TextMessages

TextMessages are a form of electronic communication that uses cellular networks to transmit short textual messages between devices. The term commonly refers to the SMS and its related services, including multimedia messages, and is distinct from internet-based instant messaging and email. TextMessages originated in the 1990s with the standardization of short message service for mobile networks and have become a widespread method for person-to-person and automated communications.

Operation and technical basics: A user composes a message on a mobile device, which is sent to the carrier’s Short Message Service Center (SMSC). The SMSC stores the message and forwards it to the recipient’s device over the mobile network. Delivery may be acknowledged with a read or delivery report depending on network support and device settings. SMS was designed for short text, traditionally up to 160 characters using the GSM 7-bit alphabet; Unicode support reduces the per-message length to 70 characters, with longer texts sent as concatenated segments.

Formats and evolution: SMS is the foundational TextMessage service. Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) extends texting to images, audio, and video. In modern practice, many carriers and devices support richer communication protocols (such as richer messaging services and data-enabled features) that sit alongside SMS/MMS, but the core TextMessage experience remains text-centric and is often delivered via a basic messaging app on the device.

Security and privacy: SMS messages are generally not end-to-end encrypted, making them susceptible to interception and SIM-swapping risks. For highly sensitive communications, users may prefer encrypted messaging apps or additional security measures.

Usage and impact: TextMessages remain widely used for personal communication, alerts, and transactional notifications, as well as for two-factor authentication in many services. While data-based messaging apps have grown, SMS continues to offer broad reach across devices and networks.