Forward SMS

How to forward text to email in iOS

iOSBy Forward SMS TeamUpdated 4 min read

Forward SMS is a versatile iOS app that seamlessly forwards SMS to emails, Slack, Discord, URLs/APIs, or Telegram.

To send text messages to your email address, we need to create a rule. In the rule, you can enter the email address and configure other details, such as forwarding only selected messages with filters, or scheduling when the rule should work. In the following steps, we will create a rule.

In the Forward SMS app

Set up forwarding to email

  1. Create a new rule

    Open the Forward SMS app and create a new rule.

  2. Add a receiver

    Tap the Add Receiver button to add an email receiver.

  3. Choose Email

    From the receiver options, select Email. Besides an email address, you can also forward text messages to Telegram, Microsoft Teams, Discord or a REST API.

  4. Enter the email address

    Enter the email address you want the text messages to be forwarded to.

  5. Filter messages

    (Optional) Apply a filter based on the message content or sender, so that only specific messages are forwarded to the email address. Filters support several condition types, including Regex. To see the filter options, turn on the Apply Filter toggle.

  6. Set a schedule

    (Optional) You can also set when the rule should or should not work. This is helpful if you want forwarding to work on weekdays only. To see the schedule options, turn on the Apply Schedule toggle.

  7. Send a test message

    Send a test message to make sure the rule is set up correctly and forwards text messages according to your criteria. If an email doesn't arrive, check your spam folder or follow the troubleshooting steps below.

  8. Save the rule

    Once you have configured the rule, tap the Save button to save it.

By following these steps, you can forward SMS to an email address automatically.

I'm not receiving any email

There could be several reasons why messages are not being forwarded to your email:

  • The email address entered is incorrect. This is the most common reason we see when troubleshooting.
  • The Shortcuts automation isn't set up or isn't enabled. Forward SMS only receives your texts through it, so make sure you have set up the automation.
  • Messages might not be forwarded because of filters. Check the message history section to see why an SMS was not forwarded.
  • Emails might be going to the spam folder.
  • A firewall or network policy is blocking emails. Corporate email systems might filter our emails. You can contact your IT or admin team, or we can help.

If none of the above works, send us a note from the Contact Us feature in the app or email us at help@forward-sms.com. We're here to help.

Still stuck? Email help@forward-sms.com and we'll help you set it up.

On this pageSet up forwarding to email