Looking to launch a mass SMS marketing campaign or set up automated text replies? We’ve outlined simple, step-by-step instructions on how to send automated texts with every type of automated SMS for your business.
The process of setting up your automated SMS messages varies depending on the device or platform you’re using. We’ve broken it down into three methods: sending SMS from iOS, Android, and a third-party app.
Read on to learn how to send automated texts across different devices.
Table of contents
How to send automated texts from iOS
There are two main methods to schedule automated texts on iOS: through the Messages app or the Shortcuts app.
iOS method 1: Messages app
With iOS 18 (or later), you can schedule one-time messages up to 14 days in advance for individual or multiple recipients. Here’s how:
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
- Tap the Apps button, then select Send Later.
- Choose the desired time by tapping the scheduler and setting the date and time.
- A dashed border will appear around the text field, indicating the message is scheduled. The scheduled time is also displayed above the message.
- Type your message, then tap the Send button.
Once scheduled, your message will show a dashed line until it’s sent. Even if your devices are offline, the message will be delivered as planned.
Pro tip: Make sure you don’t accidentally send group messages when scheduling SMS.
Go to Settings > Messages and toggle off both iMessage and Group Messaging. This ensures replies come directly to you, as SMS doesn’t support group messaging functionality as iMessage does.
iOS method 2: Shortcuts app
If you need to set up recurring messages or don’t have the latest iOS version, you’ll need to use the Shortcuts app to schedule your texts.
Here’s how to automate messages using Shortcuts:
- Open the Shortcuts app and select the Automation tab.
- Tap Create Personal Automation.
- Select Time of Day.
- Tap Next and proceed to Add Action.
- From the action menu, select Send Message.
- Input your message under Message and choose your recipient(s) under Recipients.
- Disable Ask Before Running to have texts sent automatically.
- Tap Done to save your automation.
Keep in mind: this setup runs indefinitely until you manually delete the automation.
You can also use the Shortcuts app to create autoresponders for incoming text messages. This can be useful for various scenarios, such as:
- Encouraging responses to your text marketing campaign and then automatically replying with details about a special offer.
- Sending automated replies to support inquiries so users feel acknowledged while waiting for assistance.
Here’s how to set up an autoresponder using the Shortcuts app:
- Open the Shortcuts app and navigate to the Automation tab.
- Tap Create Personal Automation and select Message as the trigger.
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Specify the conditions:
- Choose specific senders or leave it open to all.
- Add keywords the message should contain to activate the auto-reply.
- Tap Next and select the Send Message action.
- Enter your message under Message and leave the Recipients field blank.
- Enable your automation.
How to send automated texts from Android
Scheduling text messages on Android can be done directly within most default messaging apps. Here’s how:
- Open your default Messaging app.
- Tap the Start Chat icon to begin a new message.
- Enter the recipient’s phone number or select a contact from your list.
- Compose your message in the text field.
- Tap the + icon or press and hold the Send button.
- Select Schedule Message from the options that appear.
- Choose the desired date and time for your message to be sent.
- Confirm your selection, and the message will be scheduled.
Note: some Android devices may have slightly different steps depending on the messaging app or manufacturer.
There’s no way to set up an auto-reply from Android devices (at least not for marketing use cases) without turning to third-party apps.
How to send automated texts through a third-party service
If you’re running a one-off campaign, the built-in options on iOS and Android work just fine. But for long-term needs, like scaling your SMS outreach, running regular campaigns, or integrating SMS into your automated workflows, you’ll need a third-party service.
SMS automation services like Brevo come packed with features to make your texts more effective and easier to manage.
Why use a third-party service to send automated SMS:
- Performance analytics. The tool will display how your messages are doing with detailed analytics on delivery, open rates, and responses so you can improve over time.
- Customization. You’ll get more control over how your messages look and feel, from formatting to branding.
- Multi-channel automation. You can link your SMS campaigns to other workflows and set up multi-step, cross-channel automations, reaching your prospects and customers wherever they are.
- Personalization. You’ll access personalization features like dynamic fields to send messages that feel like they’re written just for the recipient.
- Templates. The software will save you time with reusable templates for common messages, like appointment reminders or special offers.
Brevo, for instance, gives you a complete marketing automation suite where you can manage not just SMS, but also email marketing, WhatsApp messages, and push notifications — all from one platform. Best of all, there are no extra fees for setting up SMS campaigns; you only pay for the messages you send.
Brevo lets you send automated texts in two main ways:
- One-off SMS campaigns: Ideal for promotions, announcements, or updates to your audience.
- Triggered SMS in automated workflows: Perfect for sending personalized messages as part of a sequence, such as welcoming new customers, following up on purchases, or reminding clients about appointments.

In Brevo, you can set up an SMS campaign in minutes.
How to set up a one-off SMS campaign with Brevo
- Head to the Campaigns section and select Create Campaign > SMS.
- Name your campaign and proceed.
- Enter and format your message. You can add emojis and personalize your text with contact attributes using placeholders.
- In the Options tab, choose applicable actions. For instance, you can activate compliance management if you are sending your SMS to the USA or Canada.
- After saving your changes, set up your sender name.
- Select the contact list or segment you want to send your SMS campaign to.

You can test your campaign immediately to view how it will look for your recipients.
How to set up triggered SMS messages with Brevo
- Go to the Automations tab and click Create an automation.
- Select one of the templates or start from scratch.
- In the automation editor, choose any of the suggested Triggers and drag it to the canvas.
- Save, proceed to Actions, and drag Send an SMS to the canvas.
- Choose the SMS type (i.e. promotional or transactional), specify a sender name, enter your message, and check additional settings if applicable.
- Save your changes and add any extra Triggers, Actions, and Rules if you want to create a multi-step workflow.
- If you’d like to build a more complex workflow, add additional Triggers, Actions, or Rules.
- Once everything looks good, click Activate automation and let Brevo handle the rest.

With Brevo, you can send two types of SMS messages: marketing SMS and transactional SMS. Marketing SMS are bulk texts with promotional content, like newsletters, event invites, or sales offers. Transactional SMS are one-to-one messages triggered by specific actions, such as password resets or order confirmations.
The key difference is that transactional SMS messages typically don’t require prior consent from the recipient but must avoid promotional content. However, they still need to comply with regulations, like avoiding misuse or spam-like behavior.
Automated text messaging best practices
As you prepare to start sending automated text messages to your customers and prospects, keep these best practices in mind:
Use an SMS marketing platform
Managing text campaigns manually can get messy fast. With SMS marketing software, you’ll be able to keep everything organized and compliant.
Tools like Brevo let you schedule texts, personalize messages, and track performance—all while ensuring your campaigns meet legal requirements. And if you need to go beyond SMS marketing, you can manage everything in one system.
Get explicit opt-in permission before sending texts
You must get clear consent from your audience before texting them. This isn’t just a courtesy—it’s a legal requirement in many countries.
You can collect opt-ins through signup forms, checkboxes at checkout, or even by having customers text a keyword to join your list.
Set up an easy opt-out mechanism
This is another legal obligation for businesses. Even if they’ve opted in, people should have the freedom to stop receiving your messages whenever they want.
For instance, you may let recipients text back a keyword like “STOP,” “UNSUBSCRIBE,” or “END” to remove themselves from your list automatically or include a short link in your text that leads to a page where they can manage their subscription preferences.
Mind sending volume and schedule
Start with a manageable volume to test what works best, then gradually scale up.
Some platforms, like Brevo, allow you to send your messages in batches to prevent peaks of frequentation on your website. You can set a specific number of messages to send each day and slowly increase that number to manage traffic effectively.
Timing is just as important as volume. Many countries have strict regulations around when marketing messages can be sent to respect recipients' quiet hours. For instance, in France, SMS campaigns are not allowed between 10 pm and 8 am, on Sundays, or on public holidays.
Brevo helps you stay compliant by automatically rescheduling messages sent during restricted hours to the next available time slot.
Related: Discover the best marketing automation software.