Forwarding an email on your iPhone 13 sends a copy of a message, including its attachments if you want, to someone who wasn’t on the original thread. In Apple’s Mail app, the Forward option is tucked behind the reply button at the bottom of the screen. This guide shows how to forward an email in Mail, how to handle attachments, how to forward in the Gmail and Outlook apps, and workarounds for forwarding several emails.
Quick Answer
Open the email in the Mail app, tap the reply arrow at the bottom of the screen, and choose Forward. Enter the recipient’s address in the To field, add a note if you like, and tap the Send arrow.
Forward an Email in the Mail App
- Open the Mail app and tap the email you want to forward.
- Tap the reply arrow (curved arrow) at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Forward.
- If the email has attachments, choose Include to send them or Don’t Include to send only the text.
- Type the recipient’s name or email address in the To field. Add more people with Cc or Bcc if needed.
- Add a short message above the forwarded text (optional).
- Tap the blue Send arrow at the top right.
The subject line automatically starts with Fwd:. You can edit it before sending.
Forward one message from a conversation
If Organize by Thread is on, a conversation shows several messages. Scroll to the specific message you want, tap the three dots or reply arrow on that message (not at the bottom of the screen), and choose Forward.
Forward only part of an email
Select the text you want to keep in the email, then tap the reply arrow and Forward. On many iOS versions, only the selected text is quoted.
Forward in the Gmail App
- Open the email in the Gmail app.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Forward, or tap the three dots at the top right of the message and choose Forward.
- Enter the recipient and tap Send.
Forward in the Outlook App
- Open the email in Outlook.
- Tap the three dots below the message (or the reply arrow) and choose Forward.
- Add recipients and tap Send.
Forwarding Several Emails
The iPhone Mail app doesn’t forward multiple emails at once or forward an email as an attachment. Options:
- Forward each email separately.
- Use your email provider’s website on a computer (for example, Gmail lets you select several messages and choose Forward as attachment).
- Set up automatic forwarding in your email account’s settings (Gmail, Outlook.com, or iCloud Mail on the web) if you want all future emails sent to another address.
Troubleshooting
- No Forward option: Make sure you’ve opened the email (not just selected it in the list). If a message is still downloading, wait until it fully loads.
- Attachments didn’t go through: Large attachments may exceed your provider’s size limit (often 20–25 MB). Use Mail Drop when Mail offers it, or share the file through iCloud Drive.
- Forwarded email stuck in Outbox: Check your internet connection and email account password in Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts.
Summary
- Open the email in Mail and tap the reply arrow.
- Choose Forward and decide whether to include attachments.
- Add the recipient and tap Send.
- For multiple emails, forward one at a time or use your provider’s website.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.