- Set a text message to send at a later time and date
- Rearrange the Messages menu for easier access
- It only works for iMessages, not RCS or SMS texts
iOS 18 lets you schedule messages in the Messages app. This is perfect for ensuring you never forget to send something at just the right time, like sending birthday wishes at the stroke of midnight or an important work reminder first thing in the morning. Here’s how to do it.
Send it later
Scheduling a message is easy, but the setting isn’t in the most obvious place.
Start by opening the Messages app and composing a text. Instead of pressing the send arrow, tap the + button to the left of the text field. From the menu, tap More and then look for the Send Later button. (If you think you’ll use this feature a lot, you can drag it higher up the list to the favorites section.)
Choose the date and time you want your message to be sent and then confirm by tapping send. It then works exactly as promised: your message will be sent automatically at the specified time.
You can prepare as many messages as you like, all firing off at different times, but you can can only schedule them up to 2 weeks in advance.
Making changes
Scheduled messages are previewed with a dotted outline in the conversation thread. If you change your mind, tap the small blue Edit button next to the scheduled text and choose Edit Time or Delete Message.
This feature works exclusively for iMessages, and does not yet support SMS or RCS.