How to Forward Emails in Gmail

Last updated on September 11th, 2026 at 07:09 am

Chances are, you know the importance of forwarding if you’ve had to send a receipt to an accountant, hand a work thread off to a coworker, or send a message out of your phone and onto your computer. Once you learn where the buttons are, Gmail makes it easy and offers more control than most people think.

I’ve been happily forwarding stuff with Gmail for years, both for my admin and for working out workflow on actual client accounts, and the most important thing I’ve come to realize is that there’s a lot more to forwarding than the simple “Forward” link everyone uses. Filters, automatic rules, and attachment-like forwarding solve all different problems, and the following will take you through each of them.

What Does Email Forwarding Mean in Gmail?

Forwarding refers to taking a message previously received and sending a copy of the message, which may or may not be altered, to a different destination. Simply put, forwarding is another copy of the email leaving your inbox and going to someone else’s or one of your other accounts.

Gmail gives you three ways to do this:

• Manual forwarding: You open a message and forward it yourself.
• Automatic forwarding: Gmail will automatically pass on any new messages that show up in your inbox.
• Filter-based forwarding: Gmail only moves messages that meet certain criteria, such as coming from a specific sender or having a specific subject line.

They all have different applications. Use manual forwarding if you want to pass along an occasional message. Use automatic forwarding when you’re checking a second mailbox and want everything to go to one place. Filters are for narrower, more frequent tasks, like sending every message from a particular account directly to your Accounting inbox.

How to Forward an Email in Gmail on Desktop

Most people want to know this version, so I’ll start with it.

1. Open Gmail in your browser and select the message you’d like to forward.
2. Look at the upper-right corner of the message and click the three-dot menu just left of the Reply and Reply All options.
3. Select Forward.
4. Enter the recipient’s address, add a brief message if you desire, and then click ‘Send’

That‘s all there is to it. (Gmail also, by default, keeps the original body of the message below your note, so the recipient sees the whole thread and not just your summary.)

A minor point I picked up while testing: if the message has more than one reply in the thread, Gmail forwards the whole visible thread unless you clear it of prior messages first. It’s useful to test before sending if any of those hairsheets in earlier replies aren’t suitable.

How to Forward an Email in Gmail on Android

The mobile app shortcuts a couple of steps but functions the same behind the scenes.

1. Open the Gmail application and select the message.
2. Click on the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner.
3. Tap Forward.
4. Fill in the recipient and tap the send arrow.

On Android, the Forward button is occasionally hidden inside a function menu of varying height, depending on the version of Gmail you have for your Android phone, in which case you should tap the reply arrow icon down near the bottom of the message – look for a tiny arrow dropdown.

How to Forward an Email in Gmail on iPhone

Same logic, iOS layout.

1. Open the message using the Gmail application.
2. Press those three dots at the top.
3. Tap Forward.
4. Add the recipient’s email and send it.

If you use the Apple Mail app instead of Gmail to access a Gmail account, the forward icon is a right arrow, usually at the bottom of the screen: same function, different look.

How to Forward Multiple Emails in Gmail

If you need to send a bunch of messages, 1:00 every message will eventually get on your nerves. There’s an easier way.

1. Select the checkbox next to the messages you want to forward in the inbox.
2. Click the more (three dots) menu at the top of the inbox.
3. Select Forward as attachment.
4. Gmail will then collect the selected messages and attach each one as a .eml file to a new email.
5. Add the recipient and send.

It’s not the same as forwarding individually; instead, each one ends up as an attachment to double-click. This is useful for archiving or handing over a collection of related email messages, but it isn’t ideal for someone who wants to browse through them quickly.

How to Forward an Email as an Attachment in Gmail

This is worth mentioning on its own because it works very differently from a normal forward, and people often confuse the two.

When you respond as an attachment, the original mail (headers, formatting, etc.) is attached to the new message as a file instead of being inserted into the body of the reply. This comes into play in a few scenarios:

• You want to keep every part of the email as it was sent, right down to the headers, in case you need them to troubleshoot or prove delivery.
• You are sending something sensitive and would prefer the recipient to have a difficult time copying and pasting it outside of the message body.
• You’re delivering it to an administrator who needs the raw file. For example, an IT department putting together a report investigating a phishing email.

For a single email, right-click on an email in your inbox (without opening it), then choose Forward as attachment from the drop-down menu. The same applies to a single message.

How to Automatically Forward Emails in Gmail

Once I set up automatic forwarding, the system sends a copy of each new message it receives to another address from that point on, without any further action from me. This is great if you have two different mailboxes or want a second backup copy.

Before you dive in: automatic forwarding forwards everything from the source account, except Gmail filters that mark a message as spam. To choose which messages you forward, use the instructions at the end of this page to set up filters, which is the safer, more elegant way to do it.

How to Set Up Automatic Email Forwarding in Gmail

1. Open Gmail on your desktop (this option does not appear in the app)
2. Click the gear icon, then click See all settings.
3. Select the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
4. Click Add a forwarding address.
5. Enter it in the destinataire mail. Cliquer sur Next, puis sur Proceed (suivant), puis sur OK.
6. Gmail will then send a verification to that address; open it and click the confirmation link (or copy the code back into Gmail).
7. In the Gmail settings, click Forward a copy of incoming mail to and specify the address.
8. NS decides what to do with the original. We’ll keep it in your inbox, whatever it’s already read, export it to your archive folder, or delete it altogether.
9. Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit Save Changes.

In my experience, across a handful of accounts, leaving it in your inbox is almost always the choice. Say there’s a problem with the forwarding, an error in the destination address, a missed message- whatever- you still have the original sitting where you can find it, rather than trying to reassemble it from the trails.

How to Stop Automatic Email Forwarding in Gmail

Turning it off takes about ten seconds:

1. Open Settings → See all Settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
2. Click on Disable forwarding.
3. Klick‘n Save Changes.

If you’re doing this out of concern that someone with access to your account set up forwarding without your knowledge, don’t just check the Forwarding tab – also check the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Since it takes less work to set up a filter than to change the main forwarding options, an intruder who gains access to an account may set up the forwarding as part of a filter. If you find a rule that says something like “Forward it, Skip the Inbox, and then Delete it,” delete the rule and change your password!

How to Forward Only Specific Emails in Gmail

This is what I’d suggest for most people, rather than automatic forwarding across the board, since it’s much more specific.

1. In the Gmail search bar, click the search options icon (the sliders icon).
2. Decide on your criteria – sender, subject line, keywords, attachment type. For example: from:billing@vendor.com and has: attachment.
3. Click Create filter.
4. Check Forward it to and choose the address that you have verified as the forward-to.
5. Click Create a new filter again to be sure.

An example: if all your invoices from a particular vendor are to be sent to your bookkeeper, filter by that address to the sender, plus ‘invoice’ in the subject line, and everything remaining in your inbox is left unaffected.

How to Forward Emails to Multiple Recipients

You can’t directly set up multiple recipients for one auto-forwarding rule in Gmail: for each auto-forwarded recipient you’ll have to create a separate filter. For instance, to auto-forward a message to three people, you’ll need to create three filters with different verified-to addresses, but the same filter criteria.

However, for a one-time manual forward, it’s easier: click Forward, then enter the email addresses in the To field separated by commas, just like you would for a normal new email.

How to Forward an Email Without Showing the Original Recipient

If you want to send a copy without the recipient list visible to the person receiving the forwarded message, edit the message body before you send. When you choose Forward, you’ll often see the recipients’ names in the quoted message. Cut and paste the first line in the editor box before you send.

There isn’t an inherent “hide recipients” switch for a manual fwd, so you have to eyeball the message body. It’s a minor step that’s easy to overlook, and I’ve had it happen more than once with fast-forwarding.

How to Edit an Email Before Forwarding It

Click Forward, then click into the quoted message body. Gmail allows you to make edits or delete text right there before pressing Send: remove extraneous, redundant responses, prune sensitive attachments, or eliminate a signature field.

This is more important than it seems. Forwarded threads usually include quoted replies, phone numbers, sometimes even tracking pixels or sensitive attachments a few levels down. Spending a few seconds to scroll before hitting ‘Send’ can filter a lot out.

Why Can’t I Forward Emails in Gmail?

A few common culprits:

• You’re browsing the Gmail mobile app and want something that only works from the desktop (like the automatic forwarding setup)
• With your Chrome account, your Google Workspace administrator has enabled forwarding organization-wide by default.
• The destination address has not been validated.
• You are in a collection ring, but your organization has established a routing policy that can’t be overridden.
• Gmail. The setting has moved to another tab (something to do with the layout).

If it’s a personal Gmail account and you don’t see the forwarding option at all, try opening Gmail in your browser rather than as an app; some forwarding controls aren’t implemented in the mobile version.

Gmail Email Forwarding Not Working: How to Fix It

If forwarding isn’t behaving as expected, work through this list:

• Make sure the destination mailbox is not full. A full inbox will cause forwarded mail to bounce silently.
• Make sure the forwarding address is verified. Addresses other than the verified address are not delivered to.
• Double-check your filters for any conflicts. Having several filters applying to the same message can produce unintended results.
• Find out whether the message is being marked as spam. Gmail does not automatically forward spam.
• Test out the rule with a safe message first. Don’t rely on forwarding for anything vital (invoices, alerts) until you send a test message through it and confirm it ends up where you want it.

In some cases, forwarding may affect delivery to the destination mailbox. Because the message now appears to originate from the new server instead of the existing source, some destination mailboxes may mark it as spam. If you experience delivery irregularities, check the way the originating domain uses SPF and DKIM, as they would account for it again, more for domain owners than the average Gmail user, but something to be aware of if you administer forwarding for a small business.

Another common grievance with browser and email settings is mysterious connection errors that appear with any provocation. While you are viewing settings, if Gmail (or any other website) throws a certificate warning, our This Site Can’t Provide a Secure Connection Fix guide explains the typical reasons and how to resolve it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gmail Email Forwarding

Does Gmail automatically forward spam?
No. Gmail blocks spam from being processed on its servers, whether you use manual or automatic forwarding.

Can I only forward certain senders’ emails?
Yes. Set up a filter with that sender’s address, then select Forward it to as the action.

Can Gmail beauto-forwarded to several addresses?
Yes, but Gmail asks for a new filter for every address one set of rules for each forwarding address and then each is verified separately.

Is the original email deleted when you forward?
Gmail lets you retain or archive the original, but if you’re unsure, keeping a copy is probably the better option.

Can the sender tell that I forwarded their email?
It usually can’t be forwarded automatically; however, the message still gets forwarded because the original message content, header, and attachments are also sent, so it’s worth a quick review first.

Why did Gmail send me a verification email to forward?
Verification prevents someone from simply placing a forwarding order for an address you don’t control. Never approve verification requests without confirming the person making the request.

Can you forward an entire previous chat, rather than a single message?
Yes – open up the thread and forward, or select multiple messages and forward as an attachment. First, review the thread, as older replies may contain personal details that might not be appropriate.

Security assessment for auto-forwarding on iwa7: Is it safe to use for your work email?
Your organization’s policy will define it. Many Google Workspace administrators limit or monitor off-domain forwarding because compromised accounts often use it to exfiltrate data.

Final Thoughts on Forwarding Emails in Gmail

Having played with all permutations of this: manual, automatic, filtered, and at attachment level, my conclusion is straightforward: the manual forwarded mail filter is enough for almost everyone, and the filters will cover the remaining ground. Auto-forwarding your whole inbox only makes sense if you are trying to synchronize multiple accounts, and in that case it’s worth keeping a copy in your original account to justify the inbox clutter.

Skip blanket forwarding completely if you are running a business inbox or anything remotely sensitive, and create a narrow filter instead. This is a five-minute job that will save you a ton of cleaning up later.

If you’d like to dig deeper into Google’s current forwarding rules and limits, Google’s support articles on automatic forwarding and forwarding best practices are well maintained as Gmail’s interface evolves.

Read:

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Triveni

Passionate content writer with 4 years of experience specializing in entertainment, gadgets, gaming, and technology. I thrive on crafting engaging narratives that captivate audiences and drive results. With a keen eye for trends and a knack for storytelling, I bring fresh perspectives to every project. From reviews and features to SEO-optimized articles, I deliver high-quality content that resonates with diverse audiences.