Discord Scheduled Messages: Why You May Not Have Them Yet
Discord's 9 November patch notes added scheduled messages, but its help centre still lists them as a beta. How they work and why you might not see them.
Discord's patch notes of 9 November gave scheduled messages a spot in their highlights: write something now, pick a time, and Discord sends it later. Until now, the usual way to do that on Discord was a bot, so it's a welcome change. But plenty of users opening Discord today won't find it, and Discord's own help centre explains why.
Can you schedule messages on Discord?
Yes, if you're in the group that has the feature. Discord describes it as a way to "set a time in the future to send your messages in DMs and channels". Its patch notes pitch it for messages you think of at 3am without waking a friend, for groups spread across time zones, and for server announcements that should go out on time.
How do you schedule a message on Discord?
Discord's patch notes say to hit the + button and schedule your message to send later. That's the full extent of Discord's instructions so far: it hasn't published a help article on scheduled messages, so details such as how far ahead you can schedule, how many messages you can queue, or how to edit or cancel one aren't documented yet.
Why don't I have scheduled messages on Discord?
Because it's still a beta for a random group of users. Discord's Beta Programs FAQ, updated on 11 November, lists scheduled messages under its active beta features. According to that page:
- beta features go to "a small, randomly selected group of users";
- you can't sign up or ask for access, and support can't add you;
- if you have a beta feature, you'll see a beta label or tag next to it;
- access can be taken away if the test ends.
The patch notes also say every change listed "may still be rolling out to individual platforms". If a beta goes well, Discord says, it may be rolled out more broadly, and at that point everyone will have access.
Do you need Nitro to schedule messages?
Discord hasn't said. Its Beta FAQ doesn't tie scheduled messages to Nitro, unlike two other features from the same patch notes:
- Bookmarks: Discord's help article says they're "available exclusively for Nitro users", with a limit of 200 saved messages.
- Favorites: a "Nitro experiment on desktop and browser", view-only on mobile.
Can you schedule messages on Discord mobile?
Not confirmed. Discord says scheduled messages work in DMs and channels, but doesn't say which apps have them, and its patch notes don't tag the feature with a platform the way they do for most changes.
Is it the same as Scheduled Events?
No. Scheduled Events is an older server feature for announcing an event ahead of time (a voice chat, a Stage or something elsewhere) so members can be notified when it starts. It doesn't send a message for you.
What can you use if you don't have it?
Reminders get you halfway: right-click a message on desktop to add a reminder, or long-press it on mobile and tap Create Reminder. The Remind Me menu includes a Custom option for a specific date and time, and reminders appear under Inbox, then Bookmarks on desktop, or Notifications, then Bookmarks on mobile. It reminds you rather than sending anything. Note that the same help article describes bookmarks as Nitro-only, and reminders sit in the same Bookmarks tab, so they may not be available on a free account. For automated server posts, scheduling bots remain the other option.
