I could probably find a million reasons for why it would come in handy to have the option of scheduling SMS and iMessages on the iPhone. Being able to schedule messages for birthdays and other special occasions (I’m exceptionally good at forgetting them) would be a life-saving feature for me.
Of course, text message scheduling can have numerous uses at work as well but the iPhone doesn’t offer such a built-in feature, despite the fact many users would be very happy to have it. Sure, a jailbroken iPhone makes this possible, among many other things but not everyone can or wants to jailbreak their device. Apple’s now famous restrictions include the capability of scheduling text messages as well, thus the lack of third-party apps that would gladly fill this gap otherwise.
Nonetheless, there is an app that managed to avoid these limitations and unlike plenty others, it actually works. Delayd is more than just an SMS scheduling app, as it also lets you schedule emails, tweets and Facebook posts and the whole process is very simple.
A dedicated ‘Schedule’ button allows you to set the date and time when your message will be sent – you can adjust it by 15-minute intervals. After the message is sent you will receive a notification.
Other apps that promise the same functionality work by notifying you to sent the scheduled text when the time comes, although this is hardly ideal and not automated at all. Might as well set a reminder.
What’s more, the app allows you to set recurring messages – daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly (birthdays and holiday wishes anyone?). For your convenience, scheduled, sent and recurring messages are grouped under relevant tabs so you can view each category, plus you can use the app to schedule Facebook posts, tweets and emails.
You might ask yourself how Delayd managed to avoid Apple’s restrictions in order to survive in the App Store? The app made a small compromise by using its own servers to send your scheduled messages, emails and social media updates. For this reason, the recipient can’t directly send a reply to your phone number or email address because this information is not included in the message (however, you can add it yourself so the recipient will know where it’s coming from).
The app is free to download and you get 50 free credits (meaning 50 scheduled messages), but if you need more they can be purchased via IAPs which range from 0.99$ for 50 extra credits to $3.99 for 500 credits. It might seem a bit expensive but keep in mind the servers used to transmit the messages are not free, plus most other scheduling tools available on the web ask for a monthly subscriptions and the free plans they offer are very basic and/or limited.
All in all, Delayd offers a very useful capability for iOS users and if you really need the option to schedule messages on your iPhone it’s certainly worth the investment.
Download Delayd (iTunes)
Have you tried Delayd and do you find the app useful? Do you consider purchasing additional credits in the future? Let us know how you like the app in the comments section below or drop us a line on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
