Why ‘Scheduled Messages’ are not a standard feature in every messaging service

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By ‘scheduled message’ i mean i can write an IM and hit a button to say “send this message at XX o’ clock” or “send this message in XX minutes”.
It’s an insanely simple functionality that everyone wants but doesn’t come as standard on:- SMS, Whatsapp, Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, Discord (i think) or others.
Is this harder to impliment than i understand or is it susceptible to a vulnerability or exploit i haven’t considered?

In: Technology

6 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Besides from probably not being as desired as you think: it introduces quite a few more error cases. What to do when the device is turned off? Do you actually store the message on a server until it’s due? Do you send it when the device is turned back on? What happens if the cellular signal is bad? Does the OS even allow scheduled events like that (e.g. iOS allows users to turn off background refresh)? Battery life might also be a factor depending on implementation

So basically: a lot more things to keep in mind, especially for a feature that won’t get you any additional users

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