SMS character counterOne text, not three. Count before you send.
Paste your message: the number of SMS, the characters that make it longer and a ready-to-send version, worked out with the same rules as the SMS PRO app.
Updated on · SMS PRO team
A tool from New Caledonia's bulk SMS pioneers, since 2016. Your message stays in your browser.
147 characters · 1 SMS
Paste your message. It's counted exactly as it will be sent.
0 characters · 1 SMS · 160 left before SMS no. 2
The exact count
160, 153, 70 or 67: the same counting rules as the app.
Traps, spotted
’, “ ”, ê or ç: the counter shows them and suggests the adapted text.
First names included
A {prenom} field counts as the longest first name in your sample.
Nothing is sent
Unless you choose to send your draft to an adviser.
One apostrophe, and your text becomes three.
Copied from a word processor, the straight apostrophe turns into ’, which isn't in the standard SMS alphabet. The whole message then drops to 70 characters per SMS. Watch what happens to this water-cut notice.
Same text, 147 characters: 3 SMS as it is, 1 with SMS PRO. The guide to characters and numbers
Example Council: water cut on Tuesday from 8 am to 12 pm in the North and Centre areas, for work on the network. We're sorry for any inconvenience.
Typed on a keyboard, with a straight apostrophe: 147 characters in the standard SMS alphabet. 1 SMS.
160 characters. Then 153 per part.
Past 160 characters, the message is split into parts of 153: each one keeps a few characters back so the phone can put them in order. Your recipient reads one message, but every part counts as one SMS.
In the app, a single send from your computer can run to 6 SMS, or 918 characters.
é goes through. ê tips the whole message over.
The standard SMS alphabet has é, è, à, ù, ì, ò, É and Ç, but not ê, â, î, ô, û, ë, ï or a lower-case ç. Write to Jérôme in Païta or François in Koné, and a one-SMS message can quietly become two, with nothing on screen to tell you.
| Goes through, length unchanged | Tips the message over, unless adapted | Adapted by SMS PRO to |
|---|---|---|
é è à ù ì ò É Ç | ê â î ô û ë ï | e a i o u e i |
' | ’ ‘ | ' |
" | « » “ ” | " |
- | – — | - |
... | … | ... |
ç À È Ê Ô Œ œ | c A E E O OE oe |
Messages that fit in a single SMS.
Four templates written for organisations in New Caledonia, filled in with the longest first name. Pick one and it opens in the counter.
Jane or Alexandra-Marie: one message each, one count each.
Here, {prenom} counts as the longest first name in the sample, so you see the longest case straight away. In the app, the message is filled in for every contact on your list and counted before it leaves.
Hello Alexandra-Marie, your order’s ready. Collect it in store until Saturday 5 pm. See you soon!
’ becomes 'What makes a message longer, without warning.
Characters that count double
They're in the standard alphabet but take up two places: € [ ] { } ^ ~ \ |. The counter flags them.
Emojis
They don't go through in a business text sent with SMS PRO. The counter marks them in red: take them out.
Links and first names
A link counts every one of its characters, so use a short one. A {prenom} field counts for the length of the real first name.
Shorter, and just as clear.
- Drop the formalities: "Hello" is enough, "Dear Sir or Madam" is too much.
- Keep times and dates short: "Thursday at 9:30 am".
- Use a short link rather than a full web address.
- Sign off with a short name: your sender ID already says who's writing.
The questions we get about counting.
How many characters fit in a text message?
160 in the standard SMS alphabet. Beyond that, each part holds 153 characters. With a single character outside that alphabet, the limit drops to 70, then 67 per part.
Why does my short message count as several SMS?
Because one character outside the standard SMS alphabet, often the curly apostrophe ’ from a word processor, switches the whole message to 70 characters per SMS, then 67 per part. A 147-character message then takes 3 SMS instead of 1. SMS PRO swaps that character before sending.
Do French accents count double?
Not all of them: é, è, à and ù go through normally. It is ê, â, î, ô, û, ç and the curly apostrophe ’ that switch the whole message to another alphabet unless they are adapted. Worth knowing when your list includes names like Jérôme or François.
Does a long text arrive in pieces?
No, the phone stitches the parts back together and shows a single message. But each part counts as one SMS.
Is my message sent anywhere?
No. The counter runs in your browser and nothing is transmitted, unless you choose to send your draft to an adviser.
Does the counter give the same result as the app?
Yes: it applies the same adaptation and counting rules as the SMS PRO app.
Related pages
SMS templates
Ready-made messages by industry, written to fit in a single SMS.
The guide to sending SMS in New Caledonia
The characters, numbers and sending times that matter here.
Bulk SMS
One message, filled in for each contact, with the exact count before it goes.
+687 number formatter
Paste a column of phone numbers and get them back in +687 format.
Your message fits in one SMS. Let's send it.
Send your draft to an adviser in Nouméa. They'll call you back and show you how it goes out: filled in for each of your contacts, under your organisation's name. We've been doing exactly this since 2016.
50 free SMS to try, no commitment: contact@smspro.nc