MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service, and it is a type of texting that involves media such as videos, images, GIFs, and audio, and up to 1,600 characters. Whenever you send a text with an attached file, like a picture, video, emoji, or a website link, youre sending an MMS. In contrast, SMS stands for Short Message Service, and it is a way to send text-only messages of up to 160 characters between phones.

On Android devices, you can send and receive both SMS and MMS messages through the Messages app. Messages are considered texts and dont count toward your data usage. Your data usage is also free when you turn on chat features. You can send texts over Wi-Fi even if you don’t have cell service, and if youre not connected to Wi-Fi, make sure cellular data is turned on.

The biggest differences between SMS and MMS messages go beyond the visual elements and MMS’ ability to include media. SMS messages are best for quick text-based alerts or notices, while MMS messages are better for sending multimedia content. Almost all devices support both SMS and MMS, so you usually don’t need to stick to one over the other.