How to Forward a Text Message to Any Device

Text messaging has become such a pervasive part of our modern communication, it is hard to imagine how we ever communicated without it. Especially if you needed to communicate an idea to multiple people at once – what do you do, break out the bullhorn? Pick up the phone and spend hours calling each individual on your list? These days, who has time for that? Thankfully, text message forwarding has given us a much quicker and easier way to share information.

Whether you’re switching to a new phone, backing up information, continuing a conversation on a new device, or communicating with several people without using a group chat, knowing how to forward a text message to any device is a hack you can leverage in a multitude of circumstances. Let’s dive in.

Yes, you can forward text messages from one device to another quite easily! There are different ways to do this depending on the type of device or app you’re using, and whether you prefer an automatic process or not. From forwarding texts to iPhones, iPads, Android phones, or even email inboxes, you can easily forward your messages to just about any another network-connected device.

There are a variety of methods for forwarding text messages to other devices depending on which app or device you are using. Here are some of the most popular methods for how to forward text messages:

If you have an iPhone, you can forward text messages to other iPhones by activating the forwarding feature in the Messages app. To do this, open the Messages app and select the conversation you want to forward. Then, press and hold the message until the “Copy” and “More” options appear, and select “More.” At this point, the message you chose is already selected, and you can forward multiple messages in the thread at once by tapping the circle next to each message – the selected texts appear with a blue tick inside the circle. You’ll now see the option to “Forward” your message in the form of a small arrow on the bottom right of the screen. Tap the arrow and select the contact you want to send the message to, or enter the phone number manually, and hit “Send.”

TL;DR instructions for iPhone text forwarding:
Messages app > Press and hold message > More > Select messages > Forward > Select contact or enter > Send

Forwarding text messages from Android devices is similar to iPhone, but slightly different depending on the messaging app used – Google Messages, Messages from Samsung, or other SMS apps on different Android versions such as Motorola.

For Google Messages, open the app and tap and hold the message you want to forward. Select the three vertical dots at the top right of the screen, and select the “Forward” option. Next, choose a saved contact, or choose “New Message” to enter a manual number or to forward the message to a group, and hit “Send.”

TL;DR Google Messages SMS forwarding:
Google Messages app > Tap and hold message > 3 vertical dots > Forward > Select contact or new message > Send

TL;DR Samsung Messages forwarding:
Samsung Messages app > Tap and hold message > Forward > Select contact or enter manually > Done > Send

For different versions of Android or other messaging apps, see the manufacturer’s instructions.

You can also forward a text message to an email address from both Android and iPhone. Keep in mind that when you forward a text to email, special formatting and certain information may be missing, such as sender names or other metadata. The formatting of emailed texts will vary from provider to provider, and third party apps can also be used to make forwarding to email an automatic, streamlined process.

To forward a text to email on either iPhone or Android, simply follow the instructions above for forwarding to a cell phone, and when prompted to choose a contact, either manually enter the email address of the recipient, or if the contact is saved, you can choose their from your contact list.

It’s just that simple!

To share messages from an iPhone with a Mac, iPad or another iPhone, there are two different ways.

You can use the iMessage app with others who also use iMessage to send and receive messages on all your Apple devices. You will need an Apple ID to use iMessage. When messaging someone else using iMessage, your text bubble appears in blue. To set up your devices to send and receive iMessages, first make sure each device is signed in to the same Apple ID.

On your iPhone or iPad, check the Apple ID shown in Settings > Messages > Send & Receive.
On your Mac laptop or desktop, check the Apple ID in the Messages app shown in Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage and sign in if needed.

Next, go to “Settings” on your iPhone and choose “Messages.” Make sure “iMessage” is toggled on, or appears green. Then, tap “Send & Receive” and choose which email addresses and phone numbers you want to send and receive messages from.

There is also a built-in feature on your iPhone that allows you to forward SMS/MMS messages to your Apple devices even when others are not using iMessage. On your iPhone, go to “Settings” and choose “Messages,” then tap “Text Message Forwarding.” Toggle the switch next to each device to choose which devices can send and receive text messages from your iPhone. You may need to enter a verification or two-factor authentication code.

Tip: If “Text Message Forwarding” does not appear, try toggling “iMessage” (Settings > Messages) off and then back on. If it still does not appear, try restarting your phone.

Yes, you can forward text messages from one device to another quite easily! There are different ways to do this depending on the type of device or app you’re using, and whether you prefer an automatic process or not. From forwarding texts to iPhones, iPads, Android phones, or even email inboxes, you can easily forward your messages to just about any another network-connected device.

If you’re looking for a more professional way to stay connected with your customers and colleagues, you may want to consider using a virtual phone system and a shared business phone number instead of forwarding texts. With a shared business number, you have a single number that you and your team can use to communicate with customers, prospects, and other contacts via a mobile app and/or online dashboard. This eliminates much of the need to forward text messages, and makes it easier to stay organized and connected. Not to mention the incredible array of professional calling features that come bundled with cloud calling platforms.

Features that come standard with LinkedPhone’s virtual calling system include:

LinkedPhone is the virtual phone system made by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, to manage all your business calling in one place. If you’re ready to start taking advantage of the powerful communication tools that a shared business number for your team provides, LinkedPhone can get you set up to streamline the process.

Sign up today for a free 7-day trial of LinkedPhone and see what we can do for you and your business!