Editing SMS (section)

== Contemporary usage ==
[[File:SMS messages sent monthly in USA (in billions).svg|thumb|SMS messages sent monthly in the U.S. from 2001 to 2008 (in billions)]]{{See also|Text messaging}}{{Bar chart|title=|label_type=<small>Country</small>|data_type=<small>Monthly messages sent per mobile subscriber (2003)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://mashable.com/2010/08/17/text-messaging-infographic/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818061154/http://mashable.com/2010/08/17/text-messaging-infographic/ | archive-date=2010-08-18 | title=The Rise of Text Messaging &#91;INFOGRAPHIC&#93; | website=[[Mashable]] | date=17 August 2010 }}</ref><ref name=":2" /></small>|bar_width=10|width_units=em|data_max=200|label1=<small>Philippines</small>|data1=195|label2=<small>South Korea</small>|data2=120|label3=<small>Ireland</small>|data3=79|label4=<small>Croatia</small>|data4=72|label5=<small>Indonesia</small>|data5=68|label6=<small>France</small>|data6=19|float=right|data7=13|label7=<small>United States</small>}}
SMS has become a large commercial industry, earning $114.6&nbsp;billion globally in 2010.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Matthews |first1=Charles H. |title=Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Competency Framework |last2=Brueggemann |first2=Ralph |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-415-74252-8 |edition=First |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=New York |oclc=893453493 }}</ref> In the year 2002, 366 billion SMS text messages were sent globally,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2003-07-16 |title=Etisalat launches MMS service |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/etisalat-launches-mms-service |access-date=2024-08-04 |newspaper=[[Khaleej Times]] |language=en }}</ref> a number that rose to 6.1 trillion (6.1 × 10<sup>12</sup>) in 2010.<ref name="itu" /> In 2015, the actual cost of sending an SMS in Australia was found to be $0.00016 per SMS.<ref>{{cite web |last=Han |first=Esther |date=May 6, 2015 |title=Cheaper mobile calls and text as ACCC moves to slash wholesale fees |url=http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/cheaper-mobile-calls-and-text-as-accc-moves-to-slash-wholesale-fees-20150506-ggv540.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508193055/http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/cheaper-mobile-calls-and-text-as-accc-moves-to-slash-wholesale-fees-20150506-ggv540.html |archive-date=May 8, 2015 |access-date=May 6, 2015 |via=The Age}}</ref> The global SMS messaging business was estimated to be worth over [[US$]]240 billion in 2013, accounting for almost half of all revenue generated by mobile messaging.<ref>{{cite web |author=Portio Research |title=Mobile Messaging Futures 2014-20148 |url=http://www.portioresearch.com/en/messaging-reports/mobile-messaging-research/mobile-messaging-futures-2014-2018.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208180248/http://www.portioresearch.com/en/messaging-reports/mobile-messaging-research/mobile-messaging-futures-2014-2018.aspx |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=September 28, 2016}}</ref>

The popularity of SMS also led to the spontaneous creation of the so-called '[[SMS language]]' phenomenon, where words are shortened in order to deal with the 160 character limit of SMS messages.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC News {{!}} E-CYCLOPEDIA {{!}} Txt msging: Th shp of thngs 2 cm? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/444089.stm |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> Usage of SMS for mobile data services became increasingly prominent in the early 2000s due to its ubiquity, reliability, and cold reception of the newer [[Wireless Application Protocol|WAP]] standard.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-04-13 |title=SMS: Mobile data's dark horse hits its stride |url=https://www.idg.net/idgns/2001/03/02/SMSMobileDatasDarkHorseHits.shtml |access-date=2024-08-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010413115619/https://www.idg.net/idgns/2001/03/02/SMSMobileDatasDarkHorseHits.shtml |archive-date=2001-04-13 |url-status=dead}}</ref> (see ''Premium-rated services'' below). In the early and mid 2000s, [[Multimedia Messaging Service]] (MMS) was developed as an improved version of SMS that supports sending of pictures and video.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2002-05-13 |title=It's a hamster on your mobile. Or possibly Kylie |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2000/dot_life/1984162.stm |access-date=2024-08-02 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

SMS has been increasingly challenged by [[Internet Protocol]]-based messaging services with additional features for modern mobile devices, such as [[Facebook Messenger]], [[WhatsApp]], [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]], or [[WeChat]].<ref>{{cite web |date=13 June 2011 |title=The death of SMS is exaggerated |url=http://www.phonearena.com/news/The-death-of-SMS-has-been-greatly-exaggerated_id19493 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109033416/http://www.phonearena.com/news/The-death-of-SMS-has-been-greatly-exaggerated_id19493 |archive-date=9 January 2012 |access-date=25 November 2011}}</ref> These services run independently from [[mobile network operator]]s and typically don't provide cross-platform messaging capabilities like SMS or [[email]] does.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Junge |first=Jack |date=2017-02-27 |title=RCS: Next Generation SMS |url=https://gatewayapi.com/blog/rcs-next-generation-sms/ |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=GatewayAPI |language=en-US}}</ref> For example, between 2010 and 2022, SMS telecom revenue in India dropped 94 percent, while "revenue share per user from data usage...grew over 10 times.",<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-09 |title=Online apps slash telecoms revenue: 80% decline in voice calls, 94% drop in SMS in 10 years |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/technology/trai-paper-says-online-apps-slash-telecoms-revenue-80-decline-in-voice-calls-94-drop-in-sms-in-10-years-101688893671538.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111191508/https://www.hindustantimes.com/technology/trai-paper-says-online-apps-slash-telecoms-revenue-80-decline-in-voice-calls-94-drop-in-sms-in-10-years-101688893671538.html |archive-date=2023-11-11 |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> although in some regions such as North America SMS continues to be used by over 80 percent of the population as of 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brouwers |first=Christel |title=SMS: Popularity, Statistics, and Use Cases |url=https://www.cm.com/blog/how-popular-is-sms/ |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=CM.com |language=en}}</ref> In order to create a modern successor to SMS that isn't run by a single company and is fully interoperable between devices, industry figures have created the [[Rich Communication Services|RCS]] 'Universal Profile' initiative.<ref name=":1" /> It was supported by Apple when [[iOS]] 18 came out in 2024, which will mean that virtually all new mobile phones (iOS and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] platforms) will have RCS texting capabilities, though this may also depend on if the network operator supports it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RCS Messaging Finally Lands on Your iPhone With the iOS 18 Public Betas |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/rcs-messaging-finally-lands-on-your-iphone-with-the-ios-18-public-betas/ |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=CNET |language=en}}</ref>

=== Premium-rated services ===<!-- linked from redirect [[Mobile purchasing]] -->
{{See also|Reverse SMS billing|Short code}}

SMS may be used to provide [[premium rate telephone number|premium rate services]] to subscribers of a network.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Rossignuolo |first=Vincenza |date=2021 |title=SMS codes [Explained] |url=https://www.smsglobal.com/blog/sms-codes-explained/ |website=SMSglobal}}</ref> Today, they are also used to pay smaller payments online—for example, for file-sharing services, in mobile application stores, or VIP section entrance. Outside the online world, one can buy a bus ticket or beverages.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC News {{!}} UK {{!}} Text messaging grows up |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/916337.stm |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

=== Other uses ===
[[File:Landline text messaging.JPG|thumb|A [[Siemens]] [[landline]] [[DECT]] telephone that is capable of SMS]]Additionally, an intermediary service can facilitate a [[text-to-voice]] conversion to be sent to [[landline]]s.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kelly |first=Heather |date=December 3, 2012 |title=OMG, The Text Message Turns 20. But has SMS peaked? |url=https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/tech/mobile/sms-text-message-20/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127015927/https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/03/tech/mobile/sms-text-message-20/index.html |archive-date=January 27, 2021 |access-date=December 22, 2020 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

In 2014, Caktus Group<ref>{{cite web |title=Caktus Group |url=https://www.caktusgroup.com/case-study/worlds-first-sms-voter-registration-system/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222110329/https://www.caktusgroup.com/case-study/worlds-first-sms-voter-registration-system/ |archive-date=2017-02-22 |access-date=2017-02-21}}</ref> developed the world's first SMS-based voter registration system in Libya. As of February 2015 more than 1.5 million people have registered using that system, providing Libyan voters with unprecedented access to the democratic process.<ref>{{cite web |title=Libya's Election Ushers in New Voter Tech |url=https://worldpolicy.org/blog/2014/06/25/libyas-election-ushers-new-voter-tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707133610/https://worldpolicy.org/blog/2014/06/25/libyas-election-ushers-new-voter-tech |archive-date=July 7, 2014 |access-date=June 14, 2015 |publisher=World Policy Institute}}</ref>

==== Flash SMS ====
A Flash SMS is a type of SMS that appears directly on the main screen without user interaction and is not automatically stored in the inbox.<ref>{{cite web |title=SMS types on routomessaging.com |url=http://www.routomessaging.com/message-sms-types.pmx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130505115257/http://www.routomessaging.com/message-sms-types.pmx |archive-date=May 5, 2013 |access-date=February 20, 2016}}</ref> It can be useful in [[emergency|emergencies]], such as a [[Fire alarm system|fire alarm]] or cases of [[confidentiality]], as in delivering [[one-time password]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Flash SMS |url=http://www.sms-wiki.org/p_28-flash-sms.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818052517/http://www.sms-wiki.org/p_28-flash-sms.html |archive-date=August 18, 2015 |access-date=June 14, 2015}}</ref>

==== Silent SMS ====
In 2010, almost half a million silent SMS messages were sent by the German federal police, customs and the federal domestic intelligence service [[Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution|Verfassungsschutz]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reitman |first1=Rainey |date=10 January 2012 |title=Privacy Roundup: Mandatory Data Retention, Smart Meter Hacks, and Law Enforcement Usage of Silent SMS |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/01/privacy-roundup-mandatory-data-retention-smart-meter-hacks-and-law-enforcement |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215071621/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/01/privacy-roundup-mandatory-data-retention-smart-meter-hacks-and-law-enforcement |archive-date=15 February 2015 |access-date=15 February 2015 |publisher=[[Electronic Frontier Foundation]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Zoll, BKA und Verfassungsschutz verschickten 2010 über 440.000 "stille SMS" &#124; heise online |date=13 December 2011 |url=http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Zoll-BKA-und-Verfassungsschutz-verschickten-2010-ueber-440-000-stille-SMS-1394593.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302053002/http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Zoll-BKA-und-Verfassungsschutz-verschickten-2010-ueber-440-000-stille-SMS-1394593.html |archive-date=March 2, 2013 |access-date=February 24, 2013 |publisher=Heise.de}}</ref> These silent messages, also known as silent TMS, stealth SMS, stealth ping or Short Message Type 0,<ref>{{cite web |date=September 2015 |title=3GPP TS 51.010-1 version 12.5.0 Release 12 |url=http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/151000_151099/15101001/12.05.00_60/ts_15101001v120500p.pdf#page=3419 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424000419/http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/151000_151099/15101001/12.05.00_60/ts_15101001v120500p.pdf#page=3419 |archive-date=April 24, 2017 |access-date=April 23, 2017 |publisher=[[ETSI]] |pages=3418–3423}}</ref> are used to locate a person and thus to create a complete movement profile. They do not show up on a display, nor trigger any acoustical signal when received.  Their primary purpose was to deliver special services of the network operator to any cell phone.

==== SMS bombs ====
In March 2001, Dutch police in [[Amsterdam]] attempted to fight increasing cell phone theft by sending an SMS every three minutes to a phone that has been reported stolen, with the message "This handset was nicked, buying or selling is a crime. The police."<ref>{{Cite web |title=CNN.com - SMS bombs nominated for crime-fighting prize - August 30, 2001 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2001/TECH/industry/08/30/sms.crime.fighter.idg/index.html |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-04-13 |title=Dutch police fight cell phone theft with SMS bombs |url=https://www.idg.net/idgns/2001/03/27/DutchPoliceFightsCellPhoneTheft.shtml |access-date=2024-08-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010413120547/https://www.idg.net/idgns/2001/03/27/DutchPoliceFightsCellPhoneTheft.shtml |archive-date=2001-04-13 |url-status=dead}}</ref>