How SMS (text) Segment Limits Work (Airplane Analogy)
Think of each text segment as an airplane with fixed seating capacity. imagine each character (including spaces) in a text message is trying to board an airplane.
1️⃣ Plain Text Messages
One “plane” holds 160 standard characters.
If your message stays under 160 characters (no emojis or special symbols), it uses 1 segment or one plane (one message credit)
2️⃣ Messages with Emojis or Special Characters
Emojis and non-standard characters require more digital space (like passengers taking multiple seats).
Capacity drops to 70 characters per segment.
Even one emoji can trigger this reduced limit.
3️⃣ Longer Messages
When a text message exceeds the limit:
It’s split across multiple “planes” (segments) and requires multiple message credits to send. The system can not stretch the airplane. Instead, it books additional flights.
Each additional segment reserves space for hidden instructions so the recipient’s phone can reassemble the message in order.
Because of this, additional segments can only hold:
153 characters each (plain text)
67 characters each (if emojis/special characters are used)
Why This Matters for Healthcare Businesses
Each segment counts as a separate message credit.
Emojis dramatically increase segment and message credit usage.
A 320-character message may count as 3 segments or 3 message credits.
Adding a single emoji can double your segment count.
Best Practices for Reducing Segment Usage
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible.
Avoid using emojis in text messages.
Watch for smart quotes or special characters pasted from Word or websites.
Use a character counter before sending campaigns. Keep in mind that the character counter within TrackStat is a basic character counter and is unable to count emojis, special characters and merge fields. The character count will not be exact due to merge fields such as {{OfficeName}} and {{PatientFirstName}} which will be populated when the message is generated and sent.