We’re excited to announce that our new segment counter is now available. Previously, our primary message length count and limits were character-based. While character counts and limits are useful, SMS communications are billed per segment, not per character. This new segment-focused framing highlights what matters most, reducing confusion and allowing for easy anticipation of messaging costs.

While typing a message, this counter will calculate and display that message’s segment count. Admins can set a maximum segment limit within Settings, just as they previously could with characters.

Segments are also referred to as “SMS Messages” throughout our billing materials. To learn more about what they are and how they differ from your total number of messages sent, please see this article. For more information on how to set segment limits, check out Adjust message segment limits.

To switch back to the legacy character view at any time, go to Settings > Messaging Settings > Privacy > Segment limits and select Use Character Count (Legacy).