When a text doesn’t arrive
SMS forwarding not working on iPhone?
Updated
If you forward to Slack, Discord, Telegram, Microsoft Teams, or a webhook, start by opening Activity in Fwrd. If the text isn’t listed there, the automation never ran, so the fix is in Shortcuts. If it’s listed as Failed, the destination turned it down, so the fix is in that service. Email, Another Phone, and WhatsApp are sent by their own apps, so they don’t appear in Activity.
Every destination
- Send Test Message arrives, but texts don’t forward
- Check the automation: that it’s turned on, that the text contains its keyword, and that Fwrd’s Message uses Shortcut Input.
- A notification asks me to run the shortcut
- The automation is set to ask first. On iOS 26, choose Run Immediately (if you see Notify When Run, turn it off). On iOS 27, tap the arrow beside the trigger and turn Confirm Before Run off. Under ⓘ, then Privacy, turn Allow Running When Locked on. Apple lists Message among the triggers that can run without asking.
- Nothing forwards after the iPhone restarted
- Unlock the iPhone once after every restart. Until then, iOS keeps Fwrd’s saved destination details locked away, even from Fwrd.
- Texts from a short code or unknown number don’t trigger it
- Match on Message Contains instead of Sender. The Sender picker only offers your Contacts, so it misses short codes.
- Some texts forward and others don’t
- Only texts that contain your keyword run the automation. Pick a broader word, or add a second automation with another keyword.
- Short replies like “Ok” don’t forward
- Your automation matches a single space, and those texts have none. One-word replies, a lone emoji, or a bare link never contain a space, so a space filter can’t catch them. Use a keyword the texts you care about contain instead.
- Each text arrives twice
- Two automations match the same text, or one automation has Fwrd’s action in it twice. Keep one.
- Activity shows a forward as Failed
- The destination turned the message down. Open it in Fwrd, check the saved URL or token, and tap Send Test Message. If that fails too, create a new webhook or token at the service.
- Forwarding stopped part way through the month
- The free plan includes 15 forwards per calendar month, and Fwrd can notify you when they’re used. Upgrade to Fwrd Pro in the app, or wait for the 1st.
- The status of Email, Another Phone, or WhatsApp in Fwrd doesn’t change
- That’s normal. Mail, Messages, or WhatsApp does the sending, so those forwards show up there rather than in Fwrd’s Activity.
- The steps don’t match my screen
- Apple changed automations in iOS 27. The automation guide walks through both iOS 26 and iOS 27, with pictures of each iOS 27 screen.
Setting up the automation for the first time? Follow the automation guide.
By destination
Each guide ends with the problems specific to that service.
More help
Still stuck? Tell us what you see. Please don’t paste real message text or webhook URLs.