Forward SMS

How to forward notifications from your iPhone

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.

Besides text messages, Forward SMS can forward the notifications other apps post on your iPhone, including the notification content and the name of the app that posted it. This guide walks you through setting up a Shortcuts automation and a Notification rule.

Prerequisites

  • Your iPhone runs iOS 27 or later. Notification rules aren't available on earlier versions.
  • Forward SMS app has been installed and is ready to use.

In the Shortcuts app

Set up an automation in Shortcuts

The Shortcuts app runs an automation every time a notification arrives and hands it to Forward SMS. Follow these steps to create it:

  1. Open Automation

    Open the Shortcuts app and tap Automation in the Library.

  2. Add a new automation

    Tap the + button at the bottom.

  3. Tap Edit

    Tap the Edit button at the top right. If you don't see this screen and the list of actions opens straight away, skip to the next step.

  4. Select Automation

    In the list of actions, select the Automation category.

  5. Choose the Notification trigger

    Select the Notification automation from the available options.

  6. Pick the apps

    Tap App and select the app or apps whose notifications you want to forward.

  7. Enable the automation

    Make sure the Automation toggle is on so that it runs automatically whenever a notification arrives.

  8. Add the Forward Notification action

    Tap Search at the bottom of the screen, search for Forward SMS and select the Forward Notification action.

  9. Pass the notification to the action

    Tap the Notification field. In the toolbar above the keyboard, select the Notification input.

  10. Add the app name

    Fill the App field the same way with the Notification input. Then tap that input in the App field and choose App from the list.

  11. Done

    There's no save button: the automation is saved automatically. Go back or leave the Shortcuts app. Now let's create a rule in the Forward SMS app.

In the Forward SMS app

Create a Notification rule in the app

After setting up the automation, follow these steps to create a rule in the Forward SMS app:

  1. Create a Notification rule

    Open the app, tap the Create Rule button and choose Notification as the rule type.

  2. Name the rule

    (Optional) Change the Rule Name if needed.

  3. Add receivers

    Enter the receivers you want the notifications forwarded to. You can add multiple receivers, for example an email address, a Telegram chat or a webhook URL. For a webhook, see the properties you can use.

  4. Filter notifications

    (Optional) Apply a filter on the notification content (Notification Condition) or on the app that posted it (App Condition). If no filters are applied, all notifications from the apps you picked in Shortcuts are forwarded.

  5. Set a schedule

    (Optional) Define the schedule for when the rule should be active. You can select specific weekdays and time ranges. If no schedule is set, the rule is always active.

  6. Send a test notification

    Tap Send Test Notification to make sure forwarding works as expected.

  7. Save the rule

    Save the rule.

Congratulations! Notifications from the apps you picked are now forwarded to your receivers.

For REST API receivers

Sending notifications to a REST API?

Use these properties in the URL, headers or body of a REST API receiver. Forward SMS replaces them with the notification details when it sends the request.

Available properties

{msg}
Notification text (with the app name on top, if available)
{notification-app}
Name of the app that posted the notification
{device-time}
Device time when forwarding was triggered
{device-time-iso}
Device time in ISO format when forwarding was triggered
{rule-name}
Rule name
{app-name}
Application name

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

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