Learn about the GSM characters used to compose SMS messages.
Overview
GSM, or Global System for Mobile Communications, refers to the alphabet used to write SMS messages.
A standard single SMS can contain 160 characters. All the characters you enter into your SMS must be part of this 7-bit default alphabet defined by GSM 3.38. This alphabet includes all the ASCII characters and some accented characters. For example, u umlaut (ü) and e with grave (è) are in this set.
If you use a character outside of this set, the SMS is treated as a Unicode SMS. Unicode SMS limits the length of the SMS to 70 characters because of the different character encoding.
Common characters to avoid
There are some familiar characters you should avoid using and instead use their more efficient GSM counterparts.
| ‘ | ' |
| ` | ' |
| “ | " |
| ” | " |
| ~ | - |
| ¬ | - |
| | | I (uppercase i) |
GSM 03.38 7-bit character set
|
Hex
|
Decimal
|
Character name
|
Supported character
|
|
0x00
|
0
|
COMMERCIAL AT
|
@
|
|
0x01
|
1
|
POUND SIGN
|
£
|
|
0x02
|
2
|
DOLLAR SIGN
|
$
|
|
0x03
|
3
|
YEN SIGN
|
¥
|
|
0x04
|
4
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER E WITH GRAVE
|
è
|
|
0x05
|
5
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER E WITH ACUTE
|
é
|
|
0x06
|
6
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH GRAVE
|
ù
|
|
0x07
|
7
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER I WITH GRAVE
|
ì
|
|
0x08
|
8
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER O WITH GRAVE
|
ò
|
|
0x09
|
9
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER C WITH CEDILLA
|
Ç
|
|
0x0A
|
10
|
LINE FEED
|
|
|
0x0B
|
11
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O WITH STROKE
|
Ø
|
|
0x0C
|
12
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER O WITH STROKE
|
ø
|
|
0x0D
|
13
|
CARRIAGE RETURN
|
|
|
0x0E
|
14
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH RING ABOVE
|
Å
|
|
0x0F
|
15
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER A WITH RING ABOVE
|
å
|
|
0x10
|
16
|
GREEK CAPITAL LETTER DELTA
|
Δ
|
|
0x11
|
17
|
LOW LINE
|
_
|
|
0x12
|
18
|
GREEK CAPITAL LETTER PHI
|
Φ
|
|
0x13
|
19
|
GREEK CAPITAL LETTER GAMMA
|
Γ
|
|
0x14
|
20
|
GREEK CAPITAL LETTER LAMBDA
|
Λ
|
|
0x15
|
21
|
GREEK CAPITAL LETTER OMEGA
|
Ω
|
|
0x16
|
22
|
GREEK CAPITAL LETTER PI
|
Π
|
|
0x17
|
23
|
GREEK CAPITAL LETTER PSI
|
Ψ
|
|
0x18
|
24
|
GREEK CAPITAL LETTER SIGMA
|
Σ
|
|
0x19
|
25
|
GREEK CAPITAL LETTER THETA
|
Θ
|
|
0x1A
|
26
|
GREEK CAPITAL LETTER XI
|
Ξ
|
|
0x1B
|
27
|
ESCAPE TO EXTENSION TABLE
|
|
|
0x1C
|
28
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER AE
|
Æ
|
|
0x1D
|
29
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER AE
|
æ
|
|
0x1E
|
30
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER SHARP S(German)
|
ß
|
|
0x1F
|
31
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER E WITH ACUTE
|
É
|
|
0x20
|
32
|
SPACE
|
|
|
0x21
|
33
|
EXCLAMATION MARK
|
!
|
|
0x22
|
34
|
QUOTATION MARK
|
“
|
|
0x23
|
35
|
NUMBER SIGN
|
#
|
|
0x24
|
36
|
CURRENCY SIGN
|
¤
|
|
0x25
|
37
|
PERCENT SIGN
|
%
|
|
0x26
|
38
|
AMPERSAND
|
&
|
|
0x27
|
39
|
APOSTROPHE
|
‘
|
|
0x28
|
40
|
LEFT PARENTHESIS
|
(
|
|
0x29
|
41
|
RIGHT PARENTHESIS
|
)
|
|
0x2A
|
42
|
ASTERISK
|
*
|
|
0x2B
|
43
|
PLUS SIGN
|
+
|
|
0x2C
|
44
|
COMMA
|
,
|
|
0x2D
|
45
|
HYPHEN-MINUS
|
–
|
|
0x2E
|
46
|
FULL STOP
|
.
|
|
0x2F
|
47
|
SOLIDUS(SLASH)
|
/
|
|
0x30
|
48
|
DIGIT ZERO
|
0
|
|
0x31
|
49
|
DIGIT ONE
|
1
|
|
0x32
|
50
|
DIGIT TWO
|
2
|
|
0x33
|
51
|
DIGIT THREE
|
3
|
|
0x34
|
52
|
DIGIT FOUR
|
4
|
|
0x35
|
53
|
DIGIT FIVE
|
5
|
|
0x36
|
54
|
DIGIT SIX
|
6
|
|
0x37
|
55
|
DIGIT SEVEN
|
7
|
|
0x38
|
56
|
DIGIT EIGHT
|
8
|
|
0x39
|
57
|
DIGIT NINE
|
9
|
|
0x3A
|
58
|
COLON
|
:
|
|
0x3B
|
59
|
SEMICOLON
|
;
|
|
0x3C
|
60
|
LESS-THAN SIGN
|
<
|
|
0x3D
|
61
|
EQUALS SIGN
|
=
|
|
0x3E
|
62
|
GREATER-THAN SIGN
|
>
|
|
0x3F
|
63
|
QUESTION MARK
|
?
|
|
0x40
|
64
|
INVERTED EXCLAMATION MARK
|
¡
|
|
0x41
|
65
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A
|
A
|
|
0x42
|
66
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER B
|
B
|
|
0x43
|
67
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER C
|
C
|
|
0x44
|
68
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER D
|
D
|
|
0x45
|
69
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER E
|
E
|
|
0x46
|
70
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER F
|
F
|
|
0x47
|
71
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER G
|
G
|
|
0x48
|
72
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER H
|
H
|
|
0x49
|
73
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER I
|
I
|
|
0x4A
|
74
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER J
|
J
|
|
0x4B
|
75
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER K
|
K
|
|
0x4C
|
76
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER L
|
L
|
|
0x4D
|
77
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER M
|
M
|
|
0x4E
|
78
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER N
|
N
|
|
0x4F
|
79
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O
|
O
|
|
0x50
|
80
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER P
|
P
|
|
0x51
|
81
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Q
|
Q
|
|
0x52
|
82
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER R
|
R
|
|
0x53
|
83
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER S
|
S
|
|
0x54
|
84
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER T
|
T
|
|
0x55
|
85
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER U
|
U
|
|
0x56
|
86
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER V
|
V
|
|
0x57
|
87
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER W
|
W
|
|
0x58
|
88
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER X
|
X
|
|
0x59
|
89
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Y
|
Y
|
|
0x5A
|
90
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Z
|
Z
|
|
0x5B
|
91
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A WITH DIAERESIS
|
Ä
|
|
0x5C
|
92
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O WITH DIAERESIS
|
Ö
|
|
0x5D
|
93
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER N WITH TILDE
|
Ñ
|
|
0x5E
|
94
|
LATIN CAPITAL LETTER U WITH DIAERESIS
|
Ü
|
|
0x5F
|
95
|
SECTION SIGN
|
§
|
|
0x60
|
96
|
INVERTED QUESTION MARK
|
¿
|
|
0x61
|
97
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER A
|
a
|
|
0x62
|
98
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER B
|
b
|
|
0x63
|
99
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER C
|
c
|
|
0x64
|
100
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER D
|
d
|
|
0x65
|
101
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER E
|
e
|
|
0x66
|
102
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER F
|
f
|
|
0x67
|
103
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER G
|
g
|
|
0x68
|
104
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER H
|
h
|
|
0x69
|
105
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER I
|
i
|
|
0x6A
|
106
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER J
|
j
|
|
0x6B
|
107
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER K
|
k
|
|
0x6C
|
108
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER L
|
l
|
|
0x6D
|
109
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER M
|
m
|
|
0x6E
|
110
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER N
|
n
|
|
0x6F
|
111
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER O
|
o
|
|
0x70
|
112
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER P
|
p
|
|
0x71
|
113
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER Q
|
q
|
|
0x72
|
114
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER R
|
r
|
|
0x73
|
115
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER S
|
s
|
|
0x74
|
116
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER T
|
t
|
|
0x75
|
117
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER U
|
u
|
|
0x76
|
118
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER V
|
v
|
|
0x77
|
119
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER W
|
w
|
|
0x78
|
120
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER X
|
x
|
|
0x79
|
121
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER Y
|
y
|
|
0x7A
|
122
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER Z
|
z
|
|
0x7B
|
123
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER A WITH DIAERESIS
|
ä
|
|
0x7C
|
124
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER O WITH DIAERESIS
|
ö
|
|
0x7D
|
125
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER N WITH TILDE
|
ñ
|
|
0x7E
|
126
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH DIAERESIS
|
ü
|
|
0x7F
|
127
|
LATIN SMALL LETTER A WITH GRAVE
|
à
|
The Extended GSM character set
You can send some additional characters using the <ESC> (0x1B) code in the above table, plus an extra character. These additional characters, known as the Extended GSM character set, require two standard GSM characters for each extended GSM character because they use the escape character prefix.
Some characters might not display correctly
This is because of handset limitations.
|
Hex
|
Decimal
|
Character name
|
Supported character
|
|
0x1B65
|
27 101
|
EURO SIGN
|
€
|
|
0x1B0A
|
27 10
|
FORM FEED
|
<FF> |
|
0x1B3C
|
27 60
|
LEFT SQUARE BRACKET
|
[
|
|
0x1B2F
|
27 47
|
REVERSE SOLIDUS(BACKSLASH)
|
\
|
|
0x1B3E
|
27 62
|
RIGHT SQUARE BRACKET
|
]
|
|
0x1B14
|
27 20
|
CIRCUMFLEX ACCENT
|
^
|
|
0x1B28
|
27 40
|
LEFT CURLY BRACKET
|
{
|
|
0x1B40
|
27 64
|
VERTICAL BAR
|
|
|
|
0x1B29
|
27 41
|
RIGHT CURLY BRACKET
|
}
|
|
0x1B3D
|
27 61
|
TILDE
|
~
|