Multimedia messaging service (MMS) takes short message service (SMS)—the technology that sends short, text-only messages from one phone to another—one step further. MMS allows for longer text messages (SMS has a 160-character limit) and supports images, video and audio.
What is MMS? How is it different from SMS?
You’ll see MMS in action when someone sends you a message as part of a group message, or when you receive a photo or video clip in your phone’s text messaging app. Instead of it arriving as a regular text, you might receive a notification of an incoming MMS message, or you might not receive the full message until you’re in an area with better cell reception.
Typically, a mobile phone receives MMS messages in the same way as text messages. Sometimes, especially if the MMS message contains large images or videos, it may require internet access. In such cases, MMS messages may count towards your monthly data allowance.
MMS technology supports video clips up to 40 seconds long, ringtones, audio clips, business cards, and more. Some mobile carriers limit MMS message file sizes to 300 kilobytes (KB), although there is no standard that carriers must adhere to, and newer MMS technology allows messages up to 600 KB.
