We've all been there. You get an iMessage — or SMS/MMS — from one person that you really want to, or absolutely have to, send it on to someone else. Luckily, the Messages app gives you two ways to do just that. You can either forward the message to one or multiple contacts or copy the contents and paste into an entirely new message. Copying is also a great way to get a message into another app, like Mail, Notes, or Safari.
How to copy an iMessage (or SMS) on iPhone and iPad
Copying is handy for a time when you only need to move the text from an individual message to the clipboard and paste it somewhere else. That can be in a new or existing message or into a completely different app. This is the option you want to use if you need to use the content in a way other than forwarding it in another iMessage or SMS.
- Launch the Messages app on your iPhone or iPad and find the message you'd like to copy.
- Tap the conversation you want to copy messages from.
- Tap and hold on the message you wish to copy.
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Tap Copy.
- Tap and hold the message field in the conversation that you'd like to paste in.
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Tap Paste.
How to forward messages on iPhone and iPad
You can forward any iMessage — or SMS or MMS — to anyone else in your contacts.
- Launch Messages from your Home screen.
- Tap the conversation that contains the message(s) you'd like to forward.
- Tap and hold the message you'd like to forward.
- Tap More....
- Tap on the forward button in the lower right-hand corner.
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A new message will populate, pre-filled with your forwarded text. Just fill in the recipient and send it on its way!
Keep in mind you can forward more than one message at a time. Just tap all the ones you want to forward before you tap the actual forward button!
Updated August 2018: Screenshots updated for iOS 12.
