Truecaller added three new exciting features in an update shipped last month, allowing users to tell their recipients why they are calling, translate texts within the app, and an option to schedule SMS messages.
Google Messages is following suit on the latter, allowing users to start scheduling their SMS messages. Such functionality is handy if you wish to notify someone of something important early in the morning and think you might not remember.
Google is adding a message scheduling option in Messages and the feature is already rolling out. The company was spotted testing the feature earlier this month with a small group of users in the beta channel.
The SMS scheduling button is placed where the MMS button currently lives (when you long-press the SMS button). You can check if you have the feature already by holding the SMS button – if it’s available, Messages will show you the schedule dialog.
Otherwise, you’ll bump into the antiquated MMS format, which includes a subject and a text field that you don’t need, by the way, thanks to RCS messaging, currently available globally. But you can still send MMS if you want to — by tapping on the three-dot menu at the top-right then selecting Show subject field.
On the schedule dialog, you will be offered preset times to when the text should be sent, and you’re also given an option to set a specific time and date manually. If you mess up, you can still update the scheduled message or delete it entirely before time.
Message scheduling is, however, limited in certain ways, unlike in platforms like Gmail or Telegram.
Once you schedule an SMS to send at 8:00 PM, it will only be sent if your phone is turned on and is connected to the network. If not, the scheduled SMS will not be automatically sent. This is actually a limitation of the technology itself and nothing to do with Google.
The update has just begun rolling out today (via AndroidPolice) and is expected to be available to everyone soon.
Read Next: 2021 Premium Smartphones will be Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Chip
