In my opinion, Textra is the ultimate SMS app for Android. In addition to a slew of gorgeous interfaces, Textra offers per-contact customizations and seamless integration with Google Wear. It also pulls from a database of animated gifs, so the appropriate reaction face is right at your fingertips when you need it. Most importantly, Textra lets you schedule text messages ahead of time, a feature that doesn’t exist on most standard Android SMS apps.

1. Install Textra

   Textra can be found in the Google Play store. The free version recently began displaying ads, which appear at the top of your messages list. If these irritate you, the ad-free version of Textra is only $1.99.
   Download Textra here:
   
   Once Textra is installed, you’ll need to silence your old SMS client. Otherwise, you’ll get two notification for every text message you receive, and that can get old very quickly.
   
   

   Tap Sound & Notifications
   To do this, go to Settings and then Sound & Notification. From there, tap “App notifications.”
   
   

   App notifications.
   Find your stock messaging app, and select it. (The app may also have a name that begins “SMS-” or “Text-”)
   
   

   Stock messaging apps may have different names.
   Turn Block on to prevent notifications from showing up.
   
   

   Messages will still be logged and stored in your stock app.

2. Schedule Message

   To schedule a text message, access Textra and tap the relevant conversation.
   
   

   Open a conversation with the person you want to schedule a text message for.
   Compose your message as you would normally. However, do not tap send. Instead, tap the “+” icon to the left. This will bring up a list of options including emoji, pictures, and other attachments.
   
   

   Scheduling texts works great for birthdays.
   Select the clock icon.
   
   

   Tap the clock icon.
   Choose the date and time you want the message to send, then click the send arrow icon.
   
   

   A small orange clock will signify that the message is being scheduled rather than sent right away.
   You’re set! The message will send at the time you specify without any further attention from you.
   

3. Precautions

   Be aware that scheduled messages are unusual creatures. If you want to delete a scheduled message, you will need to hunt back through your conversation and find it at the time you drafted it. Once it sends, that draft message will vanish and reappear as a new message.
   This can lead to some counterintuitive considerations. If you regularly delete old text messages, for example, and you delete the draft before its scheduled send date, then the text message will not send. Furthermore, if you uninstall Textra and begin using a new SMS app, any scheduled messages will disappear.
   Finally, Textra does not notify you when it sends scheduled messages. If you scheduled a text for something you knew you were going to forget, you’re probably also going to forget that you scheduled a text message for it. Don’t be an idiot like me.
   
   

   Avoid.

Conclusion

Setting up automatic text messages can really add an element of efficiency to managing your interpersonal relationships. Just be careful when you’re using these methods, texting automatically is a lot like talking automatically, and both have the potential to get you into trouble!