iOS 18 allows you to schedule messages in iMessage: this is how this new feature works

iOS 18 has arrived with many new features in the Messages app, such as the possibility of reacting to them with any emoticon, as well as in other applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram. This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite features, but there is another one that I also liked a lot and I find very interesting: the possibility of scheduling messages.

Until recently, the only way to schedule messages in the Messages app was to create an automation with the Shortcuts app; however, thanks to iOS 18, it can already be done natively from the options menu of the app itself, the same one with which you can send photos, for example.

How to schedule messages in iOS 18

Next, we are going to tell you how iMessages are scheduled in iOS 18. It’s an easy process that you’ll do in less than a minute and that will be really useful if you usually use Apple’s messaging platform for your communications. To do this, the following steps will have to be followed:

1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or iPadOS 18.
2. Write your message but don’t send it.
3. Tap the “+” button on the left.
4. Swipe down and tap on the “More Options” button.
5. Tap “Send Later.”
6. Choose the date you want to send the message.
7. Send the message.

Once submitted, it won’t be sent until the time comes, which means it will stay in the conversation with your chosen date and time until it’s officially submitted. Without a doubt, if you are a user of Apple’s messaging platform, this is a great plus to the overall experience of the application.

In addition, new effects have also been added for messages that allow them to be made larger or exploded, for example. If you’ve built an ecosystem of devices, the Messages app is worth checking out.

Other new features in iOS 18

While we’re at it, these are not the only new features that have come to iOS 18 and that have caught my attention. Here are some of them so that you can become familiar with the version as it launches:

1. Customization of the Control Center and the home screen.
2. Ability to lock or hide apps.
3. iCloud Keychain is now an app.
4. In Safari, although it is not yet available, you will be able to highlight texts within web pages.