Short Message Service (SMS) has been a staple of text messaging since the flip phone, but it may be time to let it evolve. SMS was created in 1992, back when cellphones could be mistaken for bricks.

What started as a curious implementation of existing cellular standards eventually grew into a huge part of our daily communication. Now, what comes next as the influence of SMS wanes? Share on ...

Taylor worked with AP from 2018 to 2025, most recently as Google Editor. The technology underpinning early mobile text messaging began development in the 1980s. The short message service (SMS) ...

The first SMS text message was sent on December 3, 1992. Part of an early Vodafone test, the message was sent from a computer to a GSM handset on the carrier’s network. That first text read: “Merry ...

A few years ago, we could only send plain text messages with 160 characters. There was no option to include any media or attachments, which kept the messages close to 140 bytes. But the Messages app ...

The entire world shifted from Short Message Service (SMS) to other chat services like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, etc. The feature-rich alternative messaging apps lured users and have been improving ...

Text messages, especially those with attachments like photos, videos, and GIFs, can consume significant storage space on your phone. On an iPhone, for instance, you can check the space taken up by ...

Ever wondered why your text messages sometimes fail to send, show up pixelated or don’t appear at all on the other person’s end? It might not be your phone, but your carrier’s messaging support.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Zak Doffman writes about security, surveillance and privacy. Updated on Dec. 3 with advice on other encrypted messaging platforms ...