Google Messages Is Quietly Adding A New Text Scheduling Feature

Google Messages, the company's chat app, is adding the ability to schedule text messages. The feature started rolling out to users through a server-side update, but not everyone has access to it yet. Reports about the feature began surfacing on social media earlier today, showing multiple scheduling options.

There's a good reason to schedule text messages, though such functionality may not be useful to many users. You could, for example, schedule a morning greeting to send at an hour during which you plan to be asleep. You could likewise schedule a text to send someone a reminder ahead of a planned event or task, such as a reminder to meet up at a certain place and time.

Based on images from Google Messages users who have received the new feature, Google offers the ability to choose pre-defined schedule times and dates, such as 6PM on the current night or 8AM the next day. However, users also have the option of choosing a custom date and time for the message.

Scheduled messages will appear in the chat with a clock icon and a message noting that it is scheduled. Users can tap this icon to either edit the message (before it is sent, of course), or to either send the message immediately or delete it. It doesn't appear that a scheduled message can have the time and date edited, however.

The feature makes Google Messages a more robust chatting app, adding the same functionality we've seen in some other competing message apps, including Samsung Messages — which is, of course, included on Samsung smartphones. Google Messages includes sending media, texting over WiFi, group chats, and provides access on desktop.