It’s official, iOS 18 is no longer reserved for developers and public testers, but is officially available to all users. Now that you have installed the new update, it’s time to discover new tips to better understand this update. Throughout the month of September, iPhoneSoft will reveal tips around iOS 18. The first one that seems the most important to us is none other than… iMessage programming!
Schedule your iMessages to send later
There is a feature that we have all been waiting for a very long time in the “Messages” application, it is the programming of iMessages. Being able to send a “good morning” in the morning to your other half or even wish a happy birthday to a loved one… and prepare everything the day before by programming the sending of an iMessage at a specific date and time. After more than 15 years of waiting, it is now possible and it is directly integrated into the Messages application of your iPhone, no need to go through a shortcut or a third-party application that will charge you for sending the scheduled message!
So how do you schedule an iMessage to be sent?
Actually, it’s very simple, the first step is to open the Messages app on your iPhone and select the chat where you want to send a scheduled iMessage.
Quick access to functionality
Once the conversation is selected, you just have to press the “+” symbol that is to the left of the bar where you write. As soon as you press it, you will have a list of possibilities with sending GIFs, stickers, audio messages, sharing your location… In short, the usual display as we know it from several versions of iOS.
However, what will interest us in this tutorial is “Send Later”, a feature that only exists in iOS 18. When you press it, the iPhone directly understands that the message you are about to send must be sent at a later date and time.
Once you press “Send Later”, a blue bar is added above your message, it summarizes the date and time you want to send your message. Below the bar in which you write your message, you have a drop-down menu that allows you to choose a date and time for sending your message.
Once you have validated the date and time, the message that is scheduled will appear in the conversation with a dotted outline and a white background. This approach is done on purpose, it allows you to differentiate at a glance a message that has been sent to the recipient and a message that is waiting to be sent.
If you change your mind about the date and time to send the message, you can press the “Edit” button just above the scheduled bubble. You can then change the date and time, the content of the message or even delete it if you change your mind. Note that scheduling messages only concerns iMessages, on an SMS conversation (or RCS for later)the feature will not be offered. Apple wants to keep advantages to the iMessage universe!
