Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone Texting and SMS NEED away message capability!

zachlegomaniac

zachlegomaniac

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 20, 2008
806
370
Does anyone know if the iPhone has an app (or otherwise) capable of setting up an away message/out of office message? I have searched on the forums, google, the app store, etc., but have come up empty handed. I'm pretty sure the Droid has an app designed for such (according to a friend) and some quick google searches. I'd love to see one developed if there isn't one currently on the market. The constant texting for my business during the day is starting to ruin my productivity (which is no good when you're a sole proprietor).

Thanks.
 
I assume an SMS away message would mean an automated text message that gets sent if someone sends you a message while you have indicated that you are away. This is not possible on a non-jailbroken iPhone. 3rd party apps can't know when a text arrives, nor can they send one automatically (only compose).
 
admanimal said:
I assume an SMS away message would mean an automated text message that gets sent if someone sends you a message while you have indicated that you are away. This is not possible on a non-jailbroken iPhone. 3rd party apps can't know when a text arrives, nor can they send one automatically (only compose).
Click to expand...

they can compose AND send, but only by user request

so yes...they can't send automatically



I don't know what the point of posting that was, it didn't help in the slightest (referencing this comment made by me, not yours)
 
Thank you both for your help. That is correct, admanimal. i wasn't sure of the best way to phrase my question. I guess I could always just have a standard, "I am unavailable at the moment, but will reply to you at my earliest convenience," ready to paste, but that is sort of cumbersome and kills the point anyways. I design and install gardens and have shut my audio notification off, but, still, when I'm in the field and go to use my phone and see 5 clients have texted me about their properties, gardens, etc. it can be a bit overwhelming. They like that I'm "connected" via email, text, and phone, but it can be a real downfall as well, whether they realize it or not.
 
zachlegomaniac said:
Thank you both for your help. That is correct, admanimal. i wasn't sure of the best way to phrase my question. I guess I could always just have a standard, "I am unavailable at the moment, but will reply to you at my earliest convenience," ready to paste, but that is sort of cumbersome and kills the point anyways. I design and install gardens and have shut my audio notification off, but, still, when I'm in the field and go to use my phone and see 5 clients have texted me about their properties, gardens, etc. it can be a bit overwhelming. They like that I'm "connected" via email, text, and phone, but it can be a real downfall as well, whether they realize it or not.
Click to expand...

iBlacklist would do that for you, you just setup everyone to block for the period you want to be DND and you can also setup to Autoreply something.

You can mute the sound notification, or you can deleted the SMS completely, it's actually pretty cool.

Hope it works for you.
 
Rogers in Canada has a free option for "extreme text messaging" and includes such options has fowarding, text blocker, and AUTO REPLY. Maybe your provider has something similar.
 
Ever34 said:
Rogers in Canada has a free option for "extreme text messaging" and includes such options has fowarding, text blocker, and AUTO REPLY. Maybe your provider has something similar.
Click to expand...
Hmm I didnt know that? How do you get it? I just got off the phone with Rogers.
 
I find this to be a silly idea. If I am busy or if I don't care to respond I'm not responding. No need for the melodrama.
 
I figured I'd eventually get ripped on for this post. As I mentioned before, this is a business line and my client base is high end and texts me frequently with concerns regarding their properties. If there is a storm up here in New England (in my industry) I can be inundated with phone calls, emails and texts. If it didn't put food on the table I wouldn't really care about not getting back to someone until later.

I don't know why I'm trying to validate myself so I'm going to stop. Just a simple question about away messages for texting. My apologies to those who have become upset reading my thread and my thanks to those who have been helpful.

Zach
 
Didnt mean to sound like a rip but there is no autoreply feature on text messages unless you jailbreak your iphone and install iblacklist I believe.
Features like that are mostly available on email accounts instead of text messages.
Im sure if its something more urgent they can call you and leave you a voicemail.
 
Applejuiced said:
I agree.
If I dont respond to you Im obviously busy or away from my phone:D
Click to expand...

Or I don't care to respond. There can be any number of reasons. The "away" for messages comes from the time of instant messaging when you could be logged on but away from your computer.
 
zachlegomaniac said:
I figured I'd eventually get ripped on for this post. As I mentioned before, this is a business line and my client base is high end and texts me frequently with concerns regarding their properties. If there is a storm up here in New England (in my industry) I can be inundated with phone calls, emails and texts. If it didn't put food on the table I wouldn't really care about not getting back to someone until later.

I don't know why I'm trying to validate myself so I'm going to stop. Just a simple question about away messages for texting. My apologies to those who have become upset reading my thread and my thanks to those who have been helpful.

Zach
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone is upset or even ripping on you, we just don't understand the point. If you can't reply to messages for some reason how is an away text any better? If your clients needed an immediate reply about something wouldn't they call you instead?
 
If he wants to auto reply to clients I can understand where he is coming from. Though it's obvious that a non reply usually means someone is busy, some clients need that little extra attention. Simply, letting someone know that you will not be able to answer their text for the next hour or so, is just simply another way, to avoid clients assuming that you are to busy to meet their business needs.
 
Hey

I think it's possible to achieve this on a jailbroken iPhone. Read about biteSMS and it's features. Quick compose an quick reply are already enough for me to use it instead of the default SMS app. They add features as a weekly manner.

You can go on their website and suggest this feature, assuming someone else didn't already do it.

I love the app and it's features and it addany thing that I would like to see in the default app.

Also I'm not promoting, those who know me on this forum know that I have no benefit promoting bitesms. Just telling you that there is a really cool SMS app that can in the future add your suggestion as a feature.

Thanks
AE
 
Well one work around option I can think of is use google voice.

The work around is have the text messages forwarded to an email address that has an auto replay built into it. It should kick back a text message to the person. It is a work around and you would have to play with it. It would require you messing with GV account online when ever you need to change it. mostly by checking a check box that say forward SMS to email address.

Then it should just take something with message rules that always kick backs a default replay.
 
zachlegomaniac said:
Thank you both for your help. That is correct, admanimal. i wasn't sure of the best way to phrase my question. I guess I could always just have a standard, "I am unavailable at the moment, but will reply to you at my earliest convenience," ready to paste, but that is sort of cumbersome and kills the point anyways. I design and install gardens and have shut my audio notification off, but, still, when I'm in the field and go to use my phone and see 5 clients have texted me about their properties, gardens, etc. it can be a bit overwhelming. They like that I'm "connected" via email, text, and phone, but it can be a real downfall as well, whether they realize it or not.
Click to expand...

Clients shouldn't be texting you, nor should you be texting them. A phone call is much more professional for a business...
 
A friend of mine has the Droid Incredible, & it'll automatically send me a text if I call him while he's on the phone. It's pretty neat. I wish the iPhone had more things like this.
 
makefunnyfaces said:
A friend of mine has the Droid Incredible, & it'll automatically send me a text if I call him while he's on the phone. It's pretty neat. I wish the iPhone had more things like this.
Click to expand...
Wouldnt a busy signal or hitting his voicemail be good enough?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back