How to Fix Text Message Forwarding Not Showing Up on iPhone

Wondering how to fix Text Message Forwarding not showing up on iPhone?

Text Message Forwarding is a feature that allows you to send messages to other Apple devices, which makes it convenient to use various devices together.

However, any issue with this feature can be quite frustrating as it prevents you from accessing smooth communication across devices.

If you’re facing the Text Message Forwarding feature not showing up on your iPhone, chances are you have an unstable internet connection or misconfigured settings.

Worry not! As this problem can be resolved using any of the troubleshooting fixes we have mentioned in our guide below.

So, let’s begin!

1. Ensure You’re Using the Same Apple ID Across All Devices. 

First on the list is to ensure you use the same Apple ID across all your devices. If you cannot see the Text Message forwarding feature on your iPhone with a list of all your Apple devices, it may be due to different Apple IDs.

Using a consistent Apple ID across all your devices, you can ensure a connection that allows you to forward messages from your iPhone to other devices.

Here’s how you can check the Apple ID for iPhone and iPad:

1. Launch Settings on your iPhone.
2. Then, tap on your Apple ID from the top to view information related to your Apple ID. 

To check on Mac, follow these steps:

1. Select the Apple menu from the top. 
2. Now, click on System Preferences. 

3. Click on your name to check your Apple ID on Mac. 

Now, check if Text Message Forwarding is showing up on your iPhone. 

2. Enable Text Message Forwarding.

Another possible cause for Text Message Forwarding not appearing on your iPhone is this feature being disabled. To secure a direct link between your iPhone and other Apple devices to forward important messages, you need to enable this feature.

Ensure seamless communication between devices by turning on Text Message Forwarding in the following way:

1. Go to the Settings app. 
2. Next, scroll down and select Messages. 
3. Tap on Text Message Forwarding.

4. Now, ensure that the toggles next to your devices are on. If not, you may turn the toggle on to allow these devices to send and receive messages. 

You can now use Text Message Forwarding without any problem. 

3. Enable iCloud Sync for Messages. 

If the text message forwarding option is not showing on your device, it is likely that you have switched off iCloud Sync for Messages. This feature lets you sync messages to devices with the same Apple ID. By turning it on, you can forward messages to other linked devices easily.

Follow the steps below to do it:

1. From the Settings app, tap on your Apple ID from the top. 
2. Tap on iCloud. 

3. Select Show All from the next screen. 
4. Then, choose Messages. 
5. Finally, turn the toggle on for Sync this iPhone. 

This should fix the Text Message Forwarding not showing up on iPhone. 

Related: How to Fix Uploading to iCloud Paused Message on iPhone 13 Pro

4. Toggle iMessage On and Off. 

A bug or glitch within the iMessage app can also be a potential cause for the Text Message Forwarding not showing up on your iPhone issue. If this is the case, giving the iMessage service a simple restart by turning it off and on will help resolve the issue.

You can toggle iMessage on and off in the following way:

1. Launch Settings and go to Messages. 
2. Now, turn off the toggle for iMessage. 
3. Wait for a few seconds. 
4. Then, re-enable iMessage. 

Text Message Forwarding should show up on your Apple device. If not, move to the next method to solve your problem. 

5. Restart Your Device. 

Restarting your device effectively eliminates any bugs or errors causing a problem within your iPhone. So, if you cannot access text message forwarding on your iPhone, simply restart it.

Here are the steps to restart your device:

1. For older iPhone models, press and hold the Power button until the slider appears on the screen. For newer models, press and hold both the Power button and the Volume Down button and wait for the slider to appear.
2. Next, drag the slider to the right to turn off your device. 

3. Wait for a few seconds. 
4. Now, restart your iPhone by pressing and holding the Power button until the Apple logo appears. 

Once your device restarts, check if that fixes the issue. 

6. Make Sure You  Have an Active Internet Connection. 

A firm internet connection is required for the iMessage app to work efficiently on your iPhone. If the text message forwarding option does not work on your device, it is likely due to a poor internet connection. 

As such services depend on a stable network connection, poor internet connectivity can lead them to malfunction. Hence, you must check your internet connection and switch to another network type if the connection is unstable.

7. Update Your iPhone. 

It may be possible that the current iOS version of your device has several bugs or errors causing issues such as this one. Therefore, you need to update your iPhone to the latest available iOS version. Doing so will eliminate any bugs in the previous version and provide new features.

To update your device, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Settings and tap on General. 
2. Then, select Software Update. 
3. The screen will take some time to load any pending updates. If there’s one available, tap on Download and install to begin the updating process. 

Remember that before you perform this method, ensure that you have adequate battery and storage to install the update. The updating process may take around 30 minutes to finish. 

After the update is installed, check if Text Message Forwarding shows up or not. 

8. Reset Network Settings. 

If the Text Message Forwarding feature is not appearing due to misconfigured network settings or any connectivity issues, then resetting the network setting will prove to be an effective fix. This method will eliminate any incorrect network configuration and help establish a secure connection.

Here’s how you can reset network settings:

1. From Settings, tap on General. 
2. Scroll all the way down and choose Transfer or Reset iPhone. 

3. Then, select Reset. 
4. Lastly, tap on Reset Network Settings. 

This should resolve the Text Message Forwarding not showing up issue. 

9. Reset All Settings. 

If resetting the network setting does not seem to do the trick, your last resort is to reset your iPhone. By resetting all settings of your device, you will bring all the configurations back to default values and remove any faulty settings causing the Text Message Forwarding feature to malfunction.

Perform the instructions below to reset all settings on your device:

1. Open the Settings app and select General. 
2. After that, scroll down and tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone. 
3. Tap on Reset and choose Reset All Settings.

Once done, Text Message Forwarding should show up on your iPhone. 

This concludes our guide on how to fix Text Message Forwarding not showing up on iPhone. We sincerely hope our methods were of assistance to you.  If you have any queries or doubts on this subject, feel free to reach out to us in the comments!

If this guide helped you, please share it.