What are binary SMS messages?

Binary SMS messages are used to send data, usually rich content or small files, in addition to transferring telephone system settings, ringtones, and WAP-Push messages.

Technically, a binary SMS is actually an XML-formatted text SMS made up of up to 140 bytes of data. This data is split into two distinct parts – the user data header (UDH) and the message data. UDH notifies mobile phones about the type of data in the message, defining the type of content being sent.

How do I send a binary SMS? (for developers)

To send a binary message, you need to specify in your request:

type — Set to “binary” content — The binary content in hexadecimal udh — Include if your message has a User Data Header

JSON example (to UK number)

XML example (to US number)

Jan 6th, 2022
1 min read

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