MMS — Multimedia Messaging Service
What is MMS?
MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is the carrier standard for sending messages that include images, video, audio, or longer text than a single SMS segment allows, delivered to the recipient's native messaging app the same way SMS is. Businesses use MMS to send richer marketing and notification content — a product photo, a boarding pass, a signed document — without requiring the recipient to install a separate app, though carrier size and format limits still apply.
More detail
MMS messages are typically capped by carrier at a few hundred kilobytes to a few megabytes per message, and oversized media is often auto-compressed or replaced with a download link.
Unlike RCS, MMS does not carry read receipts or typing indicators — it is a one-way delivery of richer media over the same carrier messaging rails as SMS.
Frequently asked
- What's the difference between MMS and RCS?
- Both deliver media-rich messages to a phone's native app, but RCS adds read receipts, typing indicators, and verified branding on top, while MMS is a simpler carrier standard limited to media attachments and longer text.
- Is there a size limit on MMS attachments?
- Yes — carriers typically cap MMS payloads at a few hundred kilobytes up to a few megabytes, and oversized media is commonly downsized automatically or delivered as a link instead.
See also
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