How to schedule text messages on iPhone

This is not a solution -- it's a dodge.

And it's wrong. "Create personal automation" does not appear; "New Automation" does, but there are no instructions for how to create a new automation.

I added an extra Next Step to my Automation called “Stop this shortcut”. Even though it’s scheduled daily I hope it “stops” after the first run. Sorry if this method is already mentioned here, but it was pretty straightforward for me and I hope it works! Cheers.

Most of my messages are typed at night (I'm an insomniac). A lot of my friends aren't very computer savvy and I have managed to wake several people at 3 in the morning because they don't turn their phones off or use the do not disturb feature. Also, I message quite a few people internationally and with the time zone changes, I run into the same problem.

I figured by 2024 Apple MUST have an easier way to schedule messages - so I Googled it and got the same response as above. Around the 5th line I gave up. I want to delay one message at a time and have them send individually the next morning. The above method is out of the question for lots of individual messages with different content. I am so disappointed.

I wasn't aware that Samsung has had this feature for quite a while. I have been an Apple user since the day the good old Bondi Blue iMac was released (my kids since 3rd grade in school YEARS ago). I cannot understand why Apple hasn't introduced this feature. I have several greeting card Apps and you can schedule your cards for any day of the year (admittedly not the exact time)

Is there any ray of hope on the horizon that Apple will listen to the wants for this feature?

I FOUND A WAY TO DO IT!

Note: I haven’t tested this yet so if this doesn’t work, I apologize 😅

You can set it to not repeat by adding the “Wait to Return” action at the end of the queue. So it will essentially mark the automation as “paused” until you open the app again. You could also add a notification reminder to delete the shortcut after that so when it reactivates you’re notified :)

it would look like this:

still not as good as Android but it’ll have to do as a workaround for now

My idea comes from this:

I can confirm this works as intended. Although before you install it, you're asked to accept cookies. Either the essential ones, or you can accept the ad ones (all).

So having accepted only the essential ones, I'm possibly giving this external provider access to my messages.

I'll give this shortcut a miss.

Hurry up Apple.

Yes, email messages can be scheduled.

Apple, your 12 step feature to automate sending multiple messages isn’t the answer. We are asking for a single button to push which will allow a message to be sent later.

This is a user to user forum, Apple is not here.

You can make a suggestion to Apple here -

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

pinkfloydforever wrote:

Finally ' send later' is coming in Messages (iOS 18) - was just announced at WWDC '24 today (6/10/2024)

Perhaps all those people who submitted feedback had an effect!

This is insanely complicated compared to android. I just switched and I like iPhone but I don’t understand what Apple is thinking here. Anyone know if this feature is in the pipeline? I used to schedule texts on android but this shortcut seems circa 1990.

I have had my iPhone for a year. It is my first iPhone ever. I have used Samsung before that for many years and Samsung allows you to schedule your text messages right in the text messaging app with no additional steps. For such an advanced phone, you would think that Apple would be able to fix this.

Created a username for comments just for this thread because it made me incredibly angry lol. The fact that android users have been able to do this for YEARS and we don't have it is incomprehensible. Have been wanting a delayed text feature for YEARS. Has so many applicable use cases.

Sitting in your bed late at night and want to text your barber about making an appointment but don't want to be rude? Set a delayed text for the next day so you don't forget.

Struggle with remembering birthdays like me? Send delayed happy birthday texts to all of your friends into perpetuity so you don't need to worry about it.

This is such a simple feature that has so much applicability to every day life that it's a serious shame they haven't figured this out.

Get it together, Apple!

This is one of the biggest reasons I would never go back to iphone. I found this thread because I was trying to find a way to keep my mom from texting me at 6:00 a.m. I live in a different time zone than many of my friends and family, and I'm always wanting to text them during hours of the day when they're probably sleeping. The ability to quickly send a text at a later time is so convenient and essential. I can't believe Apple hasn't implemented something so simple.

You can certainly let Apple know what you'd like to see here:

Product Feedback - Apple

If you currently had an iPhone, you could use the Focus feature to keep your mother's texts from notifiying you at 6am. But, I'm sure Androids must have some similar feature, right?