I don’t get option to send later when messenging another apple user on text
I create the message on my iOS 18,6,2 to another iPhone user. I press the + on the left side of message and only get options to add photos
iPad mini 6, iPadOS 18
Question marked as
Hey there y2ok,
Thankyou for sharing your issue in a detailed explanation.
It can be annoying when you get these limited options but not to worry below i have attached a simple and easy step by step guide to resolve this issue.
How Send Later Normally Works
- You tap and hold the send button (the blue arrow) after typing your message.
- A menu pops up with options:
- Send Now
- Send Later (with a date/time picker)
This works for iMessage (blue bubble) only — not SMS (green bubble).
You cannot access “Send Later” via the + menu; that menu only lets you add photos, apps, or other attachments.
Common Confusions
People expect it to be under the + or attachments menu — but Apple intentionally put it under the send button long-press.
It only appears if the conversation is active and the message is typed but not yet sent.
If you try on an SMS conversation (green bubble), the option is greyed out / missing.
Step-by-Step to Use Send Later
- Open Messages → select an iMessage conversation (blue bubble).
- Type your message.
- Press and hold the blue send arrow (don’t tap).
- In the popup menu, tap Send Later.
- Choose date and time → tap Done.
Notes / Limitations
Works only on iMessage (both sender and receiver must be Apple devices).
Works only if iOS 18.6 or later (which you have).
You can cancel or reschedule in Scheduled Messages inside Messages.
So the reason you don’t see it under the + button is because Apple never put it there — you always need to long-press the send arrow.
Feel free to reply if you need any additional support further.
