What Does SMS Mean?

Oct 3, 2024

If you’ve ever sent a text on your cell phone, chances are you’ve been using SMS, even if you weren’t aware of it. But what exactly is SMS?

sms meaning

What Does SMS Stand For?

SMS stands for “Short Message Service,” and it refers to the basic text messages you send over a cellular network rather than the internet.

What Does SMS Stand For

This is different from services like iMessage, which use a web connection. 

SMS texts are limited to 160 characters, so when your message exceeds that limit, it’s split into multiple parts.

What’s the Difference Between SMS and MMS?

What’s the Difference Between SMS and MMS

MMS, or “Multimedia Messaging Service,” builds on SMS technology. While MMS also uses a cellular signal, it allows for sending media like photos, videos, and audio. 

Unlike SMS, MMS messages don’t have a strict character limit, so you can send longer texts without them breaking into separate parts.

When Do You Use SMS?

When Do You Use SMS

Your phone will often default to SMS, depending on the carrier and recipient.

For iPhone users, messages sent to non-iPhone users will show up in a green bubble, indicating an SMS message, while blue bubbles represent messages sent via iMessage. 

For Android users, SMS is typically the default messaging format, unless a Wi-Fi connection is used for apps like WhatsApp or Telegram.

Are SMS Messages Free?

Are SMS Messages Free

Whether SMS is free or not depends on your phone plan and carrier.

Many plans now offer unlimited texting, but if you’re traveling outside your coverage area or country, there may be charges.

Here’s a breakdown of some common SMS rates:

  • T-Mobile: Unlimited texting in covered areas, with a $0.50 charge per text outside of coverage.

  • AT&T: Charges $0.10 per text over your plan limit. Pay-per-use texting costs $0.20 per SMS and $0.30 per MMS.

  • Verizon: Without an unlimited plan, each message costs $0.20 within the Nationwide Rate and Coverage Area. International texts cost $0.25 to send and $0.20 to receive.

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