How to set up Forward SMS app

Table of Contents:

• Set up automation in shortcuts
• Create a rule in the app

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

This guide will walk you through the steps required to set up the app.

Set up automation in shortcuts

The Shortcuts app in iOS is a built-in Apple application that lets users create custom automation to perform tasks on their devices more efficiently. Follow these steps to create automation to forward messages:

1. Go to the Shortcuts app and select the Automation tab. Then select the New Automation option.
   
2. Select Message automation in the available options.
   
3. On the next screen, select the option Run Immediately. As the name mentions, this will run the automation immediately when a message is received.
   
4. To set up automation for all messages, enter a blank space in the Message Contains field. Alternatively, you can enter a specific keyword for which the automation should run. Forward SMS app provides additional filter options, which we will discuss later.
   
5. Next, select the New Blank Automation option
   
6. Search for Forward SMS and tap on the Forward Message option.
   
7. On the next screen, fill the Message field by first tapping on it. In the toolbar that appears above the keyboard, swipe right to select the Shortcut Input option.
   
8. (Optional) In the Contact field, select Shortcut Input option similar to how it was done for the message field. Then tap on Shortcut Input option again which will show all the variables available. Select Contact from the options.
   Contact field is an optional field. Enter the detail if you want the sender's details as well in the forwarded message.
   
9. (Optional) In the Phone Number field, select the Shortcut Input option similar to how it was done for the message field. Then tap on the Shortcut Input option again which will show all the variables available. Select Phone Number from the options.
   Phone Number field is an optional field. Enter the detail if you want to apply the filter on senders who are not saved as contacts.
   
10. Save the automation. And you've successfully created automation. Now let's move to creating a rule in the app.

Create a Rule in the App

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

1. Open the app and tap the Create Rule button.
   
2. (Optional) Change the Rule Name if needed.
   
3. Enter the receivers where you want the messages to be forwarded. You can add multiple receivers.
   
4. (Optional) Apply filter based on message content or sender. Select conditions such as Contains, Starts With, or Regex. If no filters are applied, all messages will be forwarded.
   
5. (Optional) Define the schedule for when the rule should be active. You can select specific weekdays and time durations. If no schedule is set, the rule will always be active.
   
6. Send a test message to make sure forwarding is working as expected.
   
7. Save the rule.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully set up the Forward SMS app to forward text messages.