Key Takeaways
- Schedule SMS messages with ease using popular text messaging apps like Messages by Google, SMS Organizer, and Textra SMS on your Android phone.
- Follow simple steps to schedule messages, including selecting the recipient, composing the message, and choosing the date and time for sending.
- Be aware of Android's battery optimization feature and exclude message scheduling apps from it to ensure proper functionality and timely delivery of your scheduled messages.
If you've ever forgotten to send an SMS message, like a birthday or a congratulatory message, you understand how embarrassing this can be. But it can be avoided by scheduling your text messages beforehand. Let's look at three solutions.
Messages by Google
Messages by Google is the default text messaging app for various Android phones, like the Pixel phones. But if your device didn't come with it installed, you can download it from the Play Store.
Download: Messages by Google (Free)
The text scheduling feature is baked into Messages by Google. So, here's how to schedule a text message on Android using Google's Messages app:
- Tap Start chat at the bottom-right corner. Alternatively, you can simply open an existing conversation of your choice.
- Type the name, phone number, or email address of the recipient in the To: field.
- Compose your message and long-press the Send button when you're done.
- Choose from one of the four options that appear: Later today, Later tonight, Tomorrow, and Pick date and time.
- If you select the last option, you'll need to follow additional on-screen instructions to set the date and time. But once you're done, tap the Send button.
Your scheduled message will be italicized in the chat window. To edit the scheduled time, tap the message, then choose either Update message, Send now, or Delete message. Besides scheduling SMS, Google's Messages app offers many other hidden features.
SMS Organizer
Microsoft's SMS Organizer (still in Early Access as of 2023) aims to automatically sort and filter your text messages, showing and reminding you of the most important messages. It feels similar to the email optimization features of Spark but in text messaging form. Convenient, sure, but SMS Organizer also lets you schedule text messages.
Download: SMS Organizer (Free)
Here's what you need to do to schedule text messages once you install and open SMS Organizer on your Android phone:
- Tap the Compose icon in the bottom-right corner of the app.
- Fill out the name, phone number, or email address in the To field.
- Write your message in the text message window.
- Tap the Calendar icon (next to the Paperclip icon) in the bottom left corner of the screen when you're ready to send.
- Choose your preferred date, then tap OK.
- Select your preferred time, then choose OK.
- Tap the Send button.
Your SMS message will now be scheduled for sending. To edit the message, open the chat window, then tap the scheduled date and time underneath the message. Here, you can edit the message as well as the date and time. Tap SCHEDULE to schedule the amended message.
Textra SMS
If you want an emoji-rich text messaging app, Textra SMS has you covered. But Textra SMS is more than just an emoji warehouse: it also has handy messaging features, like, you guessed it, scheduling SMS messages.
Download: Textra SMS (Free)
Finding Textra SMS' scheduling feature isn't as straightforward as the former apps covered. To schedule a text message on your Android device using Textra SMS, open the app and follow these steps:
- Select the Message icon in the bottom-right corner.
- Fill out the name, phone number, or email address in the To field.
- Type your message in the text window.
- Tap the plus (+) icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
- Now, tap the Clock+ icon in the bottom menu.
- Use the dropdowns to set the date and time.
- Tap the Send button.
To edit the scheduled message, tap the message, select the Clock+ icon, and amend the message, date, and time according to your preference. Tap the Send button once again to reschedule the message.
Android's Battery Optimization Can Affect Scheduled Messages
When you use an Android app to schedule texts, you must be aware of the operating system's battery optimization feature.
Modern versions of Android automatically put apps to "sleep" if you haven't used them for a while. This can prevent them from working in the background properly. As you'd imagine, this poses an issue for these apps, as they could fail to be sent at the scheduled time.
Because of this, we recommend you exclude message scheduling apps from Android's battery optimization. It may result in slightly worse battery life, but there's little point in using these apps if they don't work properly.
To tweak this for any app on a Pixel phone, head to Settings > Apps > See all X apps and tap the app you want to adjust. The steps may vary slightly on other Android devices.
Scroll down and tap App battery usage. Notice three options here:
- Unrestricted
- Optimized
- Restricted
Choose Unrestricted. This allows the text messaging app to work in the background without any battery restrictions, ensuring that you don't miss a message, nor will your messages fail to deliver once they're scheduled due to a battery limitation.
Schedule Messages for Any Time on Android
It has never been easier to schedule SMS messages on your Android phone. So, there's no excuse for forgetting to send out those all-important text messages to friends and family.
Plan ahead by scheduling your SMS messages with one of the three solid text messaging apps you've learned about above, and make sure you always send your messages on time.