How to set reminders on WhatsApp
WhatsApp doesn't have a real reminder feature. There's a “Remind me” option when you long-press a message, but it only nudges you about that message, and only 2, 8, or 24 hours later. You can't tell WhatsApp “remind me to pay rent on the 1st” — it has nowhere to put that.
The good news: you don't need another app. A reminder bot lives inside WhatsApp as a regular chat, so you set reminders the same way you text a friend. Here's every option, from the built-in workaround to the one-message setup.
Option 1: WhatsApp's built-in “Remind me” (and why it falls short)
Long-press any message in a chat, tap More, then Remind me. WhatsApp will resurface that message after 2 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours, or a custom delay.
That's useful for “reply to this later,” but it can't do the things people actually mean by reminders: no free-text tasks (“take medicine at 9pm”), no specific dates or times, and nothing recurring. If a friend never texted you about rent, WhatsApp can't remind you about rent.
Option 2: A reminder bot inside WhatsApp (one message, done)
A reminder bot is a WhatsApp contact you text your reminders to. Pokobot works in plain English — you write the reminder the way you'd say it out loud, and it messages you back at the right moment. No app to install, no account to create; your first message starts the setup.
It handles one-off reminders, specific dates, and recurring schedules, and it reads your timezone from your phone number so “9am” means your 9am.
remind me to pay rent on the 1st at 10amtake my medicine every day at 9pmcall mom tomorrow at 6pmOption 3: Scheduling hacks (broadcast lists, Google Calendar, task apps)
You'll also find workarounds online: linking WhatsApp to a task app like Any.do, wiring up Google Calendar through an automation tool, or messaging yourself and pinning the chat. They work, but every one of them means maintaining a second app or a fragile automation — which is usually the thing you were trying to avoid by using WhatsApp in the first place.
If the goal is “I think of something, I text it, I get reminded,” a bot in the chat list is the shortest path.
Managing your reminders
With Pokobot everything stays in the chat: send “list” to see what's pending, “cancel 2” to drop one, and change your mind mid-conversation (“actually make it 7pm”) — it follows along.
listcancel 2actually 7pmQuestions, answered
- Does WhatsApp have a built-in reminder feature?
- Only a limited one. You can long-press an existing message and choose “Remind me” (2, 8, or 24 hours). There's no way to create a reminder from scratch, set a specific date, or make one repeat.
- How do I set a recurring reminder on WhatsApp?
- WhatsApp itself can't do this. A reminder bot like Pokobot can — text it something like “drink water every 2 hours” or “standup every weekday at 9:30am” and it will message you on schedule.
- Do I need to install an app?
- No. Pokobot is a WhatsApp chat, not an app. You message a number, and reminders arrive as normal WhatsApp messages.
- Is it free?
- Pokobot is free to try for 14 days with everything included — after that it's a small subscription (from ₹99/month in India).