How to Redirect Text Messages to Another Phone Without Losing Your Mind

You're standing there with two phones in your hands, or maybe one is halfway across the country, and you just need the texts to go from Point A to Point B. It sounds simple. It should be simple. But if you’ve ever tried to find a "forward all" toggle in your iPhone settings, you know it’s actually a bit of a mess.

Let’s get one thing straight: there isn't a single "magic button" that works for every device on the planet.

Carriers like Verizon or AT&T used to make this easy with specific apps, but most of those have been killed off in favor of "security." Now, learning how to redirect text messages to another phone requires a bit of a workaround depending on whether you’re rocking an ecosystem like Apple’s or trying to bridge the gap between Android and something else.

The iMessage Loophole (And Why It’s the Gold Standard)

Apple actually built a way to do this. They call it Text Message Forwarding. It’s honestly the most seamless way to handle this, provided you have two Apple devices. If you’re trying to send your texts from your iPhone to an iPad or a secondary "work" iPhone, you’re in luck.

Here is how it works. You have to be signed into the same iCloud account on both devices. This is the "gotcha" for people trying to forward texts to a spouse or a friend—it won’t work for that. This is for your devices. You go into Settings, tap Messages, and then hit Text Message Forwarding.

It’ll show a list of your other devices. Flip the switch. Boom. Done.

But what if you aren't in the Apple cult?

🔗 Read more: Git Rename a Local Branch: What Most People Get Wrong

Android’s "Kinda-Sorta" Forwarding Solutions

Android is a different beast entirely. Google Messages is great for a lot of things, but it doesn’t have a native "forward everything to this other phone number" setting. It’s annoying. I know.

Most people end up using Google Messages for Web. It’s not a true redirect in the sense that the SMS physically lives on the second phone’s SIM card, but it allows you to read and reply to every single text from any device with a browser. You just open the browser on the second phone, go to the Messages web portal, and scan the QR code.

If you absolutely must have the messages forwarded as actual SMS signals to a different number, you’re looking at third-party apps like SMS Forwarder or AutoForward Text.

These apps are powerful but a little creepy if we’re being honest. They require "Notification Access" and "SMS Access," which means the app developer can technically see everything you’re receiving. If you’re forwarding codes for your bank account or private chats, you need to trust the dev. SMS Forwarder (the one by Benoit Letondor is a popular choice) lets you set up "filters." For example, you can say: "If a text comes from Mom, forward it to this other number." Or, "If the text contains the word 'Invoice,' send it to my work phone."

The Carrier Problem: Why AT&T and Verizon Stopped Helping

Ten years ago, you could log into your carrier portal and set up SMS forwarding. Today? Not so much.

Carriers realized that SMS forwarding is a massive security hole. Imagine if a hacker got into your Verizon account and redirected all your texts to their phone. They’d get your 2FA codes, your password resets, everything. Because of that, most major US carriers have disabled automated SMS forwarding at the network level.

T-Mobile used to have DIGITS, which is still around and actually pretty decent. It lets you use one number across multiple devices. If you have a second phone, you can install the DIGITS app and basically "clone" your primary line. It’s the closest thing to a carrier-sanctioned redirect that still exists in 2026.

Redirecting Text Messages for Business

If you’re doing this because you’re a business owner and you don't want to carry two phones, stop trying to use your personal SIM card for work. It's a recipe for burnout.

Services like Google Voice, Burner, or Sideline are the real answers here. When someone texts your Google Voice number, you can set it to forward that message to your "real" phone number as a standard text. Or, better yet, just use the app. This creates a "soft redirect." The customer thinks they are texting a business line, but the message pops up on whatever device you happen to be holding.

Why 2FA Makes This Dangerous

We have to talk about the "why." If you are trying to learn how to redirect text messages to another phone so you can get login codes while traveling, be careful.

Many banks and services like Google or Microsoft have started detecting "forwarded" or "virtual" numbers. If they sense that the message isn't landing on the original device, they might block the code entirely.

If you’re traveling internationally, the better move isn't forwarding—it's using WiFi Calling. Most modern phones allow you to receive texts over a WiFi connection even if you don't have a local cell signal. This keeps your messages on your primary device without the headache of setting up a redirect chain that might break your security.

Breaking Down the Process

Let's look at the actual steps for the most common scenarios. No fluff, just the path.

Moving iPhone texts to another iPhone/iPad:

1. Ensure both use the same Apple ID.
2. On the primary phone, go to Settings > Messages.
3. Tap Send & Receive to make sure your number is checked.
4. Go back one screen and tap Text Message Forwarding.
5. Toggle the destination device ON.

Moving Android texts to a secondary device (Non-App method):

1. Open Google Messages on Phone A.
2. Tap the profile icon > Device Pairing.
3. On Phone B, open the browser and go to messages.google.com.
4. Scan the QR code.
5. Keep Phone A turned on and connected to the internet.

Using a Third-Party App (Android Only):

1. Download SMS Forwarder from the Play Store.
2. Grant permissions (all of them, unfortunately).
3. Create a Forwarding Profile.
4. Enter the destination phone number or email.
5. Send a test text to ensure the "trigger" works.

The Privacy Trade-off

Every time you redirect a message, you’re adding a link to a chain. If you use a third-party app, that app is a link. If you use a web-based sync, that browser session is a link.

The safest way is always the native one. If you’re an Android user trying to forward to an iPhone, or vice versa, you’re essentially trying to make two languages talk to each other. It’s never going to be 100% reliable. Messages will get delayed. Images (MMS) often fail to forward because the file size is too large for the forwarding app to handle.

Actionable Steps for Today

If you need to get this running right now, here is the smartest way to handle it:

• Check your hardware first. If you’re all-Apple, stick to the built-in Text Message Forwarding. Don’t download extra apps; you don’t need them.
• Evaluate the "Why." If you just want to see texts on your laptop, use Google Messages for Web or the Phone Link app on Windows. Don’t bother with a phone-to-phone redirect.
• Audit your security. If you set up a redirect, remember that anyone with access to the "second" phone now has the keys to your digital life via 2FA codes. Put a PIN on that second device.
• Test the lag. Send yourself a text from a third number (a friend's phone) and see how long it takes to hit the second device. If it’s more than 30 seconds, it’s not reliable for time-sensitive logins.

Basically, redirecting texts is a "hack," not a feature. Treat it as a temporary bridge rather than a permanent lifestyle change. It’s great for a vacation or a weekend where you only want to carry one device, but for long-term use, a dedicated VOIP service like Google Voice is infinitely more stable.