how to schedule send a text on iphone

To schedule a text message on an iPhone using iOS 18 and later, follow these steps:

1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the "+" icon to start a new message or open an existing conversation.
3. Type your message.
4. Instead of tapping the send button right away, tap the "+" sign next to the text box and then choose "Send Later."
5. Select the date and time you want the message to be sent. You can schedule it up to 14 days in the future.
6. Tap the send arrow to confirm.

The scheduled message will show with a dashed border until it is sent. You can also edit, reschedule, or delete scheduled messages before they are sent. If your iPhone is running an iOS version earlier than 18, you can use the Shortcuts app to automate sending texts at scheduled times, though this requires setting up an automation with the message and recipient details and might need manual confirmation before sending. This scheduling feature requires iMessage and iOS 18 or higher for direct scheduling in Messages. For older iOS versions, the Shortcuts app provides a workaround. This method lets the message send automatically at the scheduled time without the recipient knowing it was scheduled.