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Fragglemoo
New Contributor
June 3, 2026
Solved

Emojis

Do emojis in sms get charged extra?

    Gemma M
    Gemma MAnswer
    iD Mobile Employee
    June 4, 2026

    Hi ​@Fragglemoo,

     

    Thanks for getting in touch.

     

    No, emojis themselves are not charged extra when sending SMS messages.

     

    However, emojis can change how a message is encoded. A standard text message uses a 160-character limit, but when emojis are included, the message is often sent in a different format, which reduces the number of characters per message segment. This means a long message with emojis may use more than one SMS.

     

    If you’re not on an inclusive SMS allowance, this can result in out-of-plan charges per message segment, depending on your tariff.

     

    To avoid unexpected charges, it’s a good idea to:

    • Keep messages short if sending multiple emojis
    • Check your allowance in the iD Mobile app or online account
    • Refer to your plan details for SMS costs outside your allowance

     

    You can also read about standard out-of-plan charges here: https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-support/call-charges

     

    Regards,

     

    Gemma M 

    The iD Mobile Social Media Team

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    8 replies

    Gemma M
    iD Mobile Employee
    Gemma MAnswer
    iD Mobile Employee
    June 4, 2026

    Hi ​@Fragglemoo,

     

    Thanks for getting in touch.

     

    No, emojis themselves are not charged extra when sending SMS messages.

     

    However, emojis can change how a message is encoded. A standard text message uses a 160-character limit, but when emojis are included, the message is often sent in a different format, which reduces the number of characters per message segment. This means a long message with emojis may use more than one SMS.

     

    If you’re not on an inclusive SMS allowance, this can result in out-of-plan charges per message segment, depending on your tariff.

     

    To avoid unexpected charges, it’s a good idea to:

    • Keep messages short if sending multiple emojis
    • Check your allowance in the iD Mobile app or online account
    • Refer to your plan details for SMS costs outside your allowance

     

    You can also read about standard out-of-plan charges here: https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-support/call-charges

     

    Regards,

     

    Gemma M 

    The iD Mobile Social Media Team

    Did my comment help answer your question? If so, don't forget to mark the response as the Most Helpful Answer.
    New Contributor
    FragglemooAuthor
    New Contributor
    June 4, 2026

    Thank you, that was the total opposite to what your CS said last night.

    iD Mobile Employee
    Michael Z
    iD Mobile Employee
    June 5, 2026

    Hi ​@Fragglemoo 

     

    Thank you for your understanding, and I apologise if the explanation provided by Customer Service was unclear or caused any confusion.

    If you have any further questions regarding the matter, please let us know and we will be happy to help.

     

    -Michael Z

    Did my comment help answer your question? If so, don't forget to mark the response as the Most Helpful Answer.
      New Contributor
      FragglemooAuthor
      New Contributor
      June 5, 2026

      Thank you, my other messaging question is why RCS messaging won't verify my mobile number. I ported it into  ID on Wednesday, again customer service fobbed me off after doing all the troubleshooting. It's still verifying... It worked fine before I moved over to ID mobile. 

      iD Mobile Employee
      Michael Z
      iD Mobile Employee
      June 5, 2026

      Hi ​@Fragglemoo ,

       

      Sorry to hear that.

       

      Can you tell me the make and model of your phone please.

       

      -Michael Z

      Did my comment help answer your question? If so, don't forget to mark the response as the Most Helpful Answer.
      New Contributor
      FragglemooAuthor
      New Contributor
      June 5, 2026

      Samsung galaxy s26 ultra 

       

      Thanks 

      iD Mobile Employee
      Michael Z
      iD Mobile Employee
      June 6, 2026

      Hi ​@Fragglemoo 

       

      I am unsure what troubleshooting steps have already been completed, but if you have not yet tried the following, please do so as it may help resolve the issue.

      These steps resolve most “stuck on verifying” cases after porting to iD Mobile:

      Reset RCS (Google Messages):

      Go to https://messages.google.com/disable-chat
      Enter your number and select Disable RCS
      Wait 10–30 minutes
      Restart your phone
      Open Google Messages → Settings → RCS chats
      Turn RCS chats ON again

      Clear cached data and reset registration:

      On your Samsung S26 Ultra:

      Go to Settings → Apps → Google Messages
      Tap Storage → Clear Cache and Data
      Go back to Apps → Carrier Services
      Tap Storage → Clear Cache and Data

      Then:

      Restart your phone
      Open Messages again and try reactivating RCS

       

      -Michael Z

      Did my comment help answer your question? If so, don't forget to mark the response as the Most Helpful Answer.
      New Contributor
      FragglemooAuthor
      New Contributor
      June 6, 2026

      Thanks but I've done that so many times over the last few days and it hasn't worked. Google told me it's  something to do with network provisioning on your side. 

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