While it’s become a lot easier to take control of a whole bunch of customisation features on iPhone in recent years, there are still certain things that are a little fiddly.
For a case in point, take scheduling a message. If you’re looking to do this using Apple’s native Messages app, things are not as simple as you might hope – we’ve got the answers you need, right here.
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How to schedule a text message on iPhone
Now, before we get into a complicated method, it’s worth saying that, at a basic level, there isn’t a simple way to do this – Apple doesn’t let you natively schedule messages.
However, when it added the Shortcuts app a few years ago, Apple made it possible to set up all sorts of automations to get around this sort of absent feature, and it’s Shortcuts that will let you schedule a message, using the steps below.
- Open the Shortcuts app (download it from the App Store if it’s missing)
- Tap on Automation at the bottom of your display
- Hit Create Personal Automations or the “+” sign
- Select Time of Day from the list then choose the time for the message to send
- Select Monthly under Repeat, then choose the day of the month for the message to send
- Tap Next, then Add Action
- From the list, select the Apps section at the top, then scroll down to Messages and tap on it
- Tap on Send Message
- In the automation, tap on “Message” then type out your desired message
- Next, tap on Recipients and search for contacts you want to send it to
- Tap Next, then check over the details and choose whether you want the automation to ask before it runs (turning this off will make it automatic)
- Tap Done
If you follow the steps above your message will send at the desired time and date, although one crucial detail remains – it’ll be a monthly automation that will run if you leave it.
So, if this is a one-time deal for you, then remember to head back into the Shortcuts app and delete the automation once your message has sent, to ensure it doesn’t send again in a month’s time.
This might mean setting a reminder, for another layer of admin, but it’ll be worth it to save yourself from double-text embarrassment, we’d say.