How to schedule a text message on iPhone

Maybe you’ve got something to tell your friend but don’t want to interrupt their evening, or perhaps it’s your mom’s birthday tomorrow, and you don’t want to forget to shoot her a message. There are so many reasons to want to schedule a text message — but the iPhone doesn’t exactly make this feature apparent. So, can you schedule a text on iPhone?

The answer is yes, and I’ll be showing you how to set a text to send at a certain time on your iPhone.

How to schedule a text on iPhone

There are two ways to get iOS to schedule a text. 

Schedule with the Shortcuts app

Shortcuts rolled out as a default app on the iPhone in 2019. It’s meant to help you set up macros — basically, little automation rules that let you do one thing automatically when something else happens. For example, you could use it to create a daily morning routine that kicks off at 7 am that will turn off Do Not Disturb, open the weather app, start playing a morning playlist, or instantly send your location to someone in your contacts with a single click. 

Here’s how to set a message to send at a certain time on iPhone:

1. Open the Shortcuts app.
2. Tap the Automation tab > New Automation.

1. Choose an occurrence, such as Time of Day or Arrive, for when you want the text to be sent.
2. Edit the scheduling settings, including when you want the text sent, if you wish to repeat it, and if you want to run the shortcut after a confirmation or immediately.

1. Tap Next > Send Message.
2. Fill in the message you want to send.
3. Choose your recipient.

1. Tap Done.

Schedule with the latest iOS 18

This isn’t necessarily the most straightforward way to send scheduled messages on iPhone, so Apple introduced the second method with the new iOS 18. This method is built into the Messages app and doesn’t require you to delete an automation later. To use this method:

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Click on a recipient.
3. Click the plus button in the bottom left-hand corner.
4. Click Send Later.
5. Open the scheduler and choose when you want your message to be sent.
6. Enter your message as usual and tap the send button.

source: https://support.apple.com/en-g...

Once you send, your message will appear in your chat interface with that specific recipient as a hollow dashed line bubble. Your scheduled message will not be sent until the scheduled time, and once it does, it will appear as a regular blue iMessage bubble.

AnyTrans for iOS is like the superior version of the Finder app you never knew you needed. It comes with a super user-friendly interface, where you can manage the main apps on your iPhone and your iCloud, manage your social messages on apps like WhatsApp, and seamlessly back up your entire phone in one click without overwriting other backups.

How to delete a scheduled text message on iPhone

Changed your mind about a message? It happens to me. That’s why Apple introduced the message edit and removal features, which have certainly saved me from potentially awkward moments. If you’ve got a scheduled message ready to go and need to delete it before it gets sent out, I’ll show quick solutions. 

For messages scheduled using the iOS 18 feature:

1. Go to the Messages app.
2. Go to the conversation with the scheduled message.
3. Tap and hold the message > Delete.

For messages scheduled using the Shortcuts app:

1. Open the Shortcuts app.
2. Tap the Automation tab.

3. Swipe left on the automation you want to delete > Tap Delete.

Personal experience: The other day, I noticed my phone was getting pretty slow, especially when I tried to use the Automation feature for my morning routine. After poking around a bit, I found out that my storage was all cluttered with duplicate files, old downloads, and a ton of random photos. It was taking up space and making everything lag. I didn’t want to deal with sorting through all that junk one by one, so I decided to give CleanMy®Phone a shot. Its Declutter feature scanned my stuff and helped me clear out over 1 GB of unnecessary files in just seconds.

Schedule a non-recurring text message using third-party apps

If you’re searching for other solutions to delay a text message on an iPhone, you’ll be happy to know that third-party apps have this capability.

Each app will have a different specific layout, but the step-by-step remains quite similar most of the time. These apps typically only work with non-recurring text messages because of their technical limitations and the fact they aren’t directly integrated with iMessage or other messaging apps.

In the app, you can use the tabs to view the status of your accounts, check out how your budgets and goals are doing, and see what expenses you’ve got scheduled for the month. It’ll keep you much more informed and accountable than having a vague spreadsheet you never update or a half-abandoned note.

Limits of scheduling texts on your iPhone

Thanks to the new iOS 18 scheduling feature, a lot of previous limitations related to text scheduling have been removed. However, they still exist. These include:

• You can only schedule messages up to 14 days in advance.
• The scheduling option is limited to iMessage, not SMS
• There are no notification alerts in the Messages app to confirm when a scheduled message has been sent.

Solved: Can you schedule a text on iPhone?

Scheduling a text has never been easier with the new Messages iOS 18 feature, nor has it ever been as detailed as it is with Shortcuts. With these two native methods of scheduling text messages, you’ll never forget an important message or a birthday text again. Apps like CleanMy®Phone, AnyTrans for iOS, and MoneyWiz 2024 also help manage other aspects of your daily life, whether it’s money, piled-up storage, or backing up your phone. 

These apps and 250+ more can be found on Setapp, a subscription platform that gives you access to useful iOS apps & tools that change the way you manage your life. Start your 7-day free trial today!

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