It can be a real lifesaver to schedule messages, whether it’s for important work reminders or just personal greetings when you’re tied up. It’s a bit of a bummer that iPhones don’t have this feature built-in.
Folks moving from Android to iPhone often miss this basic function. While it’s true you can’t directly schedule texts on an iPhone, there’s a workaround. Let’s explore how you can achieve this indirectly.
Using the Shortcuts App to Schedule Messages
The Shortcuts app is incredibly powerful on iPhones, letting you automate a lot of tasks. You don’t need to be a coding expert either; the Shortcuts Gallery is full of pre-made shortcuts ready to go.
One handy shortcut is the ‘Delayed Time iMessage’. Despite the name, it works for SMS messages too. You just run the shortcut, make a few selections, and you’re done. The key thing to remember is that it only works when your iPhone is unlocked. This means you can set up a scheduled message while you are using your phone.
How to Get the Shortcut
Head to this link in your Safari browser, or go to shortcutsgallery.com and search for ‘Delayed Time iMessage’ yourself.
Tap ‘Get Shortcut’ to bring it into your Shortcuts app.
The shortcut will open up in the Shortcuts app. Make sure you have the app installed on your phone first. Now, tap ‘Add Shortcut’ after reviewing the shortcut’s steps, and it’s ready to use.
Setting Up Your Scheduled Message
You’ll see the new shortcut in your list. Tap it to get started, or ask Siri by saying, “Hey Siri, Delayed Time iMessage.”
The shortcut will then start running. Note that you can only send the scheduled message to phone numbers at this time, not email addresses. Tap ‘OK’ to continue. Your contacts will then open up. Choose the contact you wish to send the message to.
Next, type your message and tap ‘Done’.
The first time you run the shortcut, it’ll ask for permissions. The shortcut needs permission to use your clipboard. If you choose ‘Allow Once’, you’ll get the same prompt each time. Choose ‘Always Allow’ if you’re comfortable with the shortcut using your clipboard. If you select ‘Don’t Allow’, the shortcut will stop.
Then, choose the date and time when the text should go out, and tap ‘Done’.
That’s all there is to it. The shortcut will run as per your scheduled time, even without the Shortcuts app being open in the background.
When the shortcut runs for the first time at your chosen time, you’ll see another permission banner on your screen. Tapping ‘Always Allow’ will mean the shortcut will run automatically without asking for permission each time, and send your message at the scheduled time. Choosing ‘Allow Once’ will show the permission choice again each time you schedule a new message. If you tap ‘Don’t Allow’ or swipe the prompt away, the shortcut won’t run.
Important note: Even with ‘Always Allow’ selected, your phone must be unlocked when the shortcut is supposed to run. It won’t ask for your permission but your phone needs to be in an unlocked state for the shortcut to run automatically.
It’s not the most elegant way to schedule messages, but it definitely gets the job done, especially when you need to ensure a timely message is sent.