps it arrive looking like what it is: a personal note from you.
Looking for a starting point? Browse free text message templates for churches, coaches, teachers, real estate agents, and more. Every one opens here with a click.
Frequently asked questions
Send it to everyone, one-to-one
BCC Text sends your message as separate texts from your own number, with each person’s name filled in. No group chat. Try 3 messages free.