# What to Do With a Spare iPhone: Make It a Text Hub

> Uses for a spare iPhone, from Mac webcam to Apple TV remote, plus the one most lists miss: keep a second line in it and forward its texts to you.

Last updated: 2026-10-24
Canonical HTML page: https://www.fwrdsms.com/blog/uses-for-a-spare-iphone
Published: 2026-10-19

The most useful job for a spare iPhone is often a second line: put your work, business or old number in it, leave it on a charger, and let a Shortcuts automation with Fwrd send each new text to wherever you are. If you don’t need a second number, a spare iPhone also makes a good Mac webcam, an Apple TV remote, a home camera, or a child’s first device.

**What you need:** for the text hub, a spare iPhone on iOS 26 or later with the second line’s SIM or eSIM in it, Wi-Fi or mobile data, and [Fwrd](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6759069713?pt=128544281&ct=blog-spare-iphone&mt=8). The other ideas each list their own needs below.

## Which spare iPhones can run Fwrd?

Any iPhone that runs iOS 26: the iPhone 11 or newer, or the iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later, according to Apple’s [list of iPhone models compatible with iOS 26](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/supported-models-iphe3fa5df43/26/ios/26) (checked October 19, 2026). An iPhone XR or XS can’t run Fwrd, but it can still do some of the other jobs here.

## Uses for a spare iPhone, side by side

Each idea below comes from Apple’s or the app maker’s own page, checked October 19, 2026.

| Use | What it needs | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Text hub for a second line | iOS 26 or later, a SIM or eSIM, Fwrd | Apple’s iOS 26 list above |
| Webcam for your Mac | iPhone XR or later on iOS 16 or later, a Mac on macOS Ventura 13 or later | [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102546) |
| Apple TV remote | Apple TV HD or later, or an AirPlay-compatible smart TV | [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108778) |
| Home, baby or pet camera | A camera app such as Alfred Camera | [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alfred-camera-home-security/id966460837) |
| A child’s first device | Screen Time’s parental controls | [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/105121) |
| A one-app screen | Guided Access | [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/111795) |

## How to turn a spare iPhone into a text hub

Pick the line to keep off your main phone: a work or business number (if your employer allows it), a parent’s old number, or a number only for 2FA codes. Put its SIM or eSIM in the spare iPhone and set this up there.

1. **Add a destination in Fwrd.** Open Fwrd, tap +, and choose where the texts should go: Another Phone for your main number, Email Address for your inbox, WhatsApp, or a chat such as Slack, Telegram or Discord. For a number or address, scroll down to Recipient Reference and enter it (tap + to add an address). For a chat, paste the webhook URL or bot token from its guide, such as the [Telegram guide](https://www.fwrdsms.com/guides/telegram). Save with the tick.

2. **Create a Message automation.** On iOS 27, open Shortcuts, tap Library, then Automation, then +. If you see Describe a shortcut, tap Edit. Tap Automation, then Message. On iOS 26, open the Automation tab, tap +, and choose Message.

   ![Shortcuts on iOS 27: the list of automation triggers, with Message marked under Communication](https://www.fwrdsms.com/guides/steps/sc-message-trigger-ee0e41db.jpg)

3. **Choose which texts to forward.** Choose Message Contains (on iOS 27, change Sender to Message). To forward nearly everything, type a single space: it catches any text with a space in it. To forward only some, type a word they share, such as code.

4. **Let it run without asking.** On iOS 27, tap the arrow beside the trigger and check that Confirm Before Run is off. Under ⓘ, then Privacy, check that Allow Running When Locked is on. On iOS 26, choose Run Immediately, then tap Next and Create New Shortcut.

5. **Add Fwrd’s action.** Search for Forward and add Fwrd’s Forward Message to All Destinations. Tap its Message field and choose Shortcut Input (on iOS 26, Shortcut Input, then Message).

   ![Fwrd’s action under the trigger, reading “Forward Shortcut Input to all destinations”](https://www.fwrdsms.com/guides/steps/sc-shortcut-input-0dbdbb93.jpg)

6. **For your main phone, email or WhatsApp, add the sending action.** Below Fwrd’s action, add Apple’s Send Message or Send Email, or WhatsApp’s own Send Message (search for WhatsApp). Tap its Message field and choose Forward Message to All Destinations, then add your number or address under Recipients. For Send Email, type a Subject, such as Forwarded text, and turn off Show Compose Sheet under the arrow at the end of the action. Tap back to save (Done on iOS 26).

7. **That’s it.** New texts to the second line now go where you chose on their own, with the spare iPhone unlocked or locked.

Fwrd needs no account, and texts are processed on the spare iPhone. Every destination can also filter by words, verification codes or time of day. The [another phone page](https://www.fwrdsms.com/iphone-sms-to-another-phone) and the [automation guide](https://www.fwrdsms.com/guides/automation) show each tap.

More on each case: [work texts](https://www.fwrdsms.com/blog/forward-work-phone-texts-to-personal-phone), [an old number](https://www.fwrdsms.com/blog/forward-texts-from-old-number), [a 2FA line](https://www.fwrdsms.com/blog/second-phone-number-for-2fa) and [a shared team phone](https://www.fwrdsms.com/forward-shared-phone-texts-to-team).

## Other good uses for a spare iPhone

- **Webcam for your Mac.** With Continuity Camera, the iPhone is the camera and mic for FaceTime and other video apps, if it’s signed in to the same Apple Account as the Mac.
- **Apple TV remote.** The Apple TV Remote in Control Center controls an Apple TV or an AirPlay-compatible smart TV.
- **Home, baby or pet camera.** Alfred Camera’s App Store listing says it turns old phones into home security cameras, baby monitors and pet cams.
- **A child’s first device.** Screen Time’s Content & Privacy Restrictions set age ratings for apps, music, books and more.
- **A one-app screen.** Guided Access (Settings, then Accessibility) keeps the iPhone in one app, such as a recipe app in the kitchen.

## What an unattended spare iPhone can’t do

- **Run for weeks without an unlock.** Since iOS 18.1, an iPhone that isn’t unlocked for three days restarts itself, and that can’t be turned off. After any restart, Fwrd waits for one unlock, because it keeps your destinations behind the iPhone’s lock. [What happens to texts when your iPhone is off](https://www.fwrdsms.com/blog/texts-when-iphone-is-off) covers the rest.
- **Keep going without power or signal.** Keep it plugged in and online.
- **Forward pictures, calls or old texts.** Only the words of new texts are forwarded.

## Questions people ask next

### What can I use my old iPhone for?

Make it a text hub for a second line, a Mac webcam, an Apple TV remote, a home camera or a child’s first device. The text hub is the one that keeps working while you’re away from it.

### Does my old iPhone need a SIM to forward texts?

Yes, for texts to a phone number. The spare iPhone only forwards texts it receives, so the line has to be in it, as a SIM or eSIM.

### Will iMessages to the spare iPhone forward too?

Yes. The Message automation runs for messages that arrive in the Messages app, iMessages included. Each one goes on as a new text or post from the spare iPhone.

### How much does it cost to use a spare iPhone this way?

Fwrd is free for 15 forwards a month, and a text counts once however many places it goes. Fwrd Pro removes the limit for $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year in the US.

## Keep reading

- [Forward work texts to a personal phone](https://www.fwrdsms.com/blog/forward-work-phone-texts-to-personal-phone)
- [How iPhone Shortcuts message automations work](https://www.fwrdsms.com/blog/iphone-shortcuts-message-automation)