The basic way to forward a text on any phone

To forward a text message, open your Messages app, find the conversation with the text you want to forward, then press and hold the specific message until a menu appears. Tap "Forward" (or "Share" on some phones), select the contact or contacts you want to send it to, and hit send. The message goes to them as a new text from you, not as a forwarded copy they can trace back to the original sender.

The exact wording and location of buttons varies slightly between iPhone and Android, but the press-and-hold step works on both. If you don't see a Forward option after holding, your phone may require you to tap an icon that looks like three dots or an arrow before the menu fully appears.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold the message you want to forward until a menu appears, then select Forward or Share.
  • When you forward a text, the recipient sees it as a new message from you, not as a forwarded copy from someone else.
  • You can forward to one person or multiple people in a single action on most phones.
  • Some messaging apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger have their own forward buttons that work differently than standard text messages.

Forwarding on iPhone

Open the Messages app and find the conversation containing the text you want to forward. Press and hold directly on the message itself—not on the contact name or the whole conversation. A menu will pop up with options including "More", "Copy", and "Delete". Tap "More" to reveal the Forward button.

Once you tap Forward, the message appears in a compose window. Type or search for the contact name you want to send it to, or tap the plus icon to add multiple recipients. When you're ready, tap Send. The message arrives as a regular text from your number, with no indication to the recipient that it came from someone else originally.

Forwarding on Android

Open your default Messages app (usually called Messages, SMS, or Texting depending on your phone brand). Find the conversation with the message you want to forward and press and hold on that specific message. A toolbar or menu will appear at the top or bottom of the screen.

Look for an icon that looks like an arrow pointing right, or tap the three-dot menu icon to find a Forward or Share option. Select it, then choose the contact or contacts you want to send the message to. Tap Send. Like on iPhone, the recipient receives it as a new message from you.

Forwarding multiple messages at once

If you want to forward several messages from the same conversation, press and hold the first message, then tap "More" (iPhone) or look for a checkbox option (Android). Tap each additional message you want to include—they'll be marked with a checkmark. Once you've selected all the messages you want, tap Forward or Share.

When you send multiple messages together, they usually arrive as separate texts in quick succession rather than as one long message. This is normal and happens because each original message stays intact during the forward process.

Forwarding from messaging apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger

These apps handle forwarding differently than standard text messages. In WhatsApp, press and hold the message, then tap the forward arrow icon that appears. Select the chat or contact you want to send it to. The recipient will see "Forwarded" above the message, which tells them it came from somewhere else originally.

Facebook Messenger works similarly—press and hold the message, tap the three-dot menu, and select Forward. You can then choose which chat to send it to. Both apps make it clear to the recipient that a message was forwarded, unlike standard SMS where there's no indicator.

What happens when you forward a text

The person you forward to receives the message as a new text from you. They don't see who originally sent it to you, and they can't trace it back to the original sender. If the original message included a photo or video, that attachment forwards along with the text.

The timestamp on a forwarded message is the time you sent it, not the time the original message was created. So if someone sent you a text three days ago and you forward it today, the recipient sees today's date and time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I forward to see who originally sent me the message?

No. When you forward a standard text message, it arrives as a new message from you. The recipient has no way to know who sent it to you originally. Messaging apps like WhatsApp are different—they label forwarded messages so the recipient knows it came from somewhere else, but still don't show them the original sender's name.

What if I want to forward a message but keep it private?

You can take a screenshot of the message and send that instead, which gives you more control over what information is visible. Or you can copy the text, paste it into a new message, and send that. Both methods let you share the content without using the forward function.

Can I forward a message to a group chat?

Yes. When you select Forward, you can choose a group conversation the same way you'd choose an individual contact. The message will be sent to everyone in that group. On some phones you can also forward to multiple individual contacts at once by selecting more than one name.

Does forwarding use data or just SMS?

A forwarded text message uses the same method as the original message. If the original came through SMS (standard texting), the forward uses SMS. If it came through an internet-based app like WhatsApp, the forward uses data or WiFi. Your phone doesn't change the delivery method when you forward.

What if the forward button doesn't appear?

Make sure you're pressing and holding directly on the message text itself, not on the contact name or the conversation. If a menu appears but Forward isn't listed, look for a three-dot icon or "More" option that might expand the menu. On some older Android phones, you may need to select the message with a checkbox first before the Forward option becomes available.