How to Forward Text Messages to Another Phone, Email & Apps?

SMS forwarding is automatically or manually sending or redirecting copies of incoming text messages from one phone to another, email address, or application.

With an automatic SMS forwarding app, you can forward messages without human intervention. Conversely, with manual forwarding, you can divert specific messages manually whenever needed.

Automatic SMS forwarding saves time by removing the need to resend messages yourself, instantly delivering them to the right recipient. It also keeps communication centralized and easy to access, improves team collaboration by keeping everyone updated, and streamlines tracking through email or CRM logging.

1. Centralized Communication: By setting automatic text forwarding to your team members, you can ensure that every team member has access to important text messages.
2. 24/7 Availability: SMS forwarding ensures that you don’t miss important messages, even after business hours.
3. Enhanced Team Collaboration: As you automatically forward important texts to your team members, it ensures everyone is on the same page. This is useful for managing projects, responding to client inquiries, and organizing work.
4. Efficient Record Keeping: Automatically forwarding SMS to your email or CRM system ensures every message is logged for easy tracking, follow-ups, and reporting.
5. Seamless Remote Access: By using automated forwarding, you get the message sent to your office phone while working remotely.
6. Backup During Emergencies: Automatic SMS forwarding makes sure you continue to receive important texts on a different device, even if your primary phone is lost, broken, or unavailable.
7. Time-Saving: Implementing automatic SMS forwarding saves time, as you do not have to do anything; the system does all the work to carry the necessary messages to your desired phone.

You can forward text messages to another phone using either manual or automatic methods. On iPhone and Android, you can manually redirect individual texts to another number in just a few taps. Likewise, for automatic forwarding, you’ll need third-party apps.

You can forward text messages to another phone in two ways: manually or automatically. In case of manual forwarding, you have to forward individual texts to another number. Likewise, for automatic forwarding, you’ll need a third-party app that can redirect messages in the background.

On iPhone

To forward text from an iPhone, open the Messages app and select a message to forward. Press and hold the message > press More > tap the Forward Arrow > enter the recipient’s number and send.

Here are the detailed steps:

• Step 1: Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
• Step 2: Select the conversation containing the message you want to forward.
• Step 3: Press and hold the specific message until a menu appears.
• Step 4: Tap More and select the messages you want to forward.
• Step 5: Tap the Forward Arrow in the bottom-right corner.
• Step 6: Enter the recipient’s phone number or select from your contacts.
• Step 7: Tap Send.

On Android

To forward an Android’s text messages to another phone, open the Messages app > long-press the message > tap Forward > enter the recipient’s number and send.

Here are the detailed steps:

• Step 1: Open the Messages app.
• Step 2: Long-press the message you want to forward.
• Step 3: Tap Forward, or click the three vertical dots on the top right and press Forward.
• Step 4: Enter the recipient’s number or select from your contacts.
• Step 5: Press Send.

Automatic forwarding sends your incoming messages to another device without manual steps. However, direct SMS-to-SMS forwarding is not a built-in feature like the manual one because it is heavily restricted on both Android and iOS due to privacy concerns. So, you can use third-party apps to auto-forward messages.

To auto-forward text messages to another phone, download an SMS forwarding app > open it and allow permissions > tap Add Rule/Set Up Forwarding > enter the recipient’s number > add filters if needed and save the settings.

Here are the detailed steps:

• Step 1: Download and install an SMS forwarding app from the Google Play Store/App Store.
• Step 2: Open the app and grant the necessary permissions.
• Step 3: Tap on Add Rule or Set Up Forwarding (depending on the app).
• Step 4: Enter the phone number you want to forward your messages to.
• Step 5: Customize filters if needed. For instance, forwarding messages from a specific contact or with a specific keyword
• Step 6: Save the settings, and the app will automatically forward incoming SMS to the chosen number.

Although most third-party apps claim to support automatic SMS-to-SMS forwarding, this service is limited, risky, and against policies. So, if you want to forward messages from one device to another, like your iPhone to your MacBook, safe alternatives include iCloud sync.

To transfer messages across your Apple devices, open Settings > tap Messages > select Text Message Forwarding > toggle on the device you want > enter the verification code shown on that device.

Prerequisites:

• You must be signed in with the same Apple ID on all devices.
• iMessage must be turned on.
• Two-factor authentication must be enabled on your Apple ID.

Here are the detailed steps:

• Step 1: Open your iPhone’s Settings and click on Apps.
• Step 2: Scroll down and select Messages.
• Step 3: Select Text Message Forwarding.
• Step 4: You will see a list of devices connected to your iCloud account. Toggle the switch next to the device where you want messages forwarded.
• Step 5: A verification code will appear on that device. Enter the code on your iPhone to confirm.

Once done, all new SMS messages will automatically be forwarded or synced to the selected device.

You can forward SMS to email either manually or with the help of third-party apps. Both Android and iPhone let you share individual messages to your email directly from the Messages app. Likewise, dedicated third-party apps allow you to send all incoming texts to an email address, though options on iOS are more limited.

On Android

To forward your SMS to email manually on Android, first open the Messages app. Long-press the message > tap the three vertical dots > Share > Gmail > enter the recipient's email address and send. 

Here are the detailed steps:

• Step 1: Open the Message app on your phone.
• Step 2: Long-press the text message you want to forward.
• Step 3: Press on the three vertical dots on the top right of the message.
• Step 4: Press the Share option and select Gmail or your mailing app.
• Step 5: Enter the recipient’s email address and send.

On iPhone

To forward your SMS to email manually on an iPhone, first open the Messages app > long-press the message > More > Forward Arrow > type the email address and send. 

Here are the detailed steps:

• Step 1: Open the Messages and select the conversation with the text you want to forward
• Step 2: Press and hold the specific text.
• Step 3: Press More and select the messages to forward.
• Step 4: Press the Forward Arrow icon in the bottom-right corner.
• Step 5: Enter the recipient’s email address.
• Step 6: Press Send.

To forward your messages to an email address automatically, download and install a third-party app. Open the app and allow permissions > go to Settings and add Rules > enter the email address > set filters and save the settings.

Here are the detailed steps:

• Step 1: Download and install an SMS forwarding app like ‘AutoForward SMS’ from the website or App/Play Store.
• Step 2: Open the app and grant the required permissions.
• Step 3: Go to Settings and Add Rules.
• Step 4: Enter the email address where you want to forward your texts.
• Step 5: Set filters if needed (like forwarding messages from specific contacts or keywords).
• Step 6: Save the settings, and all incoming messages will be automatically sent to the email.

Note: Neither iOS nor Android natively supports automatic SMS-to-email forwarding. This feature requires a third-party app. On iOS in particular, the effectiveness of such apps is very limited due to Apple’s strict app restrictions.

You can also forward SMS messages to apps like WhatsApp, Slack, HubSpot, or Salesforce for easier access and team use. For WhatsApp, you can quickly share texts using a built-in sharing feature. Similarly, you can either forward messages manually or set up third-party integrations for Slack. Additionally, with HubSpot and Salesforce, forwarding works best through VoIP platforms that sync SMS directly into your CRM.

To forward your SMS to WhatsApp, open the messaging app > select the message > tap Share > choose WhatsApp > pick the contact or group and tap Send.

Here are the detailed steps:

• Step 1: Open the messaging app.
• Step 2: Find the SMS you want to forward.
• Step 3: Tap and hold it to see the available options, or press on the three vertical dots in the top right corner.
• Step 4: Select "Share" from the menu and look for WhatsApp.
• Step 5: Tap on WhatsApp.
• Step 6: Locate the individual or group to whom you want to send the message. You can use the search bar or browse through your contacts.
• Step 7: Tap their name or chat and hit Send.

Manual Forwarding

To forward your SMS to Slack manually, open the message > long-press and tap Share > choose Slack > select the channel or person > send it.

Here are the detailed steps:

• Step 1: Open the SMS on your phone.
• Step 2: Long-press the message you want to send and click the share option.
• Step 3: Navigate to the menu and choose Slack.
• Step 4: Select the channel or person you want to share it with and paste the message.
• Step 5: Send the message.

Using Third-party Apps/Integrations

To forward SMS to Slack using third-party apps, download Zapier or IFTTT > install and sign in > connect your messages and Slack > set a forwarding rule and choose the Slack channel.

Here are the detailed steps:

• Step 1: Download an app like Zapier or IFTTT from their website, Play Store, or App Store.
• Step 2: Install, open the app, and sign in.
• Step 3: Connect it to both your phone’s messages and Slack.
• Step 4: Set a rule like “Forward all incoming SMS to Slack.”
• Step 5: Choose the Slack channel.
• Step 6: Once set, the app automatically sends all your SMS messages to Slack.

To forward SMS to HubSpot or Salesforce, choose a VoIP platform with SMS-to-CRM support > go to Integrations > sign in to your CRM > set forwarding rules and select numbers to sync.

Here are the detailed steps:

• Step 1: Select a VoIP platform that supports SMS-to-CRM forwarding
• Step 2: In your VoIP settings, go to Integrations, select HubSpot or Salesforce, and sign in to your CRM account.
• Step 3: Set up your VoIP system to automatically forward text messages to your CRM.
• Step 4: Choose numbers and messages to sync.
• Step 5: Send a test text to ensure it works correctly.

SMS forwarding ensure you never miss an essential message by sharing your incoming texts to different phones. You can forward text messages directly through your phone’s messaging app or use third-party apps to forward them automatically.

Alternatively, you can also use the virtual phone number to get the same message on multiple devices. Calilio’s virtual number comes with a number-sharing feature that allows you to use the same number on different devices. It allows you to forward SMS to different devices without any manual or automatic setup.