Signal is getting a major feature update that Telegram launched four years ago

Signal, which is consistently rated as one of the best encrypted messaging applications available, has evolved with the times and introduced dozens of useful new features, some of which are aesthetic and others of which are concerned with security and privacy. The newest is finally here as Signal adds the option to schedule messages, which has been a long-awaited feature.

Message scheduling, which has been conspicuously absent from Signal until now, has been a feature of competitor encrypted messaging software Telegram since September 2019. As the saying goes, better late than never, and the app is currently making up for lost time by allowing you to enter in your desired message and schedule it to be sent at any specified day or time. Most users seem to be able to access the feature, and we were able to test it out. According to the company’s wording, this function is currently only available on Android devices, with web and iOS versions possibly receiving it in the future.

What’s intriguing about this newest innovation is how strikingly similar the UI interaction is to Telegram’s message scheduling functionality. For scheduling choices to appear, users must long press the send message button. In Signal’s case, this reveals three presets (perhaps based on the time of day), then a Pick Date & Time option for further customization.

After repeatedly tapping the send button, Telegram users can schedule messages and perform a few more actions, such as sending the message the next time someone logs in or discreetly sending it. The designers at Signal might contend that this is the simplest method to include message scheduling in the app, and it is unavoidably challenging to avoid doing so without appearing to copy a feature from a competing service.

Message scheduling has been added to Signal, which frequent users will appreciate because it allows them to “write now, send later.” While we’re glad to see it, other widely sought features like unique usernames still aren’t available in the app. The edit message button briefly appeared on Signal beta for Android v6.24 last month, but it has since disappeared as intended. It is anticipated to reappear sometime in the next two months.