The short message service center (SMSC) is the portion of a mobile phone network that handles text message operations. It is responsible for receiving, storing, routing and forwarding SMS messages ...

SMS (Short Message Service), commonly referred to as "text messaging," is a service for sending short messages of up to 160 characters (224 character limit if using a 5-bit mode) to mobile devices, ...

UPDATE (August 28, 2026): The Google Messages app is now getting custom chat themes. More info is available at the end of the article. Summary: Google Messages is a messaging service from the company ...

For years, the iPhone's two-tiered texting system has been a hot topic. iPhone-to-iPhone texts in the Messages app are blue, and enjoy full encryption and more robust media features, like animations.