MIKROTIK · UNICODE SMS DECODER
RouterOS SMS showing
question marks?
Paste your RouterOS inbox output to recover Chinese and other Unicode SMS, join available parts of long messages, and read everything locally in your browser.
Open your RouterOS terminal
Use Terminal in WinBox, WebFig, or SSH.
Copy the complete inbox
Run the command below, then copy all of its output.
Paste. Decode. Read.
Recover text and reassemble available message segments.
Terminal output
Paste the full output, including every pdu field.
Your messages stay in this tab. They are never uploaded or saved.
Decoded inbox
0Readable messages, with the original data a click away.
| Sender / time | Message | Status |
|---|---|---|
Your messages belong here.Paste your inbox on the left, or try the example to see question marks become readable text. | ||
RouterOS SMS decoding FAQ
Why are my MikroTik SMS garbled or showing question marks in WinBox?+
RouterOS can replace Unicode characters with question marks in the SMS message field, making Chinese and other text unreadable in WinBox. If the original PDU still contains the text, this tool can decode it. Reading it here does not change the display in WinBox or your router settings.
How can I read Chinese or Unicode SMS from RouterOS?+
Run /tool/sms/inbox/print detail without-paging in the WinBox or WebFig terminal, or over SSH. Paste the entire output here, including every pdu field, and select Decode messages. The tool decodes GSM-7 and UCS-2 in your browser; no router credentials are needed.
Why is a long RouterOS SMS incomplete, and can I join its parts?+
RouterOS lists long SMS as separate segments. Copy all inbox records so this tool can join matching parts in order. Missing parts are marked, and conflicting segments remain separate. Text from a segment that was deleted or is absent from the output cannot be recovered.
Where does my SMS data go?+
Decoding runs entirely in your browser. Messages are never uploaded or written to browser storage; closing this tab removes the input. The site uses Google Analytics and cookies to measure visits and site interactions. SMS text, phone numbers, PDU and search input are not sent to Analytics. After the first successful online load, the PWA works offline and updates silently when online.