- Google is rolling out text scheduling in Messages for Android.
- You can set messages to go out on any day and time you like.
- It works with basic SMS messages.
If you’ve ever wanted Google Messages to send texts in the future, you might just get your wish. As XDA reports, Twitter user Sai Reddy and others have discovered that Google is rolling out the option to schedule texts in Android’s Messages, saving you the trouble of finding a third-party app.
Should you have the feature, you can press and hold the Send button to set a date and time. Google provides a few presets, but you can give Messages a custom schedule if you have a specific moment in mind. Any text you queue will show in your conversation as a “scheduled message” with a clock icon, and you can tap on it to change the content or timing.
Unlike some Messages features, this doesn’t require an RCS conversation. You can use it with standard SMS chats.
See also: The best chat and messenger apps for Android
It’s not certain how widely available the Google Messages schedule feature might be, although it appears to be reaching users through a server-based update instead of a new app version. We’ve asked Google for comment.
It’s a simple addition, but it’s easy to see the appeal. You can set alerts for friends, or send a love note to a partner when they wake up in the morning. It could be particularly helpful for businesses that want to set appointment reminders. If nothing else, it could spare you from reaching for your phone at times when it would be inconvenient (if not impossible) to write a message on the spot.
