by on August 27, 2021
in Tips & How-Tos, Phones
and Mobile, Mobile Apps, iPhone/iPad Apps, Tech 101 :: 3 comments
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You’d think that Apple would make it simple to forward a text message on iPhones. And it is – if you know how. But the fact that my mother-in-law routinely screenshots texts and then texts the image to me (which is pretty useless when that text is a link to a website or story) reminds me that it’s not obvious to everyone. You have to dig a little to find the forwarding option, but once you know where it is, forwarding texts the right way – with all links intact – is a no-brainer.
How to forward a text on an iPhone
1. Press and hold the text message you want to forward.
2. Select "More."
3. The message you want to forward will have a blue checkmark next to it. If you want to forward more messages, tap the circle next to each one.
4. In the lower right corner, tap on the arrow.
5. Select the contact you want to forward the message to and hit the green arrow to send.
6. When you’re done forwarding, select "Cancel" to go back to your messages.
One limitation of text forwarding is that the forward function copies the content into a new text message, but the person you're forwarding the text message to doesn't see the original sender or reactions to the text – anything you forward looks like it is originating from you. If you want to show a text conversation, screenshotting the interaction and texting the image is the way to go.
[Screenshots and images via Techlicious]
For the past 20+ years, Techlicious founder Suzanne Kantra has been exploring and writing about the world’s most exciting and important science and technology issues. Prior to Techlicious, Suzanne was the Technology Editor for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and the Senior Technology Editor for Popular Science. Suzanne has been featured on CNN, CBS, and NBC.
- iOS
- iPhone
Want to send the same text message to multiple people without starting up a group chat? Perhaps you just want to relay a piece of information verbatim?
Sure, there’s always copy and paste, and you could even take a screenshot of the message and send that. But there’s a much easier and more direct way to pass on such information.
Here’s how to forward text messages on iPhone.
What we used
- We used the iPhone 13 Pro, but these methods will work on any iPhone
The Short Version
- Open Message
- Select message
- More and forward
- Add recipient(s) and send
Step
1Open Messages
Open the Messages app and select the message thread that contains the text message you wish to forward.
Step
2Select message
Press and hold the precise message you wish to forward. All other messages on the threat should now blur out, and a couple of pop-up menus will appear.
Step
3More and Forward
Tap More, then tap the forward arrow in the bottom right corner.
Step
4Add recipient(s) and send
Type out your intended recipient(s), or hit the + icon to select from your contacts list. Now press Send to forward your message.
FAQs
What if I want to forward to email rather than text?
At Step 4, press the right arrow alongside contacts and select their email address to forward to email.
What if I want to place the message elsewhere?
If you want to post the message to another service or into a document of note, follow Step 3 but press Copy rather than the forward arrow. Now press and hold on a blank space in any text field and select Paste.
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Jon is a seasoned freelance writer who started covering games and apps in 2007 before expanding into smartphones and consumer tech, dabbling in lifestyle and media coverage along the way. Besides bein…
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Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2004, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
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