How to forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your iPad, iPod touch or Mac

With Text Message Forwarding, the SMS/MMS messages that you send and receive on your iPhone can appear on your Mac, iPad, and iPod touch. Then you can continue the conversation from the device you want.

An iPhone next to a Mac with both devices showing the same text message conversation.

When someone sends you an SMS or MMS message on your iPhone, it appears as a green bubble. iMessages appear as blue bubbles. When you set up Text Message Forwarding, you can send and receive the SMS and MMS messages from your iPhone on any Mac, iPad, or iPod touch that meets the Continuity system requirements.

Set up text message forwarding

  1. On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive. On your Mac, open Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. Make sure that you're signed in to iMessage with the same Apple ID on all your devices.
  2. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding.*
  3. Choose which devices can send and receive text messages from your iPhone. If you're not using two-factor authentication for your Apple ID, a verification code appears on each of your other devices: enter that code on your iPhone.

As long as your iPhone is turned on and connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network, new SMS/MMS texts can be sent and received on the devices that you added.

iCloud now keeps your entire messages history updated and available on all your devices — even when you set up a new device. Learn how to keep all your messages in iCloud.

* Don't see the Text Message Forwarding setting on your iPhone? Go to Settings > Messages, turn off iMessage, turn it back on, tap Send & Receive, tap Use Your Apple ID for iMessage, then sign in with the same Apple ID used on your other devices.

Forward older text messages

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