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How to send SMS with Unicode Characters

Are you planning to send SMS messages with Unicode characters? If so, you may be wondering why your messages are split into multiple messages even though they don’t exceed the character limit. Here’s what you need to know about sending SMS messages with Unicode characters.

What are Unicode Characters?

Unicode is a character encoding standard that supports a variety of languages, including non-Latin languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and many more. It is used to represent characters in a digital format and allows for the display of different scripts on different devices.

Why Do SMS Messages with Unicode Characters Get Split?

When you send SMS messages with Unicode characters, the message length is limited to 70 characters per message instead of the usual 160 characters. This is because Unicode characters use a larger character set than standard characters, which means they require more data to transmit. Therefore, to ensure the message is delivered correctly, the message is split into multiple messages if it exceeds the 70-character limit.

Examples of Unicode Characters

Unicode characters are used in various languages and scripts. Here are some examples of Unicode characters in different languages:

  • Chinese: 你好 (nǐ hǎo)
  • Arabic: مرحبا (marhabaan)
  • Hindi: नमस्ते (namaste)
  • Russian: Здравствуйте (zdravstvuyte)
  • Japanese: こんにちは (konnichiwa)

How to Avoid Message Splitting

To avoid message splitting when sending SMS messages with Unicode characters, try to use standard characters whenever possible. If you need to use Unicode characters, keep in mind that your message will be limited to 70 characters per message. Therefore, it’s important to keep your messages concise and to the point to ensure they are delivered effectively.

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MarTech consultant

Marcel Szimonisz

Marcel Szimonisz

I specialize in solving problems, automating processes, and driving innovation through major marketing automation platforms.

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