How to Forward an Email: Step-by-Step Guide for Any Device

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Easy ways to forward emails on Mac, Windows, iPhone, & Android
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This wikiHow guide teaches you how to forward an email message in popular email apps like Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail. The exact steps to forward an email are a little different for every email client, but it's usually as simple as finding the "Forward" option or arrow at the bottom of the message. We'll also show you how to automatically forward all emails sent to your Gmail, Outlook, or iCloud email account to a different email address.

Forwarding an Email: Quick Steps

Open the message you want to forward. Scroll to the bottom and click Forward to forward an entire thread, or click the three dots next to an individual message and select Forward . Enter the recipient's email address and click Send .

Method 1
Method 1 of 10:

Gmail (Mobile & Desktop)

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  1. You can forward an email from Gmail using any device—your computer, phone, or tablet—and the steps will be the same. Tapping or clicking the message opens it for viewing.
  2. It's at the bottom of the message in the right-hand corner.
    • If you just want to forward one message in a conversation instead of the entire thread of replies, click or tap the three dots ⋮ next to the message, then select Forward . [1]
    • If the message contains any attachments, such as PDFs or attached images, you'll be asked if you want to include them in the forwarded message. Select Include Attachments to include them, or Don't Include Attachments to remove them.
    • If you choose to include them, you can remove individual attachments by scrolling down in the message, selecting the attachment, and then selecting Remove .
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  3. This is the address of the person you want to forward the message to. You can enter multiple addresses by separating them with commas.
    • You can also type your own message into the body if you'd like.
  4. It's the paper airplane icon near the top of the message on your Android, iPhone, or iPad. If you're using a computer, click the word Send to forward the email.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 10:

Outlook (Mobile)

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  1. This opens it for viewing in the Outlook mobile app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad.
  2. It's pointing to the left. This opens a menu.
  3. This creates a new message with the message's content inside.
  4. This is the address of the person you want to forward the message to. You can enter multiple addresses by separating them with commas.
    • If you want to CC (carbon copy) or BCC (blind carbon copy, which hides the email address from other recipients) someone on the message, tap the down-arrow next to the "To" field to expand the Cc and Bcc fields.
    • Outlook automatically attaches any photo or document attachments that were originally attached to the message. If you don't want to include these attachments, tap the X next to the attachment in the message.
    • If you want to include any of your thoughts, type them above the forwarded text in the message.
  5. It's the paper airplane icon at the top-right. This sends the message (and any attachments) to the recipient(s).
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Method 3
Method 3 of 10:

Outlook.com & New Outlook (Desktop)

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  1. These steps will work in Outlook on the Web and the "New Outlook" app for Windows 11.
  2. It's at the top-right corner of the message.
  3. This is the address of the person you want to forward the message to. You can enter multiple addresses by separating them with commas.
    • If you want to CC (carbon copy) or BCC (blind carbon copy, which hides the email address from other recipients) someone on the message, click Cc or Bcc in the upper-right corner and enter the address(es).
    • Outlook automatically attaches any photo or document attachments that were originally attached to the message. If you don't want to include these attachments, hover your mouse cursor over an attachment and click the X to delete it.
    • If you want to include any of your own thoughts, type them above the forwarded text in the message.
  4. It's at the top of the message. This forwards the message to the recipient(s).
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Method 4
Method 4 of 10:

Outlook Classic (Desktop)

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  1. If you're using the Classic version of Outlook, this method will teach you how to forward an email.
  2. It's at the top of the reading pane, and typically on the right side of the message. There will also be a "Forward" option on the toolbar at the top of Outlook. [2]
  3. The address(es) you enter into the "To" field will receive the forwarded message once you send it.
    • You can use the "Cc" field to add additional recipients if you'd like. All of the To and Cc recipients will be able to see who else was copied on the email.
    • If you don't want the other recipients to know you're also sending the message to someone else, add the secret recipient(s) to the "Bcc" box instead.
  4. Any photo, text, or other file attachments will automatically be forwarded to the new recipients unless you manually delete them from the forwarded message draft. To remove an attachment, select it and click Remove . [3]
    • If you want to include any of your own thoughts, type them above the forwarded text in the message.
  5. This sends the message (and any attachments) to the recipient(s).
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Method 5
Method 5 of 10:

Apple Mail App (iPhone & iPad)

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  1. This displays the contents of the message on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. It's the blue curved arrow at the bottom of the screen. A menu will expand.
  3. It's the button with an arrow pointing right. This opens a new message containing the forwarded content.
    • If there are any attachments to the original message, such as documents or videos, you'll be asked to Include or Don't Include the attachment. Choose the desired option to proceed.
  4. This is the address of the person you want to forward the message to. You can enter multiple addresses by separating them with commas.
    • If you want to CC (carbon copy) or BCC (blind carbon copy, which hides the email address from other recipients) someone on the message, tap CC/BCC and enter the email address(es) into the labeled fields.
    • If you want to include any of your own thoughts, type them above the forwarded text in the message.
  5. This is the arrow pointing up at the top-right corner of the message. This sends the message (and any attachments) to the recipient(s).
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Method 6
Method 6 of 10:

Apple Mail (Mac Desktop)

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  1. This opens it for viewing.
  2. This is the part of the message that contains the "To" and "From" information. Several buttons will appear. [4]
  3. It's the arrow pointing right at the top of the message. This creates a new message with the forwarded content inside.
  4. This is the address of the person you want to forward the message to. You can enter multiple addresses by separating them with commas.
    • If you want to CC (carbon copy) or BCC (blind carbon copy, which hides the email address from other recipients) someone on the message, enter the email address(es) into the labeled fields.
    • If you want to include any of your own thoughts, you can click the larger typing area above the message contents and type it now.
  5. If the message you're forwarding has attached content like PDFs or documents, you can choose to include them.
    • To include attachments, click the Edit menu, select Attachments , and choose Include Original Attachments in Reply .
    • If you decide to remove the attachments, click the Message menu and select Remove Attachments .
  6. It's the paper airplane icon. This sends the message (and any attachments) to the recipient(s).
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Method 7
Method 7 of 10:

Set Up Automatic Forwarding in Gmail

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  1. 1
    Log in to Gmail on your computer. If you want to forward all incoming emails to another address, you will need to log in to Gmail on your computer. [5]
  2. 2
    Click the gear icon. You'll see it at the top-right corner of your Gmail inbox.
  3. 3
    Click See all settings .
  4. 4
    Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab. This tab may just be called Forwarding for some accounts.
  5. 5
    Click Add a forwarding address in the "Forwarding" section.
  6. 6
    Enter the email address to which you want to forward the email. Be sure to type the email address correctly—you wouldn't want your emails to be sent to the wrong person.
  7. 7
    Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions. You'll need to click Proceed and then OK to confirm. In a moment, you'll receive a confirmation message to your other email address (the one you are forwarding to).
  8. 8
    Click the verification link in the confirmation message. Once confirmed, there are just a few more steps.
  9. 9
    Return to your old Gmail account's Forwarding Settings. If you closed the window, click the gear icon, select See all settings , and then click Forwarding/POP/IMAP .
  10. 10
    Select Forward a copy of incoming mail to . This ensures the messages will automatically be forwarded to the destination address.
  11. 11
    Choose what Gmail should do with the original messages. If you want to keep copies of each message in this Gmail account, select Keep Gmail's copy in inbox . You can opt to delete Gmail's copy if you'd like.
  12. 12
    Click Save changes . All emails sent to your Gmail account will now be forwarded to your new email address.
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Method 8
Method 8 of 10:

Set Up Automatic Forwarding in Outlook

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  1. 1
    Log in to Outlook.com or open New Outlook. If you want to forward email from your Outlook.com address to a different account, you can do so from both Outlook on the Web and New Outlook.
  2. 2
    Click the gear icon. It's near the top-right corner of Outlook.
  3. 3
    Click the Mail tab in the left column.
  4. 4
    Click Fowarding in the center panel. This displays the option to enable or disable forwarding.
  5. 5
    Toggle the "Enable forwarding" switch to On. An address field will appear.
  6. 6
    Enter the email address to which you want to forward emails and click Save . To keep a copy of each message in your Outlook account, check the box next to "Keep a copy of forwarded messages." Once you save your changes, emails sent to your Outlook email address will be automatically forwarded to your new address. [6]
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Method 9
Method 9 of 10:

Set Up Automatic Forwarding for iCloud

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  1. 1
    Log in to your iCloud account on the web. If you want all email messages sent to your icloud.com email address automatically forwarded to a different email address, you will need to log in to https://icloud.com in a web browser.
  2. 2
    Click the Mail app. This opens the web version of Apple Mail.
  3. 3
    Click the gear icon and select Settings . You'll see the gear at the top of your mailbox list.
  4. 4
    Click Mail Forwarding .
  5. 5
    Select "Forward my email to" and enter an email address. Type the email address to which you want to forward all your messages into the field. Once you exit this window, all emails sent to this iCloud address will automatically be forwarded to the destination address.
    • If you don't want to keep a copy of each message in iCloud, uncheck "Delete messages after forwarding."
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Method 10
Method 10 of 10:

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  1. The recipient of the forwarded message will be able to see the names and email addresses of anyone else who was involved in the original email thread. Depending on the situation, it might be most respectful to those people if you remove their addresses from the forward.
  2. You don't need to change anything, depending on the context, but you might consider lightly editing the text or structure of the message that you're passing along. Take this opportunity to delete any parts of the forwarded message you don't want your recipients to see. Once the email has been sent, you can't take it back! Look for the following things:
    • Carats (the bulky <<<>>> chains that can build up in a much-forwarded e-mail)
    • Mechanical errors, like unnecessary extra lines/spaces and grammatical and spelling errors.
    • Banners that companies place at the bottom of your e-mails.
  3. Make sure you're not forwarding an article or email message that contains misinformation . Also, remove any personal or confidential information from the original message. Be careful when forwarding attachments, as viruses can be transmitted this way.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I forward the latest email and not the previous emails in the thread?
    Community Answer
    Click the forward button, and when you are in the new box, before you send, just highlight all the emails you do not want to forward and press your delete button.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
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    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1
  • Question
    How do I forward an e-mail with pictures?
    Community Answer
    You can just use the same instructions. There is no difference in the process when the email includes pictures.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 0
  • Question
    When I forward an email, the information appears much lower on the page than in the original. How do I correct this?
    Community Answer
    This is normal, I wouldn't really worry about it but, if it really bothers you, you can delete the lines where there is no information and the text will gradually rise on your page.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.google.com/mail/answer/15162918
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/reply-to-or-forward-an-email-message-a843f8d3-01b0-48da-96f5-a71f70d0d7c8
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-ie/office/remove-an-attachment-404ad04f-6168-4453-a974-d8a95c42b07a
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mail/reply-to-forward-or-follow-up-on-emails-mlhlp1010/mac
      5. ↑ https://support.google.com/mail/answer/10957?hl=en
      6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/turn-on-automatic-forwarding-in-outlook-7f2670a1-7fff-4475-8a3c-5822d63b0c8e

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the message.
      2. Click Forward .
      3. Enter a recipient the "To" field.
      4. Remove attachments if needed.
      5. Click Send .

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