FAQs
What's the difference between SMS vs. MMS? A text message of up to 160 characters without an attached file is known as an SMS, while a text that includes a file—like a picture, video, emoji, or a website link—becomes an MMS.
Should my phone be set to SMS or MMS? ›
SMS supports plain text messages up to 160 characters, while MMS allows longer texts and multimedia content, such as images, videos, and audio files. SMS does not require an internet connection, whereas MMS relies on a data connection for media transmission.
What does SMS and MMS mean when texting? ›
SMS and MMS: What are the differences and similarities? SMS stands for Short Message Service. Invented in the 1980s and defined in the 1985 GSM standards, it is one of the oldest texting technologies. It is also the most widespread and frequently used. MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service.
Should I have MMS on or off? ›
If you simply want to communicate information with somebody else, then you may want to use an SMS message. It is shorter, easier to send, and more straightforward for someone to interpret. However, if you have additional content that you want to include, you may be better off using an MMS message.
Should I have both SMS and MMS turned on? ›
If you frequently communicate via text messaging and rely on multimedia content to convey information, then enabling SMS and MMS can be beneficial. However, if you prefer other forms of communication or have limited data or messaging plans, you may choose to disable these features.
How do I know if I'm using SMS or MMS? ›
A text message of up to 160 characters without an attached file is known as an SMS, while a text that includes a file—like a picture, video, emoji, or a website link—becomes an MMS.
What happens if I turn on MMS messaging? ›
There are a lot of great reasons to enable MMS on your iPhone. As the name implies, MMS is a smarter and more convenient way to send multimedia assets from your phone because you can embed these assets within the messages themselves.
Do you get charged for MMS messages? ›
MMS messages have a size limit of 295kb per message. If your MMS image exceeds 295kb, you'll incur charges for multiple MMS messages.
Does SMS cost money? ›
SMS pricing is based on the destination and type of message you're sending, as well as the carrier to which the SMS is being sent. Our pay-as-you-go pricing gives you control over your messaging costs, with discounts as you scale.
Why does my text say SMS and not delivered? ›
Your text message may not say 'delivered' due to several reasons. The recipient's phone might be switched off or out of service range. The recipient might have blocked your number. Or, the carrier might be experiencing technical difficulties.
When this option is turned off, your phone will stop downloading MMS messages automatically.
What are the disadvantages of MMS? ›
Disadvantages of MMS messaging
- MMS costs more.
- MMS images and media may not be received by a lot of your audience (their device may not be compatible with getting rich-media texts).
- MMS needs you to hire a resource to design eye-catching graphics (videos, too) that can be sent. And this too will add to your costs.
Possible reasons for sending MMS instead of SMS
One common reason is that the recipient's device might not support SMS or might be set up to receive MMS only. Another reason could be that the message you are trying to send exceeds the character limit for SMS, prompting your device to automatically switch to MMS.
Should texts be SMS or MMS? ›
The choice between the two depends largely on your campaign objectives and the type of message you want to send. SMS is great for sending short, text-only messages and tends to be cheaper, while MMS allows for the inclusion of multimedia content such as images, GIFs, and videos.
What does SMS and MMS mean on Android phone? ›
You can send and receive text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messages through the Messages app . Messages are considered texts and don't count toward your data usage. Your data usage is also free when you turn on chat features. Learn how to turn on chat features (RCS).
Why do I have to keep switching from SMS to MMS? ›
Reasons why your SMS changes to MMS
One common reason for SMS messages converting to MMS is when the character limit of 160 is exceeded. If your message contains more than 160 characters, your phone may automatically convert it to MMS to accommodate the additional content.
Should SMS be on or off on Android phone? ›
SMS messages are unsafe because they lack end-to-end encryption or E2EE. Not only can your phone provider view all the texts you send and receive, but so can other organizations and people.
Does Android use SMS or MMS? ›
Set up Messages on Android
You can send and receive text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messages through the Messages app . Messages are considered texts and don't count toward your data usage. Your data usage is also free when you turn on chat features.
Why does my phone keep switching to MMS instead of SMS? ›
Network Issues: Sometimes, network issues can cause your phone to send messages as MMS instead of SMS. If you are in an area with poor network coverage, your phone may default to MMS mode to ensure that the message is delivered successfully.
Should text messages be SMS? ›
All Short Message Service (SMS) messages are text messages, but not all text messages are SMS messages. The term 'text' is often slang for anything sent or received in a text messaging app.
