Verification codes
How to forward 2FA and verification codes from your iPhone
Forward iPhone verification and 2FA codes to Slack, Telegram, Discord, email or another phone automatically with Apple Shortcuts and Fwrd. Safety tips included.
By Fwrd · Last reviewed
When forwarding codes makes sense
If the service offers an authenticator app or a passkey, that’s usually safer than any SMS code, forwarded or not. Forwarding is for the accounts where SMS is the only option.
- The phone that gets the codes isn’t the one in your hand, like a work iPhone in a drawer or a phone at home with your home SIM.
- A small team signs in to one account that only offers SMS codes, and the codes land on one person’s iPhone.
- You work on a computer all day and want codes to appear in a chat you already have open.
Set it up in about five minutes
- 1Add a destination in FwrdInstall Fwrd, tap +, and add where the codes should go: a private Slack channel, a Telegram chat with just you, a Discord channel, your email, or another phone.
- 2Create a Message automationOn 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.
- 3Match the code textsChange Sender to Message, then type a word your code texts contain, such as code. Match on the message rather than the sender: codes come from short codes the Sender picker can’t choose.
- 4Let it run on its ownMake it run without asking. On iOS 27, tap the arrow on the trigger and check Confirm Before Run is off. On iOS 26, choose Run Immediately and turn off Notify When Run.
- 5Add Fwrd’s actionSearch 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).
- 6Test with a real codeAsk a service you use to text you a code, then check it arrives. Try once with the iPhone unlocked and once with it locked.
Step-by-step automation guide with videoForward codes to Telegram
Pick the word your code texts contain
Most code texts include the word code. Others say verification, passcode, PIN or OTP. Look at a few of the texts you want and pick a word they share.
To catch texts that use different words, make a second automation with the same Fwrd action. Both send to the same destinations.
Keep forwarded codes safe
- Anyone who can read the destination can use the code, so send codes to a private channel or a chat only you can see, not a busy team space.
- Only forward codes for your own accounts, or ones your organisation lets you share. Some banks forbid sharing their codes.
- Fwrd has no server and no account. Codes go straight from your iPhone to your destination. Fwrd’s log of recent forwards, text included, stays on your iPhone for up to 30 days and you can clear it in the app. The destination keeps its copy under its own rules, so delete old codes there if that matters to you.
- Turn the automation off in Shortcuts when you don’t need it.
- Never set up forwarding because someone asked you to. A stranger who wants your codes is running a scam.
What arrives at the other end
Fwrd forwards the message text exactly as it arrived. It doesn’t send the sender’s number, the time, or any pictures. For a code text that’s exactly what you want: the code, in the words the service sent it.
We’ve tested Slack, Discord and Telegram end to end on a physical iPhone, unlocked and locked. The other destinations are offered in the app but not yet tested that way, so send yourself a harmless test text before you rely on them.
Free for 15 forwards a month
No account, no new number, and no Fwrd server in the middle. Pro removes the monthly limit for $3.99/month or $29.99/year, with a 7-day free trial on the annual plan for eligible customers. iPhone · iOS 26.2 or later.
iPhone · iOS 26.2 or later
Free plan: 15 forwards each month. No subscription required.
Questions about forwarding codes
Can an iPhone automatically forward verification codes?
Yes. A Message automation in Apple Shortcuts can run Fwrd’s action whenever a text containing a word like “code” arrives, and Fwrd sends that text to your chosen destinations without you opening anything. Apple doesn’t let any app read your texts on its own, so the automation is what makes it work, and you create it once.
Does it catch codes sent from short numbers like 12345?
Yes, as long as you match on the message. Set the trigger to Message contains a word the code texts use. Don’t use Sender: its picker only offers your Contacts, so it can’t choose the short numbers codes come from.
Will codes forward while my iPhone is locked?
Yes for the destinations we’ve tested. We’ve tested Slack, Discord and Telegram end to end on a physical iPhone, unlocked and locked. The other destinations are offered in the app but not yet tested that way, so send yourself a harmless test text before you rely on them. The iPhone that receives the texts has to stay on and online. After it restarts, unlock it once before forwarding works again.
Does Fwrd see or store my codes?
Fwrd has no account and no server, so the code never passes through us. It goes from your iPhone straight to the destination you set up, such as your Slack channel or Telegram chat. The app keeps a log of recent forwards, including the text, on your iPhone for up to 30 days, which you can clear at any time. The destination keeps its copy under its own rules.
Is it safe to forward 2FA codes?
It can be, if only the right people can read the destination. Forwarding a code makes it as safe as the place you send it, so use a private channel or a chat with just you. Where a service offers an authenticator app or a passkey, that’s safer than SMS codes in any form.
Can my team get codes from one shared phone?
Yes. Put Fwrd on the iPhone that gets the codes and send them to a private channel the team uses. Only that one iPhone needs Fwrd. Check that your organisation allows sharing codes for that account first.
Is it free?
Fwrd is free for up to 15 forwards per calendar month. Pro removes the limit for $3.99/month or $29.99/year, with a 7-day free trial on the annual plan for eligible customers. If you only get a few codes a month, the free plan covers it.