Every day, millions of people ask Google the exact same question in slightly different ways: “how do I forward a text message?” Whether you need to share a funny meme, send an important address, report harassment, save evidence for work, or automatically route messages to another phone, forwarding texts is one of the most useful (yet surprisingly under-explained) features on your smartphone.
In 2025, with SMS still handling everything from two-factor codes to legal notifications, knowing how to forward texts quickly and correctly has never been more important. This step-by-step guide covers every popular scenario:
- Manual forwarding on iPhone and Android
- Forwarding to email
- Automatically forwarding all texts to another phone
- Forwarding on Samsung, Pixel, and other Android brands
- Reporting spam by forwarding
- Saving texts as PDFs or screenshots
Let’s get straight to the answers you actually searched for.
How to Forward a Single Text Message on iPhone (iOS 18 & iOS 17)
Apple makes this extremely simple:
- Open the Messages app.
- Find the conversation and tap and hold the specific message bubble you want to forward (not the entire thread).
- Tap More… when the menu appears.
- The message will get a blue checkmark. You can tap additional bubbles to forward multiple messages at once.
- Tap the curved arrow (↪) at the bottom-right.
- Type the recipient’s name or number, then hit Send.
That’s it the forwarded message appears with “Forwarded message” above it so the new recipient knows the context.
Pro tip: If you want to delete your personal info before forwarding, tap “More…” → select messages → tap the trash icon before hitting the forward arrow.
How to Forward a Text Message on Android (Stock, Samsung, Pixel, OnePlus, etc.)
The process is almost identical across Android 14 and 15, but the button labels differ slightly by manufacturer.
Universal Android Method (Google Messages, most phones)
- Open Google Messages or your default SMS app.
- Long-press the message you want to forward.
- Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right.
- Choose Forward.
- Select or type the contact and send.
Samsung-Specific Method (One UI 6 & 7)
- Open Samsung Messages.
- Long-press the message → tap Forward (or sometimes the ↪ icon directly appears).
- Pick your contact → Send.
Works the same on Galaxy S24, S23, Z Fold/Flip, A-series, etc.
How Do I Forward a Text Message to My Email?
From iPhone
- Long-press the message → More → select messages.
- Tap the Share icon (box with upward arrow) at bottom-left.
- Choose Mail.
- Enter your own (or anyone’s) email address and send. → The full conversation thread is attached as a clean .txt file.
From Android
- Long-press → Forward or Share (depends on app).
- Choose Gmail, Outlook, or your email app.
- The text becomes the email body automatically.
How to Automatically Forward Text Messages to Another Phone
iPhone – Official Method (iOS 18+ Text Message Forwarding)
Perfect if you have an iPad, Mac, or second iPhone signed into the same Apple ID.
- On your iPhone: Settings → Messages → Text Message Forwarding.
- Toggle ON the devices you want to receive your texts automatically.
- A code appears on the second device enter it on your iPhone to confirm.
Now every SMS/MMS you receive instantly appears on the approved devices. Works over Wi-Fi even if your iPhone is off.
Android – Automatic Forwarding to Another Phone
Google still doesn’t offer native auto-forwarding, so you need a free third-party app. The two most reliable in 2025:
| App | Price | Key Features | Rating (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Forward SMS | Free / $4.99 pro | Forward to phone, email, Telegram, etc. | 4.7 |
| SMS Forwarder | Free | Rules, filters, cloud backup | 4.6 |
| Pulse SMS | $0.99/mo | Full sync between phones & desktop | 4.8 |
Setup takes under 2 minutes and runs in the background with almost zero battery impact.
How to Forward a Text Message to Spam or Report It
iPhone
- Open the message from the unknown sender.
- Tap Report Junk under the message (iOS 16+). → Apple and your carrier receive the number automatically.
Or manually forward: Long-press → More → Forward → type 7726 (SPAM) → send. Most U.S. and Canadian carriers instantly block the sender.
Android
- Long-press message → Block & report spam → check “Report as spam”. Or forward the full text to 7726 (works on AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Bell, Rogers, etc.).
Quick-Reference Comparison Table (2025)
| Action | iPhone (iOS 18) | Android (Stock / Samsung) |
|---|---|---|
| Forward one message | Long-press → More → ↪ | Long-press → Forward |
| Forward multiple messages | Long-press → More → select → ↪ | Long-press → select → Forward |
| Forward to email | Share icon after selecting | Share → Email app |
| Auto-forward to another phone | Settings → Messages → Text Message Forwarding | Third-party app required |
| Report spam | Tap “Report Junk” or forward to 7726 | Block & report or forward to 7726 |
| Works without internet | Yes (SMS) | Yes (SMS) |
Bonus Tips Most People Don’t Know
- You can forward iMessages (blue bubbles) exactly the same way as SMS (green).
- If you forward a message containing a verification code, the code usually becomes invalid never forward 2FA codes.
- On Samsung, you can schedule forwarded messages (long-press → Forward → tap clock icon).
- Want a permanent record? Forward the text to your own email, then save the conversation as PDF using the Print → Save as PDF trick.
- Group messages can be forwarded the entire thread appears as individual messages to the new recipient.
FAQ – How Do I Forward a Text Message?
How do I forward a text message on my iPhone?
Long-press the message → More → tap the curved arrow → choose contact → send.
How do I forward a text message on my Android phone?
Long-press the message → tap Forward (or three dots → Forward) → select contact.
How do I forward a text message to someone else?
Use the exact same steps above the recipient just changes.
How do I forward a text to my email?
iPhone: select message → Share icon → Mail. Android: select → Share → your email app.
How do I automatically forward text messages to another phone?
iPhone: Settings → Messages → Text Message Forwarding. Android: Install a trusted app like Auto Forward SMS or Pulse SMS.
How do I forward a text message on a Samsung phone?
Long-press the message → tap Forward directly (or three dots → Forward).
How do I forward a text message to report spam?
Forward the entire message to 7726 (SPAM) free on almost every carrier.
Conclusion
Learning how to forward a text message takes less than ten seconds once you know the steps, but it can save you hours of frustration or even protect you from scams and harassment.
