M365 Changelog: (Updated) Schedule Send for Teams Chat

MC427758 – Updated January 24, 2023: Microsoft has updated the rollout timeline below to account for mobile rollout. Thank you for your patience.

As remote teams become more common and spread across multiple time zones, Teams is introducing the schedule send feature that allows users to schedule chat messages to be delivered in the future. With this feature, Microsoft can help build better work-life balance and support flexible schedules by scheduling chat messages so that they only deliver during our peer’s work hours. Users can schedule messages to be delivered both on desktop and mobile. Additionally, all scheduled messages can be edit and delete before they are delivered. 

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 88281

When this will happen:

Production: will begin rolling out in early November (previously late September) and we are expected to complete roll out by mid-February (previously late November).

GCC: roll out will start in mid-January and complete by mid-February.

GCCH: roll out will start in mid-February and complete by mid-March.

DoD: roll out will start in mid-February and complete by mid-March.

How this will affect your organization:

All users within your organization will be allowed to schedule chat messages. All scheduled messages can only be delivered no more than 7 days in the future and cannot be flagged as urgent or important. Inline images and attached files will only be accessible by others in the chat once the message has been delivered. 

Desktop: Right click on the send button to access the scheduling menu and select a date and time within 7 days from now:

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See the schedule details in the compose experience:

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Select send and the message will be scheduled to deliver at the later date and time. At the delivery date and time, the message will be sent like any other message:

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Mobile: Write a message and long press on the send button to schedule the message. Select a date and time to deliver within 7 days to deliver the message:

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Once you’ve selected a date to send in the future, the message will be scheduled to deliver at the later date and time. At the delivery date and time, the message will be sent like any other message:

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What you need to do to prepare:

You may want to notify your users about this new feature within chat so that they can help build better work life balance for their teams while supporting the flexible schedules that your organization supports.