Forwarding a text is a built-in feature on every phone — the steps depend on whether you use iPhone or Android

Text forwarding works differently on iPhone and Android, but both let you send someone else's message to a third person without retyping it. On iPhone, you hold down the message and tap "More", then select additional messages if you want, and hit the forward arrow. On Android, you long-press the message, tap the three-dot menu, and choose "Forward". The message then appears in a new conversation ready to send.

The forwarded text appears to the recipient as a message from you, not as a quoted or attributed message from the original sender. Some phones let you forward multiple messages at once by selecting them before you hit forward. If you want the recipient to know who originally wrote the message, you'll need to add that context yourself in a separate message.

Key Takeaways

  • iPhone users hold down a message, tap "More", select it, and tap the forward arrow to send it to someone else.
  • Android users long-press a message, tap the menu icon, and select "Forward" to send it to a new contact.
  • The forwarded message appears as coming from you, not from the original sender, so add context if the recipient needs to know who wrote it.
  • Both iPhone and Android let you select multiple messages and forward them together in one batch.

Forwarding on iPhone

Open the Messages app and find the conversation containing the text you want to forward. Hold your finger on the message until a menu appears with options including "Copy", "More", and others. Tap "More" to enter selection mode.

In selection mode, the message you held down is already marked with a checkmark. Tap any other messages in that same conversation if you want to forward multiple texts at once. Once you've selected all the messages you want, tap the forward arrow button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

A new message composition window opens with your selected text already in the body. Choose the contact or conversation you want to send it to, then tap "Send". The message goes out as a regular text from you.

Forwarding on Android

Open the Messages app (or your default SMS app) and navigate to the conversation with the message you want to forward. Long-press on the specific message until it's highlighted and a toolbar appears at the top or bottom of the screen.

Look for a three-dot menu icon or similar options button and tap it. Select "Forward" from the menu that appears. If you want to forward multiple messages, long-press the first one, then tap the others while still in selection mode before you hit forward.

A new message window opens with the forwarded text ready to send. Type the recipient's name or phone number in the "To" field, add any additional text if you want, and tap "Send".

What happens when you forward a message

The person who receives the forwarded text sees it as a message from you, not as a quote or attribution to the original sender. There is no automatic indicator showing who originally wrote the message. If the recipient needs to know the source, you should mention it in a separate message or add a note like "Sarah said:" before the forwarded text.

Forwarding does not create a chain or thread that shows the original conversation. It's a standalone message that breaks away from the original context. This is useful when you want to share something quickly, but it also means the recipient won't see the back-and-forth that led to that message.

Forwarding multiple messages at once

Both iPhone and Android let you select and forward several messages from the same conversation in one action. On iPhone, tap "More" after holding down the first message, then tap each additional message you want to include. On Android, long-press the first message, then tap the others to add them to your selection.

When you forward multiple messages, they appear in the order they were sent, stacked together in the new message. This is helpful if you want to share a back-and-forth exchange without having to copy and paste each line manually. The entire batch goes to the recipient as a single message.

Limitations and things to know

You can only forward text messages, not photos, videos, or other media sent through the Messages app on most phones. If you want to share an image or video someone sent you, you'll need to save it first and then send it as a new attachment. Some third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger have their own forward buttons that work slightly differently.

Forwarding respects the original message — you can't edit it before sending it on. If you need to change the wording, copy the text, paste it into a new message, and edit it there. Also, forwarding does not notify the original sender that their message was shared with someone else.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I forward a text to multiple people at the same time?

No, the forward feature sends to one conversation at a time. If you want to send the same message to several people, you'll need to forward it once to each person, or copy the text and paste it into a group message or multiple individual chats.

Does the person I forward a message to know it came from someone else?

Not automatically. The message appears to come from you. If you want them to know who originally wrote it, add a note like "This is from [name]:" before the forwarded text, or send a separate message explaining the source.

Can I forward messages from group chats?

Yes, you can forward individual messages from a group chat the same way you would from a one-on-one conversation. The forwarded message goes to whoever you choose, and it appears as a regular message from you, not as part of the group conversation.

What if I want to forward a message but edit it first?

The forward feature doesn't let you edit before sending. Instead, long-press the message and select "Copy", then paste it into a new message where you can make changes before sending it on.

Can I forward messages from other messaging apps like WhatsApp?

Yes, but the steps are different. In WhatsApp, long-press the message, tap the three-dot menu, and select "Forward". The process is similar to Android's native Messages app, but it only works within WhatsApp, not to regular text messages.