SMS on Android stands for Short Message Service, which is a protocol that allows for the exchange of text messages between mobile devices over a cellular network. It is commonly known as texting and is used to send text- only messages of up to 160 characters between phones

. Android's official universal messaging platform, Messages, employs SMS and Rich Communication Services (RCS), and it is the default messaging app for Android and Wear OS mobile operating systems

. SMS messages can be sent and received through the Messages app on Android, and they are considered texts that don't count toward your data usage

. Unlike app-based messaging services, SMS does not require a data plan to send and receive messages