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What's in your messageUnicodeHiddenLook-alikeEmojiCounts as 2

GSM

Paste a messageWe'll tell you if it sends as GSM-7 or Unicode.

Texts per send

segments

Characters

counted for SMS

Unicode characters

force 70 per text

Hidden characters

you can't see them

People on your list

Price per segment ($)

Your cost per send will show here.

Characters found

Every character that isn't plain GSM text, what it is and what to swap it for.

Nothing yet. Paste a message above.

What is a Unicode character in a text message?

Any character outside the basic GSM-7 alphabet that phones use for SMS. One curly apostrophe, em dash, emoji or hidden space switches the whole message to Unicode. Then each text holds 70 characters instead of 160, so the same message splits into more texts and costs more. This tool finds every one of those characters and swaps it for a plain version.

GSM-7 vs Unicode limits

The same message can cost twice as much because of a single character.

Encoding	One text	Each part of a longer text	When it's used
GSM-7	160 characters	153 characters	Plain letters, numbers and basic punctuation
Unicode (UCS-2)	70 characters	67 characters	As soon as the message has one character outside GSM-7

Limits from Telnyx's message encoding documentation. The GSM characters ^ { } [ ] ~ | \ € stay in GSM-7 but count as 2 each.

Characters that switch your text to Unicode

These are the ones we see most, and the plain version to use instead.

Type	Examples	Use instead	Where they come from
Curly quotes and apostrophes	`‘ ’ “ ”`	`' "`	Word, Google Docs, iPhone and Mac keyboards
Dashes and ellipsis	`– — …`	`- ...`	Auto-formatting while you type
Hidden spaces	Non-breaking space, zero-width space	`space` or nothing	Copying from websites, emails and PDFs
Accented letters	`á í ó ú ç`	`a i o u c`	Names and words from other languages
Symbols	`™ ® © ° • ½`	`TM (R) (C) - 1/2`	Copied flyers and documents
Look-alike letters	Cyrillic `а` in place of Latin `a`	The Latin letter	Copied text, and sometimes scams
Emoji	`🎉 ✨ 👍`	Remove	Phones
Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic and other scripts	`שבת`	Keep it, and plan for 70 per text	Messages in other languages

Hidden characters you can't see

The sneakiest problem. Your message looks fine, but it still sends as Unicode.

Non-breaking spaces

They look exactly like a normal space. They come along when you copy text from a website, an email or Word. The tool shows each one as NBSP.

Zero-width characters

Zero-width spaces and joiners take up no room at all, so you'd never spot them. One is enough to cut your limit to 70.

Direction marks

Text copied from Hebrew or Arabic often carries invisible left-to-right or right-to-left marks, even after you delete the Hebrew.

How to stop it from happening

Turn off smart punctuation where you write your texts.

iPhone and iPadSettings > General > Keyboard, then turn off Smart Punctuation.

MacSystem Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit, then turn off "Use smart quotes and dashes."

Microsoft WordFile > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type, then uncheck "Straight quotes with smart quotes."

Google DocsTools > Preferences, then uncheck "Use smart quotes."

Or skip all of thatPaste your message here before you send it and click Fix all.

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More free texting tools

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Unicode in SMS: FAQ

Why does my text message only allow 70 characters?

Because it contains at least one Unicode character, like a curly apostrophe, an emoji or a hidden space. That switches the whole message from GSM-7 (160 characters) to Unicode (70 characters). Paste it above to find the character.

Do emoji make a text cost more?

Often, yes. One emoji switches the message to Unicode, so it splits into more texts sooner. Most emoji also take up 2 of the 70 spaces.

Is an apostrophe a Unicode character?

The straight apostrophe (') is plain GSM. The curly one (’) that phones and Word insert automatically is Unicode. They look almost the same, which is why it catches so many people.

Can I send texts in Hebrew or Yiddish?

Yes. Hebrew and Yiddish letters are Unicode, so each text holds 70 characters. There's nothing to fix. Just plan for shorter texts, or check the length with our character counter.

What are look-alike characters?

Letters from other alphabets that look identical to English letters, like a Cyrillic "а" in place of "a." They switch your text to Unicode, and scammers use them to fake brand names, so we flag them.

Does this tool save or send my message?

No. Everything runs in your browser. Your text is never sent to us or stored.

Last updated November 2026 by Michael Pedoeem, founder of Evant.