It’s funny how just one missed message can wreak havoc in one’s life. You have to send someone an important message later in the day, and you’re so sure you send it at the right time. Only, when the right time comes, you forget to send it. Depending on the importance of the message you forgot to send, you may suffer from anything to a concussion. If only there was a way to schedule your messages, like you could with your emails. Well, if you’re using an Android phone, you can. If you suffer from “forgot to send message” syndrome, here’s how to schedule text messages on Android in 2021.
Schedule text messages on Android in 2021
To schedule an SMS on Android, you can use two methods. The first is to use the built-in functionality offered by the Google Messages app and some Android OEMs like Samsung, Xiaomi, and LG. The second involves the use of third-party SMS apps which can be used to schedule text messages on any Android smartphone. We’ve included both of these methods so you can jump to the section you want to read.
Using the built-in message scheduling feature (Google Messages, Samsung, LG, and Xiaomi)
As I mentioned earlier, the Messages app from Google and some OEMs include this feature natively. Samsung, LG and Xiaomi are known to include this feature on their handsets. However, one thing to keep in mind is that not all of their offerings have this feature. Additionally, if you purchased a carrier-locked phone, the native integration of this feature will also depend on your mobile carrier.
Google Posts
Let’s start with the steps of scheduling messages using Google Messages. Open the Messages app, type the message you want to send and long press send button. You will now see a pop-up prompting you to choose the date and time to schedule the message. If you don’t see the popup, make sure the Messages app is updated to the latest version available on Google Play Store. You can choose one of the recommended times or manually select the date and time.
If you choose to manually set the date and time, tap “Choose date and time” and use the date and time picker. When done, tap Next to continue.
A preview now appears with the time and date you just selected. You can now press ‘Save’ to confirm changes. A final step is to press the send button again to schedule the message.
If you change your mind later or want to update the message, you can tap on the clock icon present to the left of the scheduled message and choose ‘Update message.You also have the option of sending the message right away or deleting the scheduled message.
Samsung posts
To check if your smartphone running a custom skin has this feature, open any message or conversation in the native messaging app and tap the plus button then tap on the “Schedule Message” option. For example, on my Samsung Galaxy M40, when I pressed the plus button, I got the option to create a schedule message. The image above illustrates the same.
MIUI Posts
Xiaomi does it the same way. You will have to press the “+” button next to the compose window. From there, you will select the “Timed” option to schedule your message. From here you can select the time and date and schedule your message.
To note: If your Samsung device has not been updated to One UI, you can find the SMS schedule feature by clicking the three-dot menu on the right in the messaging app.
Send messages later using third-party apps
If you can’t find a scheduling option on your Android device by any of these methods, you can do a simple Google search and you’ll find out whether your OEM supports it or not. If your smartphone’s OEM does not offer this feature natively, you will need to use a third-party app to use this feature.
The advantage of using third-party email clients is that they not only provide the ability to send messages later, but also include a ton of other features that make messaging fun and easy. The apps also offer theme features allowing you to change anything from color scheme to fonts to text size. The only thing to remember is that we focus on message scheduling, so other specific feature sets won’t impact app rankings.
1.Textra
Textra is one of the most popular third-party messaging apps available on the Play Store. Although the app is known for giving users the ability to customize the appearance of the messaging app, it can also perform many cool functions that your native messaging app cannot. One of these features is the ability to send scheduled messages. To schedule a message using Textra, when composing a message, tap the plus button and tap the clock icon as shown in the figure.
Here you can select the date and time you want your message to be sent from your phone. An interesting thing that I like about Textra is that it marks scheduled messages with a green clock icon. When you tap the icon, you will be able to see the timestamp (when it is scheduled to be sent) for that message. For the most part, the app is free with in-app purchases to unlock additional features.
To install: (To free, in-app purchases)
2. Pulse SMS
Pulse SMS is one of the few messaging apps that really innovates the way people use regular messages. The app brings many cool and unique features that can enhance your messaging experience. One of these features is the ability to schedule text messages. To schedule a message, when you are in a conversation, tap the 3 dot menu present in the top right corner of the application. In the drop-down menu, press “Schedule a message” then enter the date, time and content of the message. When you’re done, tap send.
However, one thing I don’t like about this app is how it stores your scheduled messages. the scheduled SMS are not stored in the original conversation rather, they are stored in their own folder. While I don’t like this approach, a lot of people might like it because it also gives you the option to see all of your scheduled posts in one place. To find all your scheduled messages, open the hamburger menu and then tap on “Scheduled messages”. Here you can view all your scheduled messages.
To install: (To free, in-app purchases)
3. Do it later
Do It Later is one of the latest message scheduling apps on the play store and it is also one of the best. The app not only allows users to schedule text messages, but also emails, calls, and tweets. If you don’t want to schedule messages but just want to be reminded of them, you can also set reminders directly in the app. What I like the most about this app is its ease of use. Simply launch the app and then tap the “+” button. You’ll see all the scheduling options to choose from, including messages, email, Twitter, and more. Since we want to schedule messages, we are going to press the messages icon.
Once you do that, you can add contacts (single or multiple) and compose your message. Below you can decide the exact time of the message or select a time range. Finally, you can set the message to repeat. The time range feature is especially useful if you send repeated messages as it sends the message at a random time so they don’t seem automated. There is also a button which, when checked, will ask for your permission before sending the message. The app is completely free to use with ads, with an in-app purchase option to remove them. If you want all these features, definitely try the app.
To install: To free, in-app purchases
4. SMS Organizer
Microsoft’s SMS Organizer is arguably the best SMS app you can use on your Android phone. It contains powerful SMS management features to help you track important messages efficiently without being overwhelmed by spam messages. A handy feature of SMS Organizer is the ability to schedule messages. To schedule messages on SMS Organizer, type the message and tap the calendar icon in the lower left corner. You can then choose the date and time.
Once you have set the date and time, press the Send button to schedule the message. The app will now automatically send the message at this preset time.
You can tap the timestamp to edit the date/time or message content. Press the Schedule button to reschedule the message. If you want to delete the message, you can long press on the message and tap the Delete icon.
To install: To free
Schedule Text Messages on Android with Ease
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used this feature to save myself. The human brain (at least mine) tends to forget things when it’s the right time. Use this app to solve the problem of forgetting and schedule text messages on Android to deliver them on time. Similarly, you can also learn how to schedule messages on WhatsApp. Share with us your stories, when you forgot to send someone an important message at the right time. Also let us know if you know of a better app that does the same but is not listed, in the comments section below.
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