SMS in texting stands for Short Message Service. It is a text messaging service that allows sending short text-only messages, typically up to 160 characters, between mobile phones over cellular networks
. SMS is one of the oldest and most widely used forms of mobile communication, originally developed in the 1980s and introduced in the 1990s
. Unlike multimedia messages (MMS), SMS messages contain only text and no attachments such as pictures, videos, or audio files
. SMS messages are sent using the cellular network’s signaling channels, making them reliable even in areas with limited data coverage
. In summary:
- SMS = Short Message Service
- Text-only messages up to 160 characters
- Sent over cellular networks without requiring internet
- One of the oldest and most common texting methods
This distinguishes SMS from MMS, which supports multimedia content, and from internet-based messaging apps like iMessage or WhatsApp
