SMS character counter: GSM-7, Unicode and segments

Type or paste an SMS to see how it will be sent: the encoding (GSM-7 or Unicode UCS-2), the character count, the number of segments (parts) and the room left in the last one. Characters that force Unicode are highlighted, symbols that count as two are flagged, and one click swaps curly quotes and dashes for plain ones. Most networks bill each segment as one message.

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Message

Encoding: GSM-7
Characters: 0
GSM-7 units: 0
Segments: 0
Left in this segment: 160

GSM-7: 160 per single message, 153 per segment when longer.

Characters that force Unicode

None.

Preview

Highlighted: characters that force Unicode. Underlined: characters that count as 2.

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How it works

SMS uses the GSM-7 alphabet when every character is in it: 160 characters fit in one message. A longer message is split into segments of 153 characters, because each part carries a small header that lets the phone join them again.

A few GSM-7 symbols are sent as an escape plus the symbol and count as 2: ^ { } \ [ ] ~ | and €. An escape pair is never split across two segments, so the counter packs segments the way phones do.

One character outside GSM-7 (an emoji, a curly quote, many accented letters, any non-Latin script) switches the whole message to Unicode (UCS-2): 70 characters fit in one message, 67 per segment after that. Most emoji count as 2.

Most networks and SMS providers bill per segment, so a 161-character message usually costs two messages, and one curly apostrophe can turn one segment into three. The counter shows which characters cause it.

Last updated 7 November 2026

Frequently asked questions

How many characters fit in one SMS?

160 characters in GSM-7, the standard SMS alphabet, or 70 if the message contains any character outside it (Unicode, UCS-2). Longer messages are split into segments of 153 (GSM-7) or 67 (Unicode) characters.

Why does my message count as Unicode?

At least one character is not in the GSM-7 alphabet. Common culprits are curly quotes and apostrophes, long dashes, ellipses, non-breaking spaces copied from documents, and emoji. The counter lists each one; the "Use plain punctuation" button swaps the usual suspects for GSM-7 equivalents.

Which characters count as two?

The GSM-7 extension characters: ^ { } \ [ ] ~ | and the euro sign €. They are sent as an escape plus the character, so each uses two of the 160 (or 153) places.

How much does a multipart SMS cost?

Most networks and SMS providers bill each segment as one message, so a three-segment message costs about three times a single one. Exact prices depend on your provider and the destination country; check your provider's price list.

Does the counter support Turkish, Spanish or Indian language shift tables?

No. National language shift tables let some networks send extra letters in GSM-7, but few senders can select them, so the counter assumes the default alphabet, as most providers do. If your provider supports them, your counts may be lower.

Will the message reach the number?

The length is only one part. Delivery also depends on whether the number is live and which network it is on. An HLR lookup or carrier lookup before sending removes dead numbers; see why SMS is not delivered.