A complete guide to sending scheduled messages
Have you ever wondered if you can schedule a text on your phone, similar to how you can schedule an email or social media post? The answer is yes—but the process varies quite a bit depending on if you've got an Android or Apple phone. Keep reading to learn more.
[Edit]Text Message Scheduling Overview
- On Android, long press the send button to select a date and time to schedule your text for.
- For iOS 18, open an iMessage conversation, tap the next to the message field, and select .
- You can also download third-party apps to help you schedule texts on iPhone or iPad.
[Edit]Steps
[Edit]Scheduling a Text on Android
- Compose a text in the Messages app. In order to schedule a text, you must be on Android 7 or newer and you must be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data at the scheduled send time. If you're not connected, the message will be sent as soon as you have service again.[1]
- Tap and hold on the button. A menu will pop up titled Schedule send.
- Select a date and time to schedule your text for. You can select one of the options on the menu, or you can tap Pick date and time to select your own date and time.
- Tap the button. Your text will be sent once the scheduled date and time arrives.
- When you open a conversation with a scheduled text, you'll get a notification that there's a message scheduled.
- To edit a scheduled message, tap the Schedule button next to the text. You can then change the message's contents, send the message right away, or delete the message.
[Edit]Scheduling a Text on iOS 18
- Open the Messages app. With iOS 18, Apple has added the ability to schedule texts via iMessage up to two weeks in advance. iOS 18 will be available for the following iPhone models on September 16, 2024:[2]
- iPhone SE 2nd generation or later
- iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pr, and 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max
- Open an iMessage conversation. At this time, you can only schedule texts to other iPhone users, and you both must have iMessage turned on. To enable iMessage, go to Settings > Apps > Messages, then toggle on the iMessage option.
- Tap the next to the message field. A menu will pop up with all of the apps and features you can use in this message.
- Tap . It has an icon of a blue clock surrounded by a dashed line. After tapping, you will see a blue box above the message field with a date and time.
- Tap the blue box to change the scheduled date and time. You can schedule a text for up to two weeks in advance. Use the scroll dials to select the date and time you want to schedule the text for.
- The date and time automatically updates to whatever is selected on the scroll dials. Once you have the correct date and time selected, tap the message field to bring the keyboard back.
- Write the text message you want to send. When you are in the process of scheduling a message, you will notice the send button changes from a solid blue button with a white arrow to a transparent blue button with a solid blue arrow.
- If you decide you don't want to actually schedule the text, tap the x on the blue box to remove it.
- Tap the send button. Make sure the send button is transparent blue with a solid blue arrow. If it's not, and you don't see the blue box with the scheduled date and time, you will instead send the message immediately.
- Once you send the message, it will show up in the chat in a bubble with no background and a blue dashed outline. The text will also be blue. Despite showing up in the chat, the other user can't see the message until it is sent at the scheduled date and time.
- To edit or delete your scheduled text, tap the Edit button next to the scheduled "Send Later" time. A small menu will pop up with the options to Send Message, Edit Time, or Delete Message.
- Tap the next to the blue box. Once you've scheduled your message, the Send Later feature will still be active. To remove it and go back to normal texting, tap the x to close out of Send Later.
[Edit]iPhone Shortcuts App
- Open the Shortcuts app. If you are on iOS 12 or later, you can use the Shortcuts app to schedule a text.
- If you're on iOS 13 or later, Shortcuts are installed on your phone automatically. If you're on an iOS version earlier than 13, you can download the Shortcuts app from the App Store.
- While this method still works on iOS 18, the ability to schedule texts has been added into iOS 18. Jump back up to our method above to learn how.
- Tap the tab at the bottom of the screen. It's in between the Shortcuts and Gallery tabs and has an icon of a clock on it.
- Tap . If you already have some automations created, you won't see this button. Instead, tap the + in the upper-right corner.
- Tap and enter when you want to send your message. To create an automation for a scheduled message, you should select:
- Time of Day: Set this for the time you want your message to send.
- Monthly: Set this for the date you want your message to send.
- Run Immediately: This will run your automation as soon as the scheduled date and time arrives.
- Tap Next to continue to the next screen.
- Tap . It's at the top, next to Start Blank Automation. If you don't see this option, you can search for "Send Message" in the search bar, then select it.
- Tap the word and enter your message. This is instructing the automation what message it should send when the scheduled time arrives.
- Tap the word and enter who you're sending the message to. You can select one or multiple people to send this text to.
- Tap in the upper-right corner. Shortcuts will send your message at the scheduled date and time. If you want to edit your message before it sends, go back to your automation in the Shortcuts app and change things as needed.
- Note that this workaround creates an automation that will send the scheduled message once a month at the date and time you entered. If you only want to send the message one time, make sure to go into Shortcuts and disable the automation once the message has been sent.
[Edit]iPhone Reminders App
- Open the Reminders app. If you're on iOS 13 or later, you can use the Reminders app to remind yourself to send a text. It doesn't send a text for you, but it creates a reminder so that you remember to send the text later.
- While this method still works on iOS 18, the ability to schedule texts has been added into iOS 18. Jump back up to our method above to learn how.
- Tap the button. It's in the bottom-left of your screen.
- Write your reminder. Give the reminder a title so you know who you should be texting. You can even write the body of your text out in the "notes" section of the reminder so you don't have to do it later.
- Set a date and time for the reminder. You can do this by clicking the "i" button next to the reminder.
- Send the text when your phone sends you the reminder. If you wrote out the text in the notes of your reminder, you can send it directly from the Reminders app by doing the following:
- Open the reminder.
- Highlight the contents of the note.
- Tap the Share button that pops up in the contextual menu.
- Tap the Messages button and select a contact.
- Tap Send once you're ready to send the message.
[Edit]Third-Party Apps for Scheduling Texts
- Moxy Messenger{endbold} Moxy Messenger is a message scheduling app that allows you to schedule not only texts and iMessages, but also messages in WhatsApp, Slack, Facebook Messenger, GroupMe, and even emails.
- Note that some of Moxy Messenger's features are only available if you subscribe to Moxy Plus for $4.99 per month (or by purchasing Moxy Lifetime, a one-time purchase of $99.99).
- Moxy Messenger is available for iPhone.
- Reminderbase{endbold} Reminderbase is a message reminder app marketed towards small businesses or marketers, but you can also use it for scheduling texts. Unlike Moxy Messenger, it can only send emails and text messages (10 of each per month for the free plan).
- You can subscribe to Reminderbase for anywhere from $2.99 per month to $13.99 per month depending on the plan you select, if you need to send more messages or want to include MMS.
- Reminderbase is available for iPhone and iPad and on the web.
- Carrier Messaging{endbold} Carrier Messaging is a simple message scheduling app. It can only schedule text messages, but it's easy to use and can be synced with your contacts to make the message scheduling process smoother.
- You can schedule a limited number of messages per month for free with Carrier Messaging. If you want to get unlimited messages, there is a one-time pro upgrade fee of $9.99.
- Carrier Messaging is available on iPhone and iPad.
[Edit]References
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