How to schedule a WhatsApp message: what the app can do, and how businesses schedule properly

The short answer

How to schedule a WhatsApp message: in an ordinary WhatsApp chat you can't. Neither WhatsApp nor the WhatsApp Business app has a "send later" option for a text you type to a person or a group, on Android or iPhone. What you can schedule inside WhatsApp is narrower: an automatic away message in the WhatsApp Business app, a paid business broadcast in countries where WhatsApp has launched it, and a group call through WhatsApp Events.

If you run a business and want customers to receive an offer, a reminder or an update at a fixed time, the dependable route is the WhatsApp Business API. There a campaign is stored on a server and sent at the time you choose, even when your phone is switched off. The rest of this guide shows each option step by step and when it does not apply.

What you can and cannot schedule

Meta AI on WhatsApp can schedule tasks and send you reminders at a time you choose, where Meta AI is available. It does not send messages to your customers on your behalf, so it is a to-do helper, not a message scheduler.

Schedule an away message in WhatsApp Business

An away message is the only automatic reply you can put on a timer in the free app. WhatsApp's Help Center gives these steps (Android and iPhone are the same):

1. Open the Tools tab and tap Away message.
2. Turn on Send away message.
3. Tap the message to edit it, then tap OK.
4. Tap Schedule and choose Always send, Custom schedule or Outside of business hours (this last option appears only if you have set business hours in your business profile).
5. Tap Recipients: Everyone, Everyone not in address book, Everyone except…, or Only send to….
6. Tap Save.

The away message only goes out when someone messages you, and only while your phone has an internet connection. It is not a way to start a conversation. Our WhatsApp Business auto-reply guide has more ready-to-use away and greeting messages.

Schedule a business broadcast (where available)

Some WhatsApp Business app users now see Business broadcasts (earlier called marketing messages) under Tools. WhatsApp's Help Center says this feature is available in limited countries, is paid per delivered message, and is reviewed by Meta before it is sent. If your app shows it, scheduling works like this:

1. Tap Tools and then Business broadcasts (or start one from an existing chat).
2. Select the audience from your contacts or a saved list.
3. Add a photo, your text and, if you want, a button: Catalog, Custom reply, Phone call or Website.
4. Tap Next to preview, then review the price and recipients.
5. Tap Schedule, pick a date, tap OK, pick a time, tap OK, then Done.

Two details from WhatsApp's own article matter in practice. First, your phone must be online at the scheduled time: if it is not, the app tries again after one minute and then every 10 minutes, up to 10 attempts. Second, sending can take from a few seconds up to 3 hours to process. So a festive offer scheduled for 8 am on a phone that is switched off overnight may not go out when you expect. WhatsApp also refunds broadcasts that are not delivered within five days.

If you do not see Business broadcasts, you can still send a normal broadcast list, but it cannot be scheduled and only reaches people who saved your number.

One-off messages to one person

For birthdays, payment follow-ups or a promised call-back, the safest method is the low-tech one: set an alarm or calendar reminder with the message text in the note, then open WhatsApp and send it yourself. Paste the text from the reminder so it takes seconds.

Many Android apps advertise "WhatsApp auto scheduler" features. They usually work by using accessibility permissions to open WhatsApp and tap Send for you. WhatsApp's guide to using WhatsApp responsibly says not to auto-message or bulk message, and that WhatsApp detects and bans accounts that send unwanted automated messages. A scheduler app that reads your screen also sees every chat on it. For a business number your customers rely on, that trade-off is rarely worth it. If your number is ever blocked, our guide on getting a banned WhatsApp account back explains the review process.

Schedule campaigns on the WhatsApp Business API

On the WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API), messages are sent by software on a server, so scheduling is a normal feature of most platforms. The rules are Meta's, not the platform's:

• Outside the 24-hour customer service window, you can only send an approved message template. Template review can take up to 24 hours, so create it before you schedule.
• You need each person's opt-in to receive messages from your business.
• Your messaging limit caps how many unique people you can reach outside the window in 24 hours (250, 2,000, 10,000, 100,000 or unlimited), so a large scheduled campaign may be paced over more than one day.
• Meta charges per delivered template message by category. Check current rates on our WhatsApp API pricing page.

Worked example: a weekly offer for a sweet shop

Meera runs Rangoli Sweets and wants every opted-in customer to get Saturday's special at 10 am. In Broadchat she does this once:

1. CRM → WhatsApp Templates: create a marketing template, for example "Hi {{1}}, this Saturday's special at Rangoli Sweets is kaju katli at ₹899 per kg. Reply ORDER to reserve yours." and wait for approval.
2. Import or tag the customers who opted in (for example the tag weekly-offers).
3. Campaigns → Bulk Campaigns: create a campaign with that template and audience, choose Schedule Later, set Schedule For to Saturday 10:00 and turn on Repeat weekly.
4. Keep the channel wallet topped up. If the wallet does not have enough balance at send time, Broadchat marks the campaign failed with the reason and sends an alert rather than sending part of it silently.

When customers reply ORDER, their replies land in the team inbox and a new 24-hour window opens, so staff can answer with normal messages. You can also put a chatbot on those replies.

Scheduling mistakes to avoid

• Scheduling for a time your customers sleep. A message at 6 am gets muted or annoyed replies. Mid-morning and early evening suit most Indian retail audiences; test with your own list.
• Scheduling promotions as "utility". Meta checks template categories and recategorises promotional content as marketing.
• Relying on a phone for time-critical sends. App features need your phone online. Use the API when timing matters.
• Repeating the same message every week. People who stop reading start blocking, which lowers your quality rating. Rotate content and remove people who never engage.

If you manage WhatsApp for clients, scheduled campaigns are one of the easiest services to sell. A white-label WhatsApp platform lets an agency offer them under its own brand.