To use WhatsApp, WeChat, and other OTT apps you need to download the respective application from the app store. While composing a text message, iOS automatically uses iMessage if it detects that the recipient’s phone number is used with an iPhone. IMessage is exclusively available on iOS and works through the Messages app on the iPhone. To send and receive texts using these apps, your device needs to be connected to the internet, either over WiFi or via a mobile internet connection. They’re called this because they do not require a cellular network connection, and use IP (internet protocols) instead. IMessage, Whatsapp, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and other messaging applications are often referred to as “Over The Top” (OTT) applications. While their maximum size depends on the carrier and the device receiving the message, 300 KB is often mentioned as the largest size most carriers will reliably handle. Unlike SMS, MMS messages do not have a standard limit. Most carriers today automatically chain these messages together to ensure they arrive in the order they are sent. If a message exceeds this limit, it is broken up into multiple segments of 160 characters each, depending on its length. Standard SMS messages are limited to 160 characters per message. It’s most popularly used to send pictures, but can also be used to send audio, phone contacts, and video files.īecause SMS and MMS are sent over a cellular network, they only require a wireless plan from cellular carriers to get started. It was built using the same technology as SMS to allow SMS users to send multimedia content.

MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service. It is also the most widespread and frequently used. Invented in the 1980s and defined in the 1985 GSM standards, it is one of the oldest texting technologies.

Whatsapp text message