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How to Send Bulk Text Messages with iMessage

Overview​

Looking for a way to send bulk text messages from your iPhone?

Apple Messages doesn't include built-in bulk texting or mail merge features. Bulk Texter Pro adds those capabilities while letting you continue using your existing iPhone number.

Instead of sending one message at a time, Bulk Texter Pro lets you import contacts from a spreadsheet, personalize every message, and send individualized conversations that appear exactly like messages you typed yourself in Apple Messages.

Recipients receive messages from your own phone number, making it easy for them to recognize you and continue the conversation naturally.

Whether you're a teacher reminding students about assignments, a church contacting members, a nonprofit coordinating volunteers, or a small business following up with customers, Bulk Texter Pro makes sending personalized text messages dramatically faster.

Why Choose iMessage?​

Apple Messages is already one of the best messaging platforms available.

People choose it because:

  • Everyone already knows how to use it.
  • Messages come from a familiar phone number.
  • Replies stay inside the Messages app.
  • iPhone users see trusted blue bubble conversations.
  • No additional apps are required for recipients.

Bulk Texter Pro extends Apple Messages with features such as:

  • Personalized mail merge
  • Bulk texting from Excel, CSV, or Google Sheets
  • Individual conversations at scale
  • Optional group conversations

Instead of replacing Apple Messages, Bulk Texter Pro simply makes it dramatically more powerful.

Send Real iMessages (Blue Bubbles)​

One of the biggest advantages of using Bulk Texter Pro with iMessage is that you're still sending real iMessages whenever possible.

When messaging another iPhone user:

  • Messages appear as normal blue bubble conversations.
  • Recipients recognize your existing phone number.
  • Replies arrive in the Messages app.
  • Conversations continue naturally.

If the recipient doesn't use iMessage, Apple automatically sends the message as SMS (green bubbles) instead.

Your recipients don't need to install anything or learn a new platform.

Common Uses​

Bulk Texter Pro is commonly used for:

Teachers​

  • Attendance reminders
  • Missing assignments
  • Parent communication
  • Class announcements

Churches​

  • Volunteer reminders
  • Prayer requests
  • Event notifications

Small Businesses​

  • Appointment reminders
  • Customer follow-ups
  • Service updates

Coaches​

  • Practice reminders
  • Schedule changes
  • Game cancellations

Nonprofits & Community Organizations​

  • Volunteer coordination
  • Fundraising events
  • Member communication

Individual Conversations or Group Texts​

Unlike a normal group chat, Bulk Texter Pro gives you flexibility.

By default, every recipient receives their own private conversation.

This is perfect for personalized reminders, customer follow-ups, and one-on-one communication.

When appropriate, Bulk Texter Pro can also create group conversations.

For example, many virtual school teachers include both the student and their parent or guardian in the same conversation so everyone stays informed.

You decide whether messages are sent as private conversations or group threads.

Built on Apple's Automation Platform​

Bulk Texter Pro integrates with Apple's official Shortcuts app instead of relying on unsupported modifications.

That means:

  • No jailbreaking
  • No unofficial Messages replacements
  • Uses Apple's supported automation framework
  • Messages still come from your own phone number

Unlike many iMessage bulk texting tools, you don't need to own a Mac. Bulk Texter Pro works with iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

You can read more about Shortcuts in Apple's documentation.

The Bulk Texter Pro web app works in concert with our proprietary Apple Shortcut. Bulk Texter Pro creates a special text file with the customized text messages that will be sent, and our Apple Shortcut reads the file and sends each text.

Bulk Texter Pro iMessage Demo​

Installation and Setup​

Prerequisites​

To use Bulk Texter Pro with iMessage, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac that is signed into iMessage and is able to send texts.
    • To run our Apple Shortcut directly on your Mac, your Mac must be running macOS Monterey (12.0.1) or later. If your Mac is no longer supported by Apple, you can follow our instructions below to use Bulk Texter Pro on your iPhone instead.
    • To send texts, your iPhone will need to have an active SIM/eSIM installed.
  • Have an active Bulk Texter Pro subscription, and have it installed on one of our supported browsers.

Step 1: Install the Apple Shortcuts app​

First you'll need to install the official Apple Shortcuts app, if you don't have it already. If you are using a Mac with MacOS 12.0.1 or later, Shortcuts should already be installed. On iOS, you can install the app by searching "Shortcuts" on the app store:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/shortcuts/id915249334.

Step 2: Install the Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut on your Apple device​

Next, install the latest version of the Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut by opening this link:
https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/fff16790177c47699a9c0fa9246a3f42.

Sending bulk texts with iMessage​

Step 1: Generate the texts in Bulk Texter Pro​

You can generate texts on the Form Entry or CSV Upload tabs within Bulk Texter Pro.

Make sure you've selected "iMessage" in the Texting Platform drop down in the Settings for Sending pane: Texting platform dropdown

When you are satisfied with the generated texts, click the button at the bottom of the form: Generate button

It will download the special text batch file that you'll use with our Apple Shortcut.

Note: Send a small number of texts for your first batch. The first time you run our Shortcut, it will request permission to send texts every 5 messages. It will not ask for permission on subsequent batches.

Step 2: Send the texts using the Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut​

After Step 1, you should now have a text batch file that is named something like BulkTexterPro--iMessage--2023-07-31-162622.json. You'll need to input that file into the Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut.

Using the Shortcut on Mac​

The first time you run the Shortcut, you should open the Shortcuts app on your Mac and tap the play button on the Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut.

For subsequent text batches, you can save time by simply clicking either of these buttons on the file in the Finder app: iMessage Shortcut Mac

Using the Shortcut on iPhone/iPad​

If you're using the Shortcut on iPhone / iPad, you'll need to transfer the text batch file to that device. You can do this using email, Google Drive, AirDrop, or the file transfer method of your choice.

Once you have the text batch file on your device, open the Shortcuts app and tap the Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut. When it asks for a file, you should select the one you just copied over.

Alternatively, you can open the Files app, long press the text batch file, tap "Share", and select the Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut.

Tips​

Apple Limitations​

Apple's automation platform has a few limitations that are outside Bulk Texter Pro's control.

These include:

  • Multiple SIM selection: Apple's Shortcuts app does not currently provide the ability to choose which SIM, or phone number, will be used when sending messages. Currently the only workaround is to temporarily disable the SIM that you don't want Bulk Texter Pro to text with. You can do that in the Settings app under Settings => Cellular => "Turn On This Line".
  • International phone number limitations: The Apple Shortcuts app itself does not support international numbers. It removes the "+" from phone numbers, regardless of how the number is formatted. This is outside our control.
  • Photo support: Apple Shortcuts does not support sending photos.
  • Carrier rate limits
  • Background execution limits on iPhone:

Other Tips​

  • If you need to cancel the Shortcut's texting, you can open the Shortcuts app and click the "stop" button on the Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut.
  • When our Shortcut requests permissions, make sure you tap "Always Allow" so it doesn't ask you every time it runs.
  • You can customize the delay between texts within Bulk Texter Pro, in the "Generate texts" phase.
  • Our Shortcut marks each text as "sent" as it goes, so if you accidentally import the same text file twice into the Shortcut, it should not send duplicate texts. Additionally, if you need to cancel sending and resume later, it should pick up where it left off.
  • Our Shortcut keeps tracks of which texts have already been sent by updating the file directly on MacOS, or by copying the text batch files to the "On My iPhone"/"On My iPad" folder on your iOS device. It is fine to periodically clear out the "BulkTexterPro" folder if you need to.
  • Our iMessage integration automatically sends SMS (green bubble) texts to recipients that aren't registered with iMessage, such as Android phones.
  • If you can't send SMS messages (green bubbles) via your Mac, make sure you have Text Message Forwarding turned on.
  • Texts may be rate limited by Apple or your phone carrier.

Supported Features​

  • Personalized text messages
  • Mail merge using spreadsheet data
  • Excel and CSV imports
  • Google Sheets workflows
  • Individual conversations
  • Optional group conversations
  • Blue bubble iMessages
  • SMS fallback for Android phones
  • Resume interrupted batches
  • Uses existing iPhone number

Frequently Asked Questions​

Does Bulk Texter Pro use my iPhone number?​

Yes. Messages are sent using your own iPhone number and appear in your existing Apple Messages conversations.

Can recipients reply?​

Yes.

Replies come directly back to the Messages app, allowing conversations to continue naturally.

Will recipients see each other's responses?​

Bulk Texter Pro supports both bulk individual texts and bulk group texts.

By default, each recipient receives their own private conversation, so recipients cannot see anyone else's replies.

However, you can intentionally create group conversations whenever appropriate, such as including both a student and their parent or guardian in the same conversation.

Can I send personalized iMessages?​

Yes.

Bulk Texter Pro performs mail merge using information from your spreadsheet, allowing every recipient to receive a personalized message.

Can iPhones send bulk texts?​

Not by themselves.

Apple Messages doesn't include built-in bulk texting or mail merge functionality.

Bulk Texter Pro adds those capabilities while continuing to use your existing iPhone number.

Can I import Excel or Google Sheets?​

Yes.

Bulk Texter Pro supports Excel, CSV, and Google Sheets workflows.

Will Android users receive my messages?​

Yes.

If the recipient isn't using iMessage, Apple automatically delivers the message via SMS.

Can I schedule messages?​

Unfortunately, the Apple Shortcuts app doesn't currently support scheduling iMessages. If that changes down the road, we will update Bulk Texter Pro to leverage that new capability.

How many messages can I send with iMessage and Bulk Texter Pro?​

Bulk Texter Pro does not impose any limits on messaging beyond what Apple and your carrier impose. Texting limitations may vary by carrier.

iMessage users have reported being able to send ~120 high quality messages in an hour period. iMessages between iPhones are sent via Apple, and Apple's iMessage limits are not published. If you're sending RCS or SMS texts to non-iPhones, those texts will be sent via your cell carrier, and each carrier will have its own limitations.

Bulk Texter Pro has thousands of users who are happily using it without issue, because they are not using it for spam — such as teachers, religious clergy, coaches, or small business owners. Your experience can vary depending on your carrier, the age of your Apple account or account with your carrier, the content and quality of your messages, the responsiveness of your recipients, and other factors.

For more information, see our best practices and recommendations.

Bulk Texter Pro isn't working as expected.​

See our comprehensive troubleshooting guide below.

Troubleshooting​

These are the common errors with our iMessage integration, as well as how to resolve them.

The Shortcut stops running before all of the texts have been sent​

Sometimes iPhones can stop the Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut from running if it’s running a long time in the background.

To resolve that, you can open your Settings app and make sure the Shortcuts app is allowed to run in the background. If that doesn’t do the trick, then keeping the Shortcuts app open while it’s running should keep the iPhone from turning it off.

The good news is that you can run the shortcut again with the same text batch file, and it will continue with the messages where it left off, and won’t resend the messages it already sent before.

"Message Failed to Send" notification / "Not Delivered" error in Messages app​

Apple sometimes requires your first message to a recipient to be sent manually. This is outside of the control of Bulk Texter Pro. You'll need to go into the Messages app, open the conversation in question, and tap "Try Again" on the message that's showing the error.

Step 1: Tap the exclamation mark icon in the conversation: iMessage Shortcut Mac

Step 2: Tap "Try Again" if it should be an iMessage conversation, or "Send as Text Message" if it's SMS: iMessage Shortcut Mac

Once you've manually sent a message to the recipient, your future texts to them via Bulk Texter Pro should be fully automated.

Other unexpected errors not shown above​

There are sometimes errors on the Apple Shortcuts side that crop up – unfortunately out of the control of Bulk Texter Pro itself. Whether it's showing an error message like "Couldn’t communicate with a helper application", or if it's not showing any error messages at all, following these steps will usually resolve the issue:

  1. Try opening the Apple Shortcuts app, and running the shortcut directly from the Shortcuts app, rather than from the Finder, if that's how you were running it before.
  2. Try removing and re-adding the Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut, then try step #1 again.
  3. Try restarting the MacBook or iPhone, then try step #1 again.
  4. If none of those work, ensure that you're able to manually send texts via the Messages app on your MacBook or iPhone, without Bulk Texter Pro, and try the above steps again.

Shortcut update required​

If your Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut is out of date, you will receive a notification saying that an update is required when you run it.

To update the Bulk Texter Pro Shortcut, first delete the one you have installed on your device by opening the Shortcuts app, then long pressing or right-clicking on the Shortcut, then tapping "Delete".

Deleting the Bulk Texter Pro iMessage Shortcut

Next, follow our installation guide above to install the latest version of the Shortcut.

You can see a history of changes to the Shortcut on our Release Notes page.