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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.
There are two main methods to schedule automated texts on iOS: through the Messages app or the Shortcuts 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:
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.
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:
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:
Here’s how to set up an autoresponder using the Shortcuts app:
Scheduling text messages on Android can be done directly within most default messaging apps. Here’s how:
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.
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:
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:
In Brevo, you can set up an SMS campaign in minutes.
You can test your campaign immediately to view how it will look for your recipients.
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.
As you prepare to start sending automated text messages to your customers and prospects, keep these best practices in mind:
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.
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. 
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.
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.
Yes, but there are rules to follow. Automatic text messages are legal as long as you have explicit consent from your recipients. In many countries, regulations like the TCPA (in the U.S.) or GDPR (in the EU) require businesses to get explicit consent to receive any marketing communication from the brand.
 
For transactional messages, like password resets or order updates, consent may not be required, but the messages must stick to their purpose—no sneaky promotions.
Yes, you can. With iOS 18 or later, you can schedule one-time texts directly in the Messages app using the "Send Later" feature. If you're looking to automate recurring messages or use older iOS versions, you can set up an automated message through Apple’s native Shortcuts app.
You can create automated SMS in a few ways:

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