The Messages app is about to receive several updates that will greatly improve it, but for now, we can already choose the exact moment we want our messages to be sent. It might seem like a minor feature, but it’s incredibly useful if we work across time zones or simply want to make sure we don’t forget to send an important message at the right time. Let’s go over everything.
Message scheduling: as easy as sending normally
The first thing we should keep in mind is that this feature is only available for messages sent through iMessage. SMS or RCS messages, for now, are not supported. That said, the process of scheduling a message is as simple as this:
- We open the Messages app and select an existing conversation or start a new one.
- We type our message as usual, but instead of sending it right away, we tap the “+” icon to the left of the text field.
- In the menu that appears, we select “Send Later”. If we don’t see it right away, we can scroll down to find it.
- We choose the exact date and time we want the message to be sent and tap the light blue send button to confirm.
Once scheduled, the message is easy to spot in the conversation thanks to a text bubble with a dashed outline. If we need to change anything —like the time, or even send the message immediately—, we just tap the Edit button that appears above the scheduled message.
From that point on, even if we turn off our iPhone, the message will still be sent on time, since it’s handled directly by Apple’s servers. Thanks to this, no matter where we are or what time it is, we can organize our communications much more efficiently. A birthday message sent right at midnight or a key reminder at the start of the workday no longer depends on whether we’re available at that moment. We schedule it, and the Messages app takes care of the rest.
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