How to forward a text message on iPhone and Android
Forwarding a text takes a long press and a couple of taps. Here is where the Forward button hides on each phone.
Photo by Morgan Housel on Unsplash
The fix
On iPhone
- 1
Open the conversation and touch and hold the message.
- 2
Tap More.
- 3
Tick any other messages you want to include.
- 4
Tap the Forward arrow at the bottom right.
- 5
Enter a contact, number or email and tap Send.
The fix
On Samsung and Pixel
- 1
Touch and hold the message.
- 2
Tap Forward, or tap ⋮ then Forward.
- 3
Choose the contact and tap Send.
How forwarding works
Forwarding sends a copy of a message you received, or one you sent, to someone else. The new person sees it as a message from you, not from the original sender. The text, photo or video arrives without the original sender's name, so if that matters, add a short note like "From Mom:" before you send.
Forward several messages at once on iPhone
- Touch and hold one message until a menu appears.
- Tap More. Circles appear next to every message.
- Tap the circles of all the messages you want. They are sent in the order they appear.
- Tap the curved Forward arrow at the bottom right.
- Type a name, number or email, then tap the send arrow.
The forwarded messages arrive as one block of text and attachments. Each one goes as a separate message, so a group of 10 shows up as 10 messages.
Forward a photo, video or voice message
On iPhone, touch and hold the photo or video in the conversation, tap More, then the Forward arrow. You can also open it, tap the Share button and pick Messages, Mail or another app. Audio messages forward the same way if you tapped Keep, but expired audio cannot be forwarded. On Android, press and hold the attachment and tap Forward or Share.
Samsung Messages vs Google Messages
Newer Samsung phones use Google Messages by default, while some still use Samsung Messages. In Google Messages, press and hold the message and tap the three dots at the top right › Forward. In Samsung Messages, press and hold and tap Forward in the menu that appears. Pixel phones use Google Messages. If you see a Share option instead, it sends the message to other apps like Gmail or WhatsApp.
Forward a text to email
- iPhone: tap More, select the messages, tap Forward and type an email address. If iMessage is on, it may go as an iMessage to that Apple Account; otherwise copy the text and paste it into Mail.
- Android: press and hold the message, tap Share and pick Gmail or another email app.
- For a single message on either phone, press and hold, tap Copy, then paste it into an email.
Forward a whole conversation
No phone has a one-tap Forward conversation button. For short threads, select every message with More on iPhone or multi-select on Android. For long threads, take screenshots and send those, or use a scrolling screenshot on Samsung (tap the down arrows after taking a screenshot). For legal or work records, printing or exporting is better; see how to print text messages from iPhone and print text messages on Android.
iMessage, RCS and SMS when forwarding
Forwarding uses the best method available for the new recipient. Forwarding to another iPhone goes as iMessage (blue). To an Android phone, it goes as RCS if both sides support it, or as SMS and MMS (green) if not. Photos sent as MMS may be compressed, and long videos may fail. If that happens, share the original from the Photos app instead. Read what RCS messaging is for more on the differences.
Automatically forward texts to another device
On iPhone, Text Message Forwarding sends your SMS texts to your iPad or Mac signed in with the same Apple Account. Turn it on in Settings › Apps › Messages › Text Message Forwarding and pick devices. It does not forward to another phone number. On Android, Google Messages for web shows your texts on a computer. Automatic forwarding to another person's phone needs a third-party app, and setting that up on someone else's phone without their knowledge is spying and can be illegal.
Forward call and voicemail instead?
If you want calls to ring on another phone while you are away, that is call forwarding, which is a carrier feature. See how to forward calls on iPhone and forward calls on Samsung.
Forward scam texts to 7726
If you get a suspicious text, forward it to 7726, which spells SPAM. US carriers use reports sent to this number to block scam senders. Your phone may then ask for the sender's number; send that too. After reporting, block the sender and delete the message. Never tap links in the scam text. Learn more in how to spot scam texts.
Forward option missing?
- On iPhone, make sure you tap More, not just the reaction bar. The Forward arrow only shows after selecting messages.
- On Android, update Google Messages or Samsung Messages from the Play Store or Galaxy Store.
- Some business and verification texts have forwarding turned off by the sender.
- In encrypted chat apps like WhatsApp or Signal, forwarding works inside the app, not from your Messages app.
Forwarded text not sending?
If a forwarded text fails, check your signal and that MMS is on for photos (Settings › Apps › Messages › MMS Messaging on iPhone). Try sending a normal text to the same person. If that fails too, see iPhone texts not sending or Samsung texts not sending.
Forward messages in WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram
Chat apps have their own forward buttons. In WhatsApp, press and hold a message, tap Forward (an arrow), pick chats and send. WhatsApp labels forwarded messages and limits how many chats you can forward to at once, to slow down rumors. In Messenger and Instagram, press and hold and tap Forward. These do not cost texts and keep media quality high.
Forward a message on iPad and Mac
On iPad, the steps match the iPhone: touch and hold, tap More, select messages and tap the Forward arrow. On a Mac, Control-click a message in the Messages app and choose Forward, then type the recipient. SMS forwarding from a Mac needs Text Message Forwarding turned on from your iPhone.
Copy instead of forward
Sometimes copying is simpler. Touch and hold the message, tap Copy, then open any chat or app and paste. This works for text only and lets you edit the message before sending, for example to remove a phone number or address. For photos, save the image first, then attach it in the new chat.
Quick recap
On iPhone, touch and hold, tap More, pick messages and tap the Forward arrow. On Android, press and hold and tap Forward. Forward scam texts to 7726, and never forward verification codes to anyone.
Forwarding works the same on every recent iPhone and Android phone, so once you learn the press and hold gesture, you can share any message, photo or link in a few taps.
If something does not work, check that you are in the right app and that the message is not from a sender who blocks forwarding, then try copying the text instead.
Forwarding and privacy
The sender is not told when you forward a message. Still, think before forwarding private texts, screenshots or codes. Never forward verification codes, even to someone you know; scammers often pose as friends who claim a code was sent to you by mistake.
Forwarding takes a few taps once you know where the option is.
Frequently asked questions
Can I forward a text to an email address?
Yes. When forwarding, type the email address in the To field instead of a phone number. It is sent as an iMessage or MMS to email.
Does the other person know I forwarded their message?
No. The original sender is not notified. The recipient sees the text as a new message from you.
Can I forward a whole text conversation?
Not in one tap. On iPhone you can tick many messages after tapping More, and on Android you can select several. For a full thread, take screenshots or export it with a backup tool.
Does the other person know I forwarded their message?
No. Text messaging does not notify the original sender when you forward a message. The new recipient sees it as a message from you.
How do I forward a scam text to my carrier?
Forward it to 7726 (SPAM). Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile use this free number to track scam texts, then you can block and delete the sender.
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