Not sure how to schedule a text message on your iPhone? Read on and we will explain the simplest way to schedule a text message on your iPhone.
Use the Shortcuts app on Apple iPhone to schedule or delay a text message. This automation app allows you to set a date and time to send an automated message and perform other automated tasks. Other third-party apps also allow a text message scheduled for a future date and time.
Do you worry that you may get busy and forget to send an important message later in the day? Maybe you have a brilliant idea at 2.00 am, but you don’t want to wake your sleeping colleagues.
You may even live in a different time zone to someone you want to send a message to but would prefer them to receive it when it is daytime for them.
These are all good reasons to schedule a message on your iPhone, and there are many more. Keep reading to see how a simple automation can do this for you.
Can iMessage Schedule A Message?
iMessage does not have the built-in ability to schedule a message to send at a later date or time. To do this requires using a third-party app or the Shortcut App.
Use The Shortcut App To Schedule Your Message
Strictly speaking, this is not a message scheduling app for iPhone. Rather it is an automation app that allows you to set a date and time for the desired action.
In this case, the desired action is sending a message at the time of your choice. The result is the same: the automated message is sent out at the desired date and time.
To automate messages and other actions on your iPhone, ensure the Shortcut app is installed on your iPhone. All iPhones running iOS 13 or later will have the app preinstalled. Look for it in your app library. iPhones running iOS 12 and down will need to install it from the Apple App Store.
Once the Shortcut app is installed, you will have a message automated to send at whatever date and time you choose in less than ten taps.
How To Send A Scheduled Text Message Using The Shortcut App
The basic steps to sending a message at a future time on your iPhone are as follows:
- Open the Shortcuts app
- Go to the Automation tab
- Use the ‘+’ symbol to create a personal automation
- Fill in the information and confirm the process
Follow these 10 steps for quick results:
- Open the Shortcuts app
- Find the ‘Automation’ button at the bottom of the screen and tap it
- Tap the ‘Add’ icon
- Select ‘Create Personal Automation’
- A ‘New Automation’ menu will open. Choose the prompt you wish to use. To schedule a message, the ‘Time of Day’ prompt is advised. Set the time of day you want the message to send
- Choose to repeat the action either Daily, Weekly, or Monthly, filling in the relevant information. Complete the automation by tapping ‘Next’
- When you are happy with the settings, select ‘Send Message’
- Tap on ‘Message’ to write the text you would like to send
- Tap on ‘Recipients’ and then select all those who should receive the message. Tap ‘Done’ and then ‘Next’
- Remember to toggle the ‘Ask Before Running’ button on or off, depending on your requirements
Be Careful Of These Two Things When Using The Shortcut App
Using the Shortcut App creates an automated response that will repeat the action according to your settings until you change the settings or delete the automation.
If this was a once-off message you wanted to send, remember to delete the automation after it has been sent, or the same message will be sent again.
The second thing to remember is that the automation will only run when your iPhone is unlocked and connected to your carrier network. If your iPhone is locked when the automation is set, you will receive an error message when the phone is unlocked again, and the message may not have been sent.
If you are on a flight or out of network range, the message will not be sent at the specified time.
In certain circumstances, these are serious limitations, but if you are certain your iPhone will be in use and connected to a network at the time of the message, then the message will send at the correct time.
Use The Delayed Time iMessage Shortcut
Another option is to get the ‘Delayed Time iMessage’ shortcut to add to the Shortcuts App. Use shortcutsgallery.com to search for the ‘Delayed Time iMessage’ shortcut and install it on your iPhone.
Follow these steps to use the ‘Delayed Time iMessage’ shortcut:
- Ask Siri to launch the shortcut by saying, “Hey Siri, Delayed Time iMessage,” and tap ‘OK’
- Select the contact you want to message.
- Compose the text message and tap ‘Done’
- Select the date and time for the message to send and tap ‘Done’
The shortcut will now run at the date and time selected. Using Delayed Time iMessage doesn’t require the Shortcuts App to be running in the background for the shortcut to run.
Third-Party Scheduling Apps
While the Shortcut App may be the solution for some people, if you are looking for an app that will delay a message without repeating the action, then a third-party app is the way to go.
Two recommended apps in the Apple App Store are:
- Moxy Messenger
- Carrier Messaging
Search for these in the Apple App Store and review them yourself, but each offers a true delayed message function.
Conclusion
While there is no built-in feature in iMessage to schedule a message for a future date and time, there are built-in apps and third-party apps to help you schedule a text message on your iPhone.
Follow the steps above and keep in mind the limitations of these, and you will be able to send scheduled messages like a pro in no time at all.