Table of Contents
- What we know about overall SMS traffic in the U.S.
- What holiday data tells us about December
- Why we still can’t say December is the top SMS month
- What indirect evidence suggests about December
- What data we would need to answer the question for sure
- What the December SMS surge means for businesses
- What it means for consumers
- Final Verdict
Texting still sits at the center of daily communication in the U.S. People use it to plan, share news, coordinate schedules and stay connected. Although new messaging apps keep growing, SMS remains a steady, familiar channel. Because of that, one question often comes up: does SMS traffic hit its peak in December?
The idea makes sense at first. December brings holidays, family gatherings and nonstop retail activity. People send greetings, confirm travel and react to last-minute deals. Yet the truth isn’t as simple as it seems. To answer the question, we need to look at what we know, what we don’t, and what patterns actually show.
What we know about overall SMS traffic in the U.S.
Americans send billions of texts every month. As of recent reports, U.S. smartphone users exchanged roughly two trillion SMS and MMS messages in a single year. These numbers confirm that texting remains a core habit, despite the rise of app-based messaging.
People also open texts fast. Many read them within minutes. That speed keeps businesses invested in SMS for alerts, confirmations and marketing. It also shows that texting still holds attention better than many other channels.
Still, these facts tell us nothing about which months lead in total SMS volume.
What holiday data tells us about December
Even though we lack full monthly datasets, we do have a few important clues. One of them stands out: Christmas is often the busiest texting day of the entire year. New Year’s Day usually follows close behind. These spikes make sense. People exchange greetings, coordinate gatherings and share quick updates all day long.
Retail also drives huge SMS spikes in late November and December. Promotions, shipping alerts and reminders hit inboxes hard. Many brands send more SMS during the holiday season than during any other month. Because of this combined personal and commercial activity, December likely sees a surge.
However, a single busy day doesn’t confirm a busy month. We need sustained volume, not just isolated spikes, to claim December as the leader.
Why we still can’t say December is the top SMS month
Although December seems like a strong candidate, we can’t call it the peak month with absolute certainty. Here’s why.
First, no public dataset breaks down U.S. SMS traffic by month at a national scale. Carriers keep detailed numbers internal. Public reports focus on yearly totals or single-day highs. As a result, we can’t compare month-to-month totals.
Second, communication habits keep shifting. People now send many of their messages through apps, not SMS. That shift creates uneven patterns. Even if December sees heavy texting, some people may move these messages to WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook Messenger or other tools. Because of that, traditional SMS volume may not reflect real activity.
Third, business campaigns vary. Some brands send most of their promotions in November for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Others push in December. Since strategies differ, no single pattern applies to all industries.
For these reasons, we cannot prove December is the busiest overall month — even if parts of the month clearly break records.
What indirect evidence suggests about December
December still shows several signals that point to high SMS traffic.
The holiday retail push
Retail activity peaks at the end of the year. Brands want attention, and SMS delivers speed. Promotions, order updates, shipping alerts and reminders all spike during the holiday season. This push increases overall message volume. It also spreads across many sectors, from retail and travel to food delivery and entertainment.
Even so, not every industry follows the same timeline. That makes the broader picture uneven.
Personal holiday communication
Personal messaging jumps during December. Friends check in. Relatives send greetings. Travelers share updates. Families coordinate plans. All of this creates more SMS activity than usual.
Still, a burst of holiday messages does not guarantee a full month of elevated traffic. It may create a strong peak without lifting the entire month.
The shift from SMS to apps
Messaging apps complicate everything. People who once sent holiday greetings by SMS may now use group chats instead. As this trend grows, SMS traffic may flatten even during busy social moments.
Because of this, December may feel busy while still showing fewer SMS than older years.
What data we would need to answer the question for sure
To settle the debate, carriers or industry groups would need to release:
- Monthly SMS totals across major U.S. providers
- Multi-year data to see long-term patterns
- Separate data for personal, business and marketing messages
- Information on how app-based messaging affects SMS seasonality
Without this information, we can only make informed guesses.
What the December SMS surge means for businesses
Even without perfect data, December still offers clear lessons for marketers and businesses.
For one, holiday messaging works best when helpful and well-timed. High volume means people get overwhelmed fast. Clear, simple messages tend to perform better than aggressive promotions.
It also helps to segment audiences. Not everyone wants the same holiday content. Sending fewer, smarter messages reduces opt-outs and improves results.
Finally, scheduling matters. Early December often performs better than the final holiday rush, when inboxes overflow.
What it means for consumers
Consumers can expect more SMS volume around the holidays. People reach out more often. Brands send more alerts. Travel changes and shopping updates also add to the flow.
Because of this, consumers should manage notifications, clean up subscriptions and opt out of unnecessary messages. The holidays feel smoother with less noise.
Final Verdict
December brings strong activity, clear spikes and high engagement. Christmas and New Year’s create two of the busiest texting days of the year. Retail and travel also add to the load. Because of this, December almost certainly ranks among the top SMS months.
Still, we cannot claim it sits at the very top. The lack of public monthly data, the shift to app-based messaging and the spread of holiday campaigns across November and December leave the answer open.
So the best conclusion is this: December is likely a top-tier month for SMS in the U.S., but we cannot confirm it as number one.
