Being able to schedule an email or message to send at a later time is useful for productivity. You can set up important dates in advance or add a reminder for your teammates. If you are working remotely and with colleagues across time zones, you can schedule your messages so everyone in the team gets it on time. Slack has this nifty “Schedule for later” option that allows you to schedule your messages. Here we show you how to schedule Slack messages.
Schedule Slack Messages
Start by opening the Slack app and going to the conversation or channel in which you want to schedule your messages. Then, type like you normally would in the text box. Once you’ve done that, hover your cursor over the downward-facing Schedule for later arrow (next to the Send icon).
Click on the schedule arrow and choose the time you want your message to be sent. Pick from the preformatted versions or choose Custom time.
If you schedule for a custom time, choose when you want the message to go live. When you’re ready, select Schedule message.
If you are using Slack on your mobile:
To schedule messages in the Slack mobile app, type the message you want to send and then hold down on the send icon until the Schedule message pop-up window appears.
Choose which time you want to schedule your message. Then, when you’re ready, select Schedule message.
These tips will work on iOS and Android, and they’re one of many ways to become more productive with Slack.
Schedule Recurring Messages in Slack
In addition to Slack commands, you may want to improve your Slack workflow by scheduling recurring messages. I normally do this if I need to remind myself to do something; you can also do it to arrange weekly catch-ups and other things.
You need a premium subscription to use this feature. After upgrading, go to the More tab and select Automations.
Select Templates -> Scheduled message.
Click on Set up.
Start by choosing the time and day of the week you want your recurring messages to reach others. Then, tap the arrow icon to proceed to the second step.
Expand Select a channel and choose the channel in which you want your recurring message to be scheduled.
Enter your message in the Add a message text box. Then, when you’re ready, click on Publish workflow.
View All Scheduled Messages in Slack
In the desktop app, you will see a note on top of the text box showing when your message will be sent; see the example below.
If you decide to delete the scheduled message, go to See all scheduled messages. Then, tap the vertical three-dot icon and tap Delete message. Confirm your decision when Slack asks you.
On your smartphone, you can similarly see all of your scheduled messages by tapping the message just above the text box.
Go to the Scheduled tab in Drafts & sent. Swipe left to reveal the trash can icon.
Confirm that you want to delete your scheduled message when the pop-up window appears.
Scheduling Slack messages is very simple, and while you need a Slack Pro subscription for recurring ones, this isn’t required for general messages. You can also edit them later if needed and delete them altogether if you’d prefer. Combining scheduled messages with a cheat sheet of Slack keyboard shortcuts will help you use the app more productively.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Danny Maiorca.
