Emily Clarke

MMS vs. SMS

It's no secret that smartphones have changed the way the world communicates. In the past, the idea of being able to call virtually anyone in the world from virtually anywhere on the planet was unthinkable, but today, this is a reality. These days, you don't even need to make a phone call to communicate with someone using a smartphone. Text messages are a common method of communication using digital devices, and these handy message options let you send text, pictures and video to other smartphones, email addresses and messaging apps.

If you've ever used text messaging, you may have seen the acronym SMS before. This stands for short message service, and this is the official name for text messaging technology. There's another type of messaging, however, and that is similar but different.

Multimedia Messaging Service

MMS stands for multimedia messaging service, and this service is used to send pictures, video and audio through text messages. MMS messages use the same networks as text messages, but they are handled differently by cellular carriers. These message files are often larger compared to text messages because the attached multimedia they contain takes up more space.

In the past, cellular service providers often made customers sign up for a separate MMS service agreement if customers wanted to be able to send these types of messages. Today, virtually no carrier requires a separate MMS service agreement as these types of messages are included in bundled data plans. Although MMS messages are included in data plans, it can still take a long time to send an MMS message depending on the size of the file and the connection your smartphone has with your carrier's network.

Uses for SMS and MMS

As mentioned, SMS messages are used by people around the world to communicate daily. You might send a quick text to a friend to let them know you're running late to an event. An MMS message can be used to share interesting or important information while out and about. Instead of sending a text to let your friend know you're running late, you could make a short recording of yourself offering a personal apology and then send this video as an MMS message.

Author Resource:-

Emily Clarke writes about customer messaging and engagement solutions including SMS services and mobile notifications tools. You can find her thoughts at customer engagement blog.