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Text messaging

technology Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Text messaging is a way to send electronic notes between people.

Funny text message conversation
Funny text message conversation

You can use many different devices to do this. These include mobile phones, tablets, and even smartwatches. Most messages use letters and numbers. Some messages use the Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS. This allows you to send pictures, videos, and sounds. You can also send emoji, which are small icons like happy faces.

SMS composition on feature phone
SMS composition on feature phone

Texting works in a few different ways. You can send messages over a cellular network. You can also send them through the Internet or by satellite. Many people use the Short Message Service, known as SMS. This is a system that sends small bits of data. Modern apps like WhatsApp or Signal also allow for instant messaging. These apps often use the Internet to send your notes quickly.

Whatsapp chatting outdoor 20180808
Whatsapp chatting outdoor 20180808

People have been sending text messages for a long time. In the early 1800s, the electrical telegraph sent text signals. Later, the wireless telegraph used radio waves to send messages. In 1984, a man named Friedhelm Hillebrand helped plan SMS. He sat at a typewriter to count letters and spaces. He found that most messages were under 160 characters long. This discovery created the character limit we often see today.

SillyModernSociety
SillyModernSociety

History shows us when the first real text was sent. On December 3, 1992, Neil Papworth sent the first SMS. He was a 22-year-old engineer using a computer. The message said "Merry Christmas" to Richard Jarvis. In 1994, a company in Finland offered the first commercial service. By the end of 2007, 2.4 billion people used SMS worldwide. This was about 74 percent of all mobile phone users.

iPhone Text Message Amber Alert 1882467856 o
iPhone Text Message Amber Alert 1882467856 o

Texting is a very helpful tool in our daily lives. It is a quick way to talk to friends or family. It is also good when a phone call is not polite. You might text if someone is busy with work or family. You can even use texts to talk to automated systems. Some people even use them to control things in their homes.

Textinginclass
Textinginclass
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🖼️ Images & Media (11)
File:SMS composition on feature phone.png
SMS composition on feature phone.png
File:Funny text message conversation.png
Funny text message conversation.png
File:Whatsapp chatting outdoor 20180808.jpg
Whatsapp chatting outdoor 20180808.jpg
File:iPhone Text Message Amber Alert 1882467856 o.jpg
iPhone Text Message Amber Alert 1882467856 o.jpg
File:SMS roaming welcome messages - Redvers.jpg
SMS roaming welcome messages - Redvers.jpg
File:SillyModernSociety.jpg
SillyModernSociety.jpg
File:Cell phone use while driving.jpg
Cell phone use while driving.jpg
File:Textinginclass.jpg
Textinginclass.jpg
File:Threatening text - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg
Threatening text - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg
File:Text messaging used to provide encouragement to quit smoking.png
Text messaging used to provide...
File:Left on read.jpg
Left on read.jpg
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