--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The international limit on mobile…" description: "\"The international limit on mobile texting, or SMS, is 160 characters. We wanted Twitter to be entirely readable and writable on every single one of the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/682/biz-stone-4146_because_the-international-limit-on-mobile-textin_3212956.png" --- # The international limit on mobile texting, or SMS, is 160… ![“The international limit on mobile texting, or SMS, is 160 characters. We wanted Twitter to be entirely readable and writable on every single one of the over five billion mobile phones on this planet, because they all have SMS built in. So we said it has to be within 160 characters, all the tweets.” quote by Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/682/biz-stone-4146_because_the-international-limit-on-mobile-textin_3212956.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/682/biz-stone-4146_because_the-international-limit-on-mobile-textin_3212956.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/682/biz-stone-4146_because_the-international-limit-on-mobile-textin_3212956.png) > “The international limit on mobile texting, or SMS, is 160 characters. We wanted Twitter to be entirely readable and writable on every single one of the over five billion mobile phones on this planet, because they all have SMS built in. So we said it has to be within 160 characters, all the tweets.” [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The design constraint of 160 characters ensured Twitter works on any mobile phone with SMS capability. **In simple terms:** Short limit made Twitter universally accessible. Key Takeaway Design for universal accessibility. Themes technology design communication Mood pragmatic innovative Type strategic foundational When to use this quote - mobile messaging - global outreach - product design - user experience - platform scaling Key Concepts SMS constraints platform universality Questions to Reflect On - How does brevity shape content? - What trade‑offs arise from universal design? A Different Perspective Short limits can restrict expressive depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Mobile Phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mobile-phone/) [Phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phones/) [Planet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planet/) [Texting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texting/) [Twitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twitter/) ## Related quotes > [We are on a planet of seven billion people, five billion mobile subscriptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-conneally/we-are-on-a-planet-of-seven-billion-people-five-billion-mobile/) Paul Conneally > [Mobile Texting With 3% Battery Is A Lot Like The Band Playing While Titanic Sank...:)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock4u/mobile-texting-with-3-battery-is-a-lot-like-the-band-playing-while/) [Rock4u](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock4u/) > [Texting is a supremely secretive medium of communication - it's like passing a note - and this means we should be very careful what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/texting-is-a-supremely-secretive-medium-of-communication-it-s-like/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [I don't take part in texting and those other things myself, so I don't really know if people put as much thought into messaging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyne-daly/i-don-t-take-part-in-texting-and-those-other-things-myself-so-i-don-t/) [Tyne Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyne-daly/) > [I'd rather fiddle with my phone for precious seconds than neglect an apostrophe; I'd rather insert a word laboriously keyed out than resort to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/i-d-rather-fiddle-with-my-phone-for-precious-seconds-than-neglect-an/) [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) > [I thought about texting Lucas, but what would i say? That i'd tossed and turned all night, thinking of his hands on me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammara-webber/i-thought-about-texting-lucas-but-what-would-i-say-that-i-d-tossed/) [Tammara Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammara-webber/) > [Do NOT text me while I'm texting you back! Now I have to change my message.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-text-me-while-i-m-texting-you-back-now-i-have-to-change-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Its popularly practiced today that a guy should Text his girl First… If she could make an effort to Reply others, She could make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/its-popularly-practiced-today-that-a-guy-should-text-his-girl-first/) Unkown > [Last but not least my family. My brother Tony, I love you. Thank you for beating me up when I was a kid. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/last-but-not-least-my-family-my-brother-tony-i-love-you-thank-you-for/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [On Facebook, Twitter, texting, e-mails, remember, it's a mode of communication, it is not communication. It's not real life. So step aside, make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/on-facebook-twitter-texting-e-mails-remember-it-s-a-mode-of/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [I'm boRed out of my mind, so herE I Am, taLking to some of my friends in my contacts List. you are one, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guardian/i-m-bored-out-of-my-mind-so-here-i-am-talking-to-some-of-my-friends/) Guardian > [Most single people I know, myself included, have a difficult time even meeting up with the people they like, be it busy schedules, texting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aziz-ansari/most-single-people-i-know-myself-included-have-a-difficult-time-even/) [Aziz Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aziz-ansari/) > [The millennials were raised in a cocoon, their anxious parents afraid to let them go out in the park to play. So should we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/the-millennials-were-raised-in-a-cocoon-their-anxious-parents-afraid/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [Texting is apocalyptic on some level. It's a reduction of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/texting-is-apocalyptic-on-some-level-it-s-a-reduction-of-things/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [If you're texting Magnus to say 'I think u r kewl,' I'm going to kill you." "Who's Magnus?" Max inquired. "He's a warlock," said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/if-you-re-texting-magnus-to-say-i-think-u-r-kewl-i-m-going-to-kill/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## More by Biz Stone > [We can figure it out, it's not like we all have a disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/we-can-figure-it-out-it-s-not-like-we-all-have-a-disease/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [When a plane lands in the Hudson and there's a Twitter user on the ferry taking a picture of it, Boom. That's it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/when-a-plane-lands-in-the-hudson-and-there-s-a-twitter-user-on-the/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [It's important to credit the brave people that take chances to stand up to regimes. They're the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/it-s-important-to-credit-the-brave-people-that-take-chances-to-stand/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [Constraint inspires creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/constraint-inspires-creativity/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [We focus a lot on culture specifically at Twitter because of this spotlight, and of the fact that we don't want to end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/we-focus-a-lot-on-culture-specifically-at-twitter-because-of-this/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [There's a lot of social input when you put these things out there. People's ideas cross with other people's thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/there-s-a-lot-of-social-input-when-you-put-these-things-out-there/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [In any leadership position, you're always going to be disappointing somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/in-any-leadership-position-you-re-always-going-to-be-disappointing/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [The future of marketing is philanthropy,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/the-future-of-marketing-is-philanthropy/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [I never even graduated college. I never finished learning, as it were, and I have a psychological need to be in a learning environment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/i-never-even-graduated-college-i-never-finished-learning-as-it-were/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [I realized ceativity is a renewable resource. You never run out of good ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/i-realized-ceativity-is-a-renewable-resource-you-never-run-out-of/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [We realized we weren't really using Odeo, we weren't investing our own time creating podcasts. We were building a tool that was a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/we-realized-we-weren-t-really-using-odeo-we-weren-t-investing-our-own/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [I mean, even when it's really simple, there's so much amazing beautiful creativity that can come out of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/i-mean-even-when-it-s-really-simple-there-s-so-much-amazing-beautiful/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [“Your goals should be bigger than your ego,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/your-goals-should-be-bigger-than-your-ego/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [I've seen people twitter in haiku only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/i-ve-seen-people-twitter-in-haiku-only/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [When you think about email or IMing, why aren't you writing back? I can see your avatar, I know you're online, why aren't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/when-you-think-about-email-or-iming-why-aren-t-you-writing-back-i-can/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) [Explore all 115 Biz Stone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) ## More Because quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/) [Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/) [Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I was contacted by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, MP, through the Pune Film Institute and offered the post in the NFDC. I accepted it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-was-contacted-by-rajyavardhan-singh-rathore-mp-through-the-pune/) [Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) Browse all 15,485 Because quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The international limit on mobile texting, or SMS, is 160 characters. 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