Reading SMS Messages from Message Storage Using AT Commands (AT+CMGR, AT+CMGL) (2023)

Toenable a computer / PC to read SMS messages from a message storagearea, the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone has to support either of theAT commands +CMGR (command name in text: Read Messages) and +CMGL(command name in text: List Messages). The +CMGR AT command is usedto read an SMS message at a certain location of the message storagearea, while the +CMGL AT command is used to read SMS messages thathave a certain status from the message storage area. The status canbe "received unread", "received read", "storedunsent", "stored sent", etc. The +CMGL AT command alsoallows you to retrieve all SMS messages stored in the message storagearea.

Followingis an example for illustrating the difference between +CMGR and+CMGL. Suppose you want to use your computer / PC to read a textmessage from the message storage area and you know the index at whichthe SMS text message is located. In this case, you should use the+CMGR AT command. Here is the command line to be typed (assume theSMS text message is stored at index 3):

AT+CMGR=3

TheGSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone should return something like this:

+CMGR:"REC READ","+85291234567",,"07/02/18,00:12:05+32"
Hello,welcome to our SMS tutorial.

OK

Supposeyou are now in another situation. You want to use your computer / PCto retrieve all inbound SMS messages that have not been read before.In this case, you should use the +CMGL AT command. In SMS text mode,the command line to be used should be:

AT+CMGL="RECUNREAD"

TheGSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone should return something like this:

+CMGL:1,"REC UNREAD","+85291234567",,"07/02/18,00:05:10+32"
Readingtext messages is easy.
+CMGL: 2,"RECUNREAD","+85291234567",,"07/02/18,00:07:22+32"
Asimple demo of SMS text messaging.

OK

The+CMGL AT command can also be used to read all SMS messages stored inthe message storage area. To do so in SMS text mode, the command lineshould be:

AT+CMGL="ALL"

Thistime the response of the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone should besomething like this:

+CMGL:1,"REC READ","+85291234567",,"07/02/18,00:05:10+32"
Readingtext messages is easy.
+CMGL: 2,"RECREAD","+85291234567",,"07/02/18,00:07:22+32"
Asimple demo of SMS text messaging.
+CMGL: 3,"RECREAD","+85291234567",,"07/02/18,00:12:05+32"
Hello,welcome to our SMS tutorial.

OK

Asyou can see above, the +CMGR AT command can only be used to read oneSMS message at a time, while the +CMGL AT command can be used to readmultiple SMS messages at a time.

Anotherdifference between the AT commands +CMGR and +CMGL is that +CMGR canbe used to retrieve more message details than +CMGL when the GSM/GPRSmodem or mobile phone is operating in SMS text mode. Here are themessage details that can be retrieved by the +CMGR AT command in SMStext mode:

• Statusof the SMS message ("received unread", "receivedread", "stored unsent","stored sent", etc).

• Originator/recipientphone number stored in the SMS message header and the type of thephone number.

• Textassociated to the originator/recipient phone number in thephonebook.

• Timeand date at which the SMS message arrived at the SMSC (available toincoming SMS messages only).

• Thefirst octet (1 octet = 8 bits) of the TPDU (Transport Protocol DataUnit) of the SMS message.

• Theprotocol identifier value in the TPDU of the SMS message.

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• Thedata coding scheme value in the TPDU of the SMS message.

• SMSCnumber stored with the SMS message and the type of the SMSC number.

• Validityperiod of the SMS message (available to outgoing SMS messages only).

• Bodyof the SMS message and its length.

Hereare the message details that can be retrieved by the +CMGL AT commandin SMS text mode:

• Theindex specifying the location of the SMS message in the messagestorage area.

• Statusof the SMS message ("received unread", "receivedread", "stored unsent","stored sent", etc).

• Originator/recipientphone number stored in the SMS message header and the type of thephone number.

• Textassociated to the originator/recipient phone number in thephonebook.

• Timeand date at which the SMS message arrived at the SMSC (available toincoming SMS messages only).

• Bodyof the SMS message and its length.

Ifyou compare the above two lists, you will find that the followingmessage details can only be retrieved by the +CMGR AT command but notthe +CMGL AT command:

• Thefirst octet of the TPDU of the SMS message.

• Theprotocol identifier value in the TPDU of the SMS message.

• Thedata coding scheme value in the TPDU of the SMS message.

• SMSCnumber stored with the SMS message and the type of the SMSC number.

• Validityperiod of the SMS message (available to outgoing SMS messages only).

Note:If the GSM/GPRS modem or mobile phone is operating in SMS PDU mode,the message details that can be retrieved by +CMGR and +CMGL are thesame.

26.1. ComparisonTable of the AT Commands +CMGR and +CMGL

Thecomparison table below summarizes the differences between the ATcommands +CMGR and +CMGL that are discussed in the previous section.