Android can schedule a text through Google Messages: write it, hold Send, choose the time, then tap Send to queue it. Android 7.0 or later is required. If the phone is offline at that time, the message sends when it reconnects.
Samsung Messages uses another menu on older Galaxy phones that still support it. Check which app you're using first, because each has its own scheduling steps.
In this guide
Choose the messaging app you actually use
Open the text conversation on your phone and check the app's name. Google Messages and Samsung Messages can both appear as Messages under their home-screen icons, so the short label alone isn't enough.
Hold down the icon, then open App info to check its name and details. On a Galaxy phone, the default SMS app is listed in Settings > Apps > Choose default apps > SMS app. On other Android phones, look for Default apps as the middle menu.
Use Google Messages on a Galaxy with Android 12 or newer. Samsung ended Messages support for those phones in July 2026; its app remains functional on Android 11 or earlier.
Check Settings > About phone > Software information to see your Galaxy's Android version. Then use the matching app procedure in the next two sections.
WhatsApp, Signal, and other internet messaging apps have their own controls; Android's SMS app setting doesn't add a scheduling menu to those services.
Google's scheduled-message instructions apply to Google Messages on Android phones. You don't need an automation app to schedule an ordinary text there.
If you're sending a received message to a different person, forward the text first so you can check its words and recipient in the correct conversation before scheduling anything.
Schedule the text in Google Messages
Open Google Messages and select the conversation. For a new recipient, start a conversation and choose their correct phone number before typing. Read the recipient line, especially when a contact has more than one number.
Type the complete message, then touch and hold Send. A quick tap sends immediately, so keep your finger on the control until the scheduling choices appear.
Choose one of the suggested delivery times, or choose your own date and time. For a custom time, select the date in the calendar, set the time when the clock appears, and tap Next.
Check the chosen day and time before tapping Send to finish. Choosing a time alone isn't the last step. The final Send action places the message in the scheduled conversation instead of sending it immediately.
Reopen the conversation to check that the scheduled-message notice is present. That is your confirmation that the message is queued; a draft still sitting in the typing field hasn't been scheduled.
I'd use a short message to a trusted contact for the first attempt, with a time only a few minutes away. That makes it easier to get comfortable with the final Send step before scheduling something important overnight.
Use Schedule message in Samsung Messages
Open Samsung Messages, choose the conversation or tap Compose, and select the recipient. Tap the Enter message field and write the text you want to send.
Tap Add, shown as the plus sign beside the message area, then choose Schedule message. If Add is hidden, expand the controls beside the message field to reveal it.
Set the date and time, then tap Done. The Samsung Messages instructions allow a time up to a year ahead and also describe a Set schedule later option.
For a message meant to leave at a specific time, choose that actual date and time rather than leaving the schedule undecided. Finish with the message's Send control and check the conversation for the queued message.
Leaving the screen where you're writing can save an unfinished message as a draft. Don't treat the presence of your words in the conversation as enough; check that the message is scheduled.
If your Galaxy phone uses Google Messages as its SMS app, use the hold-Send method instead. Buying a Samsung phone doesn't mean Samsung Messages is the app handling its texts.
Change, send, or delete a queued Google message
Open the conversation with the scheduled message. Tap the Schedule control beside that message to see what you can change. From there, you can update it, send it now, or delete it.
Choose the update option to revise the message or its timing, then complete the on-screen confirmation. Return to the conversation and check the scheduled message again so you know your changes were saved.
Use the option to send now only when you're ready for the recipient to get it. Deleting the queued item is the choice when the plan has changed and the message shouldn't leave your phone.
These are Google Messages controls. Samsung Messages has a different interface, so don't keep looking for an identical Schedule button there. Open its queued message and use the actions offered by that version of the app.
Once the message has been sent, you can't change that copy through the scheduling controls. Check both the delivery time and the recipient before the scheduled time arrives, particularly when making arrangements in a group conversation.
Keep the phone connected at the scheduled time
Google Messages says that when the phone isn't connected to Wi-Fi or data at the chosen time, the message sends when the device reconnects. That means the chosen time can pass before the phone gets a chance to send it.
Keep the phone powered on and connected if timing matters. Don't plan around leaving it off overnight and expecting the message to leave while the device is unavailable.
Check the conversation after the planned send time if the message is important. A scheduled notice confirms the message was queued, but doesn't show whether it was read.
For that distinction, Android read indicators depend on the messaging method. Scheduling changes when a message is sent, rather than granting a read receipt.
When the scheduling option doesn't appear
In Google Messages, check that text is entered before holding Send, and confirm the phone runs Android 7.0 or later. Update the app through its Play Store page if an update is offered, then try the same conversation again.
If the phone opens another SMS app, return to the default-app setting and check the selected application. Changing this setting changes which app handles your texts, so read the confirmation before you agree.
For a message that remains queued after the phone reconnects, use Google Messages > profile picture > Help & feedback and describe the app version, phone model, and scheduled time. Keep private message text out of public community posts.
The Short Version
In Google Messages, hold Send, choose a time, and tap Send. Older supported Samsung Messages uses Add > Schedule message. Check the queued item and keep your phone connected.
Checked November 12, 2026.
