How to schedule WhatsApp messages on Android and iPhone

Source: Pocketnow

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms on Earth. The messaging app from Meta has taken over other chats apps such as iMessage, Telegram, and even SMS in some regions around the world. However, one of the quirks of this famous instant messaging app is that it still doesn't support scheduling messages — something that other chat apps have been offering for years now. In this simple how-to guide, let us show you how you can schedule messages on WhatsApp for Android and iPhone both.

Why schedule messages on WhatsApp?

There are a number of situations where scheduling messages on WhatsApp. Suppose it's your friend's birthday and you want to wish them at midnight. But, you don’t want to stay up late at the night or you fear that you might forget to wish them exactly at 12 o'clock. Using the methods mentioned below, you can schedule a pre-written WhatsApp message to your friend, which will be sent automatically at midnight.

Moreover, this is a great way to respond to messages if you don’t want to respond to them instantly. You can simply schedule a message and it will automatically be sent, even if you are not near your phone. Without further ado, let's see how you can schedule WhatsApp messages on iPhone, Android, and even WhatsApp web.

Schedule WhatsApp messages on iPhone

Scheduling a WhatsApp message on iPhone is pretty easy. Follow the steps mentioned below to send pre-written messages at a specific time on WhatsApp for iPhone. P.S.: The method works for scheduling iMessage texts as well.

1. First, you'll need to download and install the Shortcuts app on your iPhone. Shortcuts app is an automation app from Apple. It is first-party and it is safe and secure.
2. To schedule a WhatsApp message on iPhone, we will utilize the power of the Shortcuts app to automate the process.
3. First up, open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
4. Next, navigate to the Automation tab and then select Create Personal Automation.

Source: Pocketnow

5. On the next screen that appears, select Time of Day.
6. On the subsequent screen, tap Time of Day again and enter the desired time in the window displaying the current time. Remember that this is the same time at which you want the message to be sent so select carefully.
7. Below the time window, select the Monthly option.
8. In the small window that appears, select the date on which you want the message to be sent.
9. Once everything is done, tap Next.

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10. Now, select Add Action.
11. In the window that appears, select Apps and then search "WhatsApp".
12. Now, select Send Message and not Send Message via WhatsApp.
13. On the screen that appears, enter the message that you want to send and select the recipient as shown in the screenshot down below.
14. Once you've entered the desired message and selected the appropriate recipient, tap Next.
15. You can now preview the message, the contact it will be sent to, and the time at which it will get sent.

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16. One more important thing to fully automate this process is to disable the Ask Before Running. If you don't disable this option, the shortcut won't be able to run without your permission and the message won't be delivered at the desired time.
17. Once everything looks as per your requirement, select Done.

That's it. The message will now be delivered to your desired contact at the specified time on WhatsApp. One thing important to note here is that you will need to delete the Shortcut once it has been triggered so that your iPhone doesn't send the message every month to your contact. To delete the shortcut, simply swipe to the left and select Delete.

Source: Pocketnow

Schedule WhatsApp messages on Android

Scheduling a WhatsApp message on Android is also easy, but it requires you to download and install a third-party app on your device. Follow along and learn how you can schedule WhatsApp messages on Android in just a few steps:

1. First, go ahead and download the SKEDit WhatsApp Automator app from the Google Play Store on your Android device.
2. Open the app and sign up with your email ID.
3. Once done, the main screen of the app will show up. On this screen, tap the + icon in the bottom right.

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4. On the screen that follows, select the message recipient, enter the message in the empty box, and select the desired time at which you want the message to be sent
5. You can even use the pre-written templates and attach photos to your scheduled message.
6. Once everything looks as required, tap the tick icon on the top right corner.

That's it, the message has now been scheduled. In some cases, the SKEDit app will ask you to remove the lock screen password or change it to 'swipe'. This is because Android doesn't allow the apps to execute an action in the background if PIN, Pattern, or Password is set on the lock screen.

In case the app prompts you to switch the lock screen password, it can be handled in two ways. One of the ways is that you temporarily change the lock screen password to swipe. In such a case, the app will automatically be triggered and the message will be automatically sent at the desired time without your input. The second method is in which you tap "Ignore" when the message to change the lock screen shows up. However, in this case, the app will ask you to unlock the phone once at the desired time. Once you unlock your phone, the message will automatically be sent.

Bonus: How to schedule messages using WhatsApp Web

In addition to Android and iPhone, you can also schedule messages using the WhatsApp Web client. This option certainly comes in handy now that WhatsApp supports the multi-device feature. Follow the steps mentioned below to schedule WhatsApp messages using the Chrome client:

1. For this method to work, you need to use WhatsApp web via Google Chrome or any other Chromium-based browser on your desktop. Click here to install Google Chrome on your desktop if you haven't already.
2. Once installed, head over to this website to install the Blueticks Google Chrome extension. Installing this extension is necessary for scheduling messages via WhatsApp web client.

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3. Once installed open WhatsApp web on your Chrome-based browser.
4. Now, open the chat of the person to whom you want to send the message.
5. Next, tap the clock-like icon next to WhatsApp's microphone button. This will open up a dialog box.
6. In this dialog box, select the time and date at which you want the message to be sent.

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7. Once you've selected the desired time and date, enter the message you want to be sent in the empty box.
8. Preview the message, date, and time. If everything looks perfect, click on Schedule Send.
9. The message will appear in blue color till it is sent. You can edit the time and the message before it is sent using the pen icon.

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10. At the desired time, WhatsApp web will automatically send the message.

This is how you can schedule and send a message using the WhatsApp web client. The only quirk of this method is that you need the WhatsApp web client to be active (even if it is in the background) for this to work. If you close the WhatsApp web client, or it becomes inactive, at the time at which the message has to be sent, the method will fail and the message won't be delivered. Still, this method can come in handy in a number of situations!

Using these steps, you can schedule WhatsApp messages on Android, iPhone, and WhatsApps web client. Know any other method by which you can send pre-written messages at a specific time on WhatsApp? Let us know in the comments section down below!