If you’ve tried to forward messages from your iPhone, you’ve probably noticed that some messages are blue (iMessage) and some are green (SMS). This distinction matters a lot for forwarding — here’s why.
The Key Difference
SMS (Green Bubbles) — Standard text messages sent over your carrier’s network. These are what you receive from Android users, businesses, banks, delivery services, and any non-Apple sender.
iMessage (Blue Bubbles) — Apple’s proprietary messaging protocol. Sent between Apple devices over the internet. End-to-end encrypted.
What Can Be Forwarded?
| Feature | SMS (Green) | iMessage (Blue) |
|---|---|---|
| Forward to Email | Yes (Fwrdly) | No |
| Forward to Telegram | Yes (Fwrdly) | No |
| Forward to Slack | Yes (Fwrdly) | No |
| Forward to another phone | Yes (Fwrdly) | No |
| Forward to another Apple device | Yes (built-in) | Yes (built-in) |
| Forward via webhook | Yes (Fwrdly) | No |
Bottom line: SMS can be forwarded anywhere. iMessage can only be forwarded to other Apple devices signed into the same Apple ID.
Why Can’t iMessage Be Forwarded to Third-Party Apps?
Apple’s end-to-end encryption means iMessage content is only accessible on devices signed into your Apple ID. Third-party apps (including Fwrdly) cannot read or intercept iMessage — this is by design for privacy.
iOS Shortcuts automation triggers only fire for SMS messages, not iMessage. This is an Apple platform limitation, not an app limitation.
What Types of Messages Are SMS?
Most messages you’d want to forward are actually SMS:
- Bank and payment alerts
- OTP and verification codes
- Delivery notifications (FedEx, UPS, Amazon)
- Appointment reminders (doctors, dentists, salons)
- Business notifications
- Marketing messages
- Messages from Android users
- International messages
How to Forward SMS from iPhone
- Download Fwrdly
- Add a destination (Email, Telegram, Slack, etc.)
- Set up the iOS Shortcuts automation
- Done — SMS messages forward automatically
Workarounds for iMessage
If you need iMessage on another device:
Apple’s Built-in Forwarding — Settings → Messages → Text Message Forwarding. This forwards both SMS and iMessage to your other Apple devices (Mac, iPad). Same Apple ID required.
Mac + Email — If your Mac receives iMessages via Text Message Forwarding, you can set up a Mac automation (AppleScript or Shortcuts) to forward them to email. This is clunky but works.
There is no third-party solution for automatic iMessage forwarding — any app claiming to do this is either misleading or requires jailbreaking (which has serious security implications).
The Good News
The messages that matter most for forwarding — OTP codes, bank alerts, delivery updates, business texts — are all SMS. These are exactly what Fwrdly handles perfectly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if a message is SMS or iMessage? Green bubble = SMS. Blue bubble = iMessage. You can also check in Settings → Messages → whether “iMessage” toggle is on.
If I turn off iMessage, will all messages become SMS? Yes — but they’ll also lose end-to-end encryption, read receipts, and other iMessage features. Not recommended just for forwarding.
Can Fwrdly forward RCS messages? RCS (Rich Communication Services) on iPhone is handled similarly to SMS by iOS. Fwrdly can forward the text content of RCS messages.
Will Apple ever allow iMessage forwarding? Unlikely — it would compromise their end-to-end encryption model. Apple’s position is that iMessage content should only be accessible on your Apple devices.
