How to Send a Recurring Text on iPhone (Daily, Weekly or Monthly)
The iPhone Messages app can schedule a single text with Send Later, but it cannot repeat one. To send the same text automatically every day, week or month, use a free Shortcuts automation. Setup takes about two minutes.
Short answer: Shortcuts → Automation → + → Time of Day → choose the time and Daily/Weekly/Monthly → Run Immediately → Next → New Blank Automation → add Send Message → type the message and choose the recipient → Done.
Step-by-step: create a repeating text with Shortcuts
- Open the Shortcuts app (pre-installed; if you deleted it, reinstall it free from the App Store).
- Tap the Automation tab at the bottom, then tap + (or “New Automation” if you have none yet). On iOS 16 and earlier, choose Create Personal Automation.
- Choose Time of Day. Set the exact time (or Sunrise/Sunset).
- Under Repeat, pick Daily, Weekly (select one or more weekdays) or Monthly (select a day of the month).
- Select Run Immediately so the text goes out without asking you. (iOS 16 and earlier: tap Next and turn off Ask Before Running.) Optionally turn Notify When Run on or off.
- Tap Next, then New Blank Automation.
- Tap Add Action, search for Send Message and select it.
- Tap Message and type your text; tap Recipients and pick one or more contacts. Expand the action (the arrow) and make sure Show When Run is off, or you will have to confirm each time.
- Tap Done. Test it by temporarily setting the time two or three minutes ahead.
Send a recurring text to a group or several people
Add several recipients to the Send Message action, and they receive it as one group conversation where replies go to everyone. To message each person separately, add one Send Message action per person to the same automation. The same steps work on iPhone 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17: what matters is the iOS version, not the model.
The simplest way to schedule a repeat text is the automation above. The Messages app has no repeat option, and third-party scheduling apps usually only remind you to send the message yourself.
Examples of recurring texts people set up
| Use | Trigger | Example message |
|---|---|---|
| Daily check-in with a parent | Daily, 9:00 | Good morning Mum, how are you feeling today? |
| Weekly reminder for kids | Weekly, Sunday 18:00 | Reminder: pack your sports bag and charge your laptop for Monday. |
| Team shift reminder | Weekly, Mon–Fri 7:30 | Morning! Shift starts at 9. Reply if you're running late. |
| Monthly rent or bill reminder | Monthly, day 28 | Rent is due on the 1st. Please transfer by the 30th, thanks! |
| Medication reminder to yourself or a relative | Daily, 20:00 | Time for your evening medication 💊 |
To make the message dynamic, add a Current Date or Format Date action before Send Message and insert it as a variable (for example “Reminder for Tuesday 14 Oct”).
Recurring text vs. Send Later vs. Reminders
| Shortcuts automation | Messages “Send Later” | Reminders app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeats automatically | Yes – daily, weekly, monthly | No – one message at a time | Repeats, but only reminds you |
| Sends without tapping | Yes (Run Immediately) | Yes | No – you send it manually |
| Works with SMS (green bubbles) | Yes | No – iMessage only | Yes (manual) |
| How far ahead | Any time | Up to 14 days | Any time |
| Needs iOS | iOS 14 or later (Run Immediately for time triggers) | iOS 18 or later | Any |
For a one-off scheduled text, see how to schedule a text on iPhone with Send Later.
Troubleshooting
- It asks me before sending: edit the automation and choose Run Immediately; inside the Send Message action, turn off Show When Run.
- Nothing was sent: check that the automation is switched on, the iPhone had signal or Wi-Fi at that moment, and that the recipient's number is correct. Airplane mode or a switched-off phone means the run is skipped, not delayed.
- It sends as SMS instead of iMessage (or vice versa): Shortcuts uses the same rules as Messages; if iMessage is not available for that contact it falls back to SMS/RCS when “Send as Text Message” is enabled in Settings → Apps → Messages.
- The text is cut into several parts: long SMS are split into segments. Check the length with our SMS character counter.
Frequently asked questions
Can you send a recurring text on iPhone?
Yes, but not from the Messages app itself. Messages' Send Later option (iOS 18 and later) schedules one message at a time. For a text that repeats every day, week or month, create a personal automation in the Shortcuts app with a Time of Day trigger and a Send Message action, set to Run Immediately.
Will the recurring text send without me tapping anything?
Yes, if you choose “Run Immediately” when you create the automation (on older iOS versions: turn off “Ask Before Running”). Otherwise you get a notification and the message is only sent after you confirm.
Does my iPhone need to be unlocked?
Usually not: in current iOS versions a Time of Day automation set to Run Immediately normally runs while the phone is locked. The iPhone must be switched on and have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection at the scheduled time. Test it once with a time a few minutes ahead while the phone is locked.
Can I schedule a recurring text every other week?
The Time of Day trigger only offers Daily, Weekly (pick days) and Monthly (pick a date). For every other week, add an If action that checks the week number and only sends on even or odd weeks, or simply use a weekly automation and turn it off on the weeks you skip.
How do I stop a recurring text?
Open Shortcuts → Automation, tap the automation and turn it off, or swipe left on it and tap Delete.
Can I send the recurring text to a group?
Yes. Add several recipients to the Send Message action. They receive it as one group conversation; to text people individually, add one Send Message action per person.
Can I schedule a recurring text without the Shortcuts app?
Not automatically. Send Later in Messages sends one message at a time, and third-party apps generally prepare the message and ask you to press send. Shortcuts is the built-in way to repeat a text.
Does this work on iPhone 15, 16 or 17?
Yes. Any iPhone that runs iOS 14 or later can run this automation. Menu names can differ slightly between iOS versions.
Menu names checked against iOS 17, 18 and 26; Apple occasionally renames options between versions. TextPlus.net is not affiliated with Apple.