How to Turn Off Text Message Forwarding on iPhone

To turn off Text Message Forwarding, open Settings on your iPhone, tap Apps, then Messages, then Text Message Forwarding, and turn off each device that shouldn’t get your texts. If a device’s switch can’t be turned off, that device uses Messages in iCloud, so turn your phone number off on the device itself, under Messages, then Send & Receive.

What you need: your iPhone, and the iPad, Mac or other device that’s getting your texts, or your Apple Account password if you can’t reach that device.

What does Text Message Forwarding do?

It shows the SMS, MMS and RCS texts your iPhone sends and receives on your other Apple devices too: an iPad, a Mac or Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s guide says every device has to be signed in with the same Apple Account, and that the iPhone has to be on and connected (Apple, published July 2, 2026, read November 4, 2026).

So if your texts appear somewhere you don’t want them, that device is on your Apple Account, and it’s either switched on in Text Message Forwarding or using Messages in iCloud.

How to turn off Text Message Forwarding

1. Open the setting on your iPhone. Open Settings, tap Apps, then Messages, then Text Message Forwarding.

2. Turn off each device. Tap the switch beside each iPad, Mac or other device that shouldn’t get your texts.

3. Check the device. Send yourself a text from another phone. If it still appears on that device, its switch is locked on by Messages in iCloud: do the next part.

Why can’t I turn off Text Message Forwarding for a device?

Because that device uses Messages in iCloud. Apple’s guide says Text Message Forwarding is always on for each device that uses Messages in iCloud, so its switch can’t be turned off. Turn your phone number off on that device instead (Apple, read November 4, 2026):

1. On an iPad: open Settings, tap Apps, then Messages, then Send & Receive, and uncheck your phone number.
2. On a Mac: open Messages, choose Messages, then Settings, then iMessage, and deselect your phone number.

Your texts stop appearing there, and the device keeps the Apple Account for everything else.

How do I stop my texts going to someone else’s iPhone?

If a partner, child or old phone gets your texts, it’s signed in with your Apple Account. Apple gives two ways to take your number off other devices:

• Sign out on your iPhone. Open Settings, tap Apps, then Messages, then Send & Receive, tap your Apple Account at the bottom and tap Sign Out. Do the same under FaceTime.
• Change your Apple Account password. Apple says this removes all phone numbers from your iPad and Mac. Use it when you can’t reach the iPhone the number belongs to.

The other side of this, getting someone else’s texts on your iPhone, is covered in why am I getting my spouse’s texts.

When you still want some texts on another device

Turning forwarding off is all or nothing. If you still want certain texts somewhere else, such as verification codes on a work iPad or a family member’s phone on a different Apple Account, Fwrd sends only those:

• Only the texts that match your rule, such as ones with the word code, instead of every conversation.
• To any device, through a chat app or inbox on it: Telegram, Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams, Email and more, on any Apple Account.
• No shared Apple Account, so nothing else syncs between you.

A Shortcuts Message automation on your iPhone hands each matching new text to Fwrd’s action, and Fwrd posts it. Email, another phone and WhatsApp are sent by Apple’s or WhatsApp’s own action after Fwrd’s.

What turning it off can’t do

• It doesn’t delete texts already on the device. Delete those in Messages there.
• It doesn’t stop iMessages from reaching the device. iMessages follow the Apple Account. Signing out of Messages on that device stops those too.
• It can’t be done from the other device alone when that device uses Messages in iCloud: uncheck the phone number there, or sign out on your iPhone.