Forwarding SMS texts

November 16, 2010 1:46 PM

Is it possible to forward SMS texts from my iPhone to another cell phone or to my email?

I'm planning to leave my cell phone at home while I'm on vacation and to forward the calls to another phone. I have an iPhone and I know about the call forwarding option under Settings, but I was wondering if it would be possible to do something similar for texts. Also, would the AT&T account (accessed from AT&T's website) register that the call forwarding is now on?

If my phone is able to forward texts to another, would that use up my allotted SMS texts for the month?

Thanks in advance.

posted by hotchocolate to technology (7 answers total)

If you aren't planning on jailbreaking your iPhone there is no solution to automatically forward SMS messages. I would text everybody in your address book that you are going to be out of contact for awhile and to email (or the temporary sms number) you if they need to get in contact.
posted by Brent Parker at 1:56 PM on November 16, 2010

If you're in the U.S., I'm pretty sure you can do this with Google Voice.
posted by neckro23 at 2:03 PM on November 16, 2010

If people had the Google Voice number then it wouldn't be a problem. But hotchocolate would have to give people that number to make it work.

Google Voice would forward to whatever phone the OP wanted as long as things are sent to that number. But it doesn't touch SMS as far as I can tell to anything sent to a non GV number. It can do voicemail, but it would be kind of pointless to have your voicemail sucked into GV just while you're on vacation if you ask me.

I know of no forwarding service (ie GV, Voxox, etc.) that would do the job that wouldn't require you to give people a new number anyway. Which isn't to say that they don't exist.
posted by theichibun at 2:17 PM on November 16, 2010

If you do decide that you'd like to use Google Voice (with all the telling people about your new number that that entails) feel free to MeMail me for a Google Voice invite.
posted by ejfox at 3:04 PM on November 16, 2010

(ejfox, Google Voice is open to anyone who has a google account now, you don't need an invite anymore)
posted by brainmouse at 3:13 PM on November 16, 2010

Google Voice, all the way.
posted by darkgroove at 4:06 PM on November 16, 2010

one thing cool with google voice, you can reply via email and they get it as SMS. I was texting with people on an airplane over wifi a couple months ago. Also the app will let you sms too.
posted by thilmony at 7:26 PM on November 16, 2010