Using 'Delay Delivery' to Send "Please Check on Me" Messages

In October 2017 I wrote about an app, Kitestring, that lets you schedule a notification to be sent to friends, family, or some other emergency contact if you go missing or fail to respond to a check-in message. 

 

You can use the 'Delay Delivery' option in Outlook to accomplish the same type of notification.

To set up delayed delivery of an e-mail from Outlook:

• In the message, click Options.
• In the More Options group, click Delay Delivery.
• Delay Delivery command on the ribbon
• Under Delivery options, select the Do not deliver before check box, and then click the delivery date and time that you want.
• After you click Send, the message remains in the Outbox folder until the delivery time.

 

Using the 'Delay Delivery' option you can prepare an e-mail to be sent at a certain time. Maybe you want somebody to check on you if you don't return from a sole hike or weekend camping trip. Are you going on a blind-date or meeting a stranger to purchase something that you saw on Craigslist?

For whatever reason you might want to send a message to someone at a specific time, 'Delay Delivery' gives you that option. Of course, you should always test this system and arrange with friends and family in advance of using 'Delay Delivery' to ask them to check on you. The delayed message is just an automated reminder - it shouldn't come as a surprise to the person receiving it.

For the 'Delay Delivery' option to work, Outlook must be running with a connection to an e-mail server (you must be on-line) at the time the message is scheduled to be sent. A power failure, computer crash, or automatic re-start could cancel your delayed messages, but generally speaking the 'Delay Delivery' option works as described.
 
In addition to just sending an e-mail, you can use the e-mail to text (SMS) to help ensure that your message is seen as soon as possible after it is sent. You may only check your e-mail when you are sitting in front of your computer, but your cell-phone is probably in your pocket allowing you to receive a text message at any time.

Use the following formats to send a text message from e-mail:

• Alltel   10-digit-number@message.alltel.com 
• AT&T   10-digit-number@txt.att.net 
• Boost Mobile  10-digit-number@myboostmobile.com 
• Cricket Wireless 10-digit-number@mms.cricketwireless.net
• Project Fi  10-digit-number@msg.fi.google.com
• Sprint   10-digit-number@messaging.sprintpcs.com 
• T-Mobile  10-digit-number@tmomail.net 
• U.S. Cellular  10-digit-number@email.uscc.net 
• Verizon [insert  10-digit-number@vtext.com 
• Virgin Mobile  10-digit-number@vmobl.com 
• Republic Wireless 10-digit-number@text.republicwireless.com 
• US Cellular:   10-digit-number@mms.uscc.net

Remember to keep e-mail sent as a text message short (less than 160 characters). You can always send short notifications as text messages, and follow-up with e-mail containing additional details.

If after setting up a 'Delay Delivery' message you find that you don't need to send it (which should be most of the time for "Please Check on Me" type messages), just delete it from your Outbox folder prior to its scheduled delivery time.

Please Check on Me messages, scheduled with 'Delay Delivery' are a way to add a little bit of extra personal security to your life.