Short Messaging Service is useful, but limited
SMS stands forshort message serviceand is used pervasively around the globe.
(This number was tripled from 2007, which saw just 1.8 trillion.)
By 2017, millennialsalonewere sending and receiving nearly 4,000 texts every month.
Facebook Messenger.
SMS began with support just for GSM phones before later supporting other mobile technologies likeCDMAand Digital AMPS.
Text messaging is very cheap in most parts of the world.
In fact, in 2015, thecost of sending an SMS in Australiawas calculated to be just $0.00016.
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SMS is often referred to as texting, sending text messages or text messaging.
It’s pronounced asess-em-ess.
What Are the Limits of SMS Messaging?
SMS is usually lower on the priority list than other traffic like voice.
This questions the reliability of the service as a whole.
This is due to a 1,120-bit limitation in the SMS standard.
Long UTF messages are broken into 67 characters (with just three characters used for segmenting).
MMS, which is often used to send pictures, extends upon SMS and allows for longer content lengths.
Some examples include WhatsApp,Facebook Messenger, andSnapchat.
These apps are all the more popular now that Wi-Fi is available in basically any building.
Some phones have built-in SMS alternatives like Apple’s iMessage service that sends texts over the internet.
It works even on iPads and iPod touches that don’t have a mobile messaging plan at all.
Money Management
Sometimes, you could even use SMS messages to send money to people.
It’s similar to using email withPayPalbut instead, identifies the user by their phone number.
One example is Cash App (formerly Square Cash).
SMS Message Security
SMS is also used by some services for receivingtwo-factor authenticationcodes.
FAQ
There is no character limit when sending a message to other iPhone users.
When sending text messages to Android users, the limit is 160 characters.
Phone companies share text messages only if they have a court order to do so.
All carriers store text messages on their servers for a certain length of time before permanently deleting them.
Fortunately, there are ways toback up your text messages.
It depends on your carrier.
