Text Message Segments
What is a text message segment?
Phone carriers measure text messages in character batches called segments.
Each segment is 160 or 70 characters long, depending on the message's encoding type.
You are billed for each text message segment.
For example, a custom 400-character text message sent to 100 adorers is 3 segments each, so you are billed for 300 segments.
We Adore Him has a limit of 10 segments per text message.
What follows is a broad technical explanation of how a message's encoding is determined. If you have questions, please contact us.
Encoding Types
A message limited to the 7-bit GSM-7 character set is split into 160-character segments.
Anything else uses 16-bit UCS-2 encoding, which splits into 70-character segments.
For example, a message with Spanish accents may use UCS-2 encoding and split into more segments than its English equivalent.
If you love technical reading, see this Wikipedia article.
Segment Calculator
Use this tool to preview a text message's encoding and segment length.
Why the App May Count More Segments
Paste this message into We Adore Him and the app may report more segments than the count above. It estimates the worst case of what will actually be sent, so its number is never too low. Three things go into that estimate which this calculator cannot see.
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The opt-out line. Carriers require every texting program to offer a way out, so the app occasionally appends "Reply STOP to opt out of We Adore Him texts." to your message: 46 more characters in English. It goes to any adorer who has not seen it in the last 30 days, and is skipped if your message already mentions STOP. The estimate assumes it is there.
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Tokens. A token like [adorer:name] is replaced with a real value when the message is sent, usually a longer one. The app measures the longest value it could use, such as the longest adorer name at your parish, so a message that fits as written cannot go over the limit once sent.
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Your adorers' languages. Each adorer receives the opt-out line in their own language, and the translations differ in length: the Spanish one is 20 characters longer than the English. When a bulk message goes to both English and Spanish speakers, the app reports the longer of the two.
For example, a 111-character message plus the English opt-out line is 157 characters, still 1 segment. With the Spanish line it is 177 characters, or 2 segments. Sent to a mixed list, the app reports 2 segments for everyone, even though the English half uses 1. Send a separate message per language for a closer estimate.