How to Forward Emails in Gmail the Right Way

Quick Answer: Forwarding emails in Gmail are simple:

• Open the message,
• Select Forward,
• Type recipient’s email address.
• Hit send.

Gmail also let users forward entire conversation and send multiple emails as attachments, or automatically forward new messages to another account. Before you start forwarding, select which method helps you achieve your goal. Sending one message is different from forwarding whole thread or routing future messages automatically.

Forward Emails in Gmail According To Your Goal

You can forward a Gmail message in few clicks on computer or phone. Quickest method is to open the email, select Forward, add the recipient, and send it. Method selection should be according to your goal and what you need.

Simple choice can prevent common mistake: Turning on automatic forwarding when you only want to send one message,

How to Forward Single Email on a Computer or Phone

To forward one email on a computer, or phone, steps to be taken are:

On computer

• Open Gmail and select the email you want to share and open it.

• Click on three- dot icon and select forward from the menu, or scroll down and click Forward.

 

• Enter the recipient’s email address.
• Add a short note above the forwarded content if needed.
• Select Send.

On Android or iPhone

1. Open Gmail app.
2. Open an email you want to forward.
3. Tap Forward.
4. Enter the recipient.
5. Tap Send.

Gmail carries original message content into forwarded email. When attachments are part of email that you are forwarding, Gmail includes those attachments when you forward it.

Before you forward, take 10 seconds to check three things:

• Recipient email address,
• Conversation content, and the attachments.

Note: Forwarding is fast, but wrong address or additional message can expose information you meant to keep private. You can forward message to more than one recipient. Add addresses in the To field, or use Cc and Bcc when required.

How to Forward a Gmail Thread or Multiple Emails

User can forward specific message inside Gmail thread or forward complete conversation. If you are searching for how to forward emails in Gmail for a complete conversation, steps to do this are as follows:

Note: Conversation view must be turned on before you can forward full thread. 

• Open Gmail Conversation you want to forward.
• Scroll down and click on forward button. (Click on forward button that is below the last message of entire conversation.)

If you are researching how to forward emails in Gmail because you have several messages to send at once, Gmail gives you a separate option: Forward as attachment.

• On computer, select the emails you want to forward.
• Choose More, then choose Forward as attachment.

• Gmail will send selected messages as .eml files, and you can attach multiple emails to one message.

Note: If the attachment is over 25 MB, Gmail uses Google Drive for the attachment.

Related Read: How to Send Recurring Emails in Gmail

How To Automate Gmail Forwarding?

Gmail gives user an option to automatically forward new Gmail messages to another email address from Gmail on a computer. After you add destination address, Gmail sends verification link. Once address is verified, you can turn forwarding on for future messages or use filter to forward only specific messages.

Automatic forwarding is useful when you want future incoming mail copied to another account, such as when you monitor second inbox. Google’s current setup instructions use Gmail on a computer.

• Open Gmail click on Settings icon, then See all settings.
• Open Forwarding and POP/IMAP or Forwarding tab.
• Select Add a forwarding address.

•  Enter destination email.

• Select Next, Proceed, and OK.
• Open verification email in the destination account and select its verification link.

• Return to Gmail settings, refresh page, and return to forwarding section.
• Select Forward a copy of incoming mail to and choose what Gmail should do with the original copy.
• Click Save Changes.

Gmail will now forward new messages to the verified address, but automatic forwarding does not forward spam. Gmail also lets you keep original message in the inbox or automatically archive it.

Related Read: How to Send a Password Protected Email in Gmail

How to Forward Only Specific Gmail Emails

User can automatically forward only specific Gmail messages by creating and using filters. This is option when you want messages from particular sender, matching subject, or other search criteria routed to another address.

• In Gmail on computer, select the Show search options icon in the search box.

• Enter the criteria that should identify the messages.
• Select Create filter.

• Choose Forward it and select a verified forwarding address.
• Select Create filter.

Watch Out While You Forward Messages in Gmail Account

You can only forward 100 messages in an hour (not counting the Forward as attachment option), and the full day limit is 500 messages. This limit applies regardless of the Google One plan you subscribe to. Here is a more in-depth explanation of the official sending limits in Gmail.

Once you reach that limit, it’s a dead end. Not only can you not forward, but you also cannot send any message, period. This is the case until the timer resets. Every Gmail account (or should I say all email accounts in general) has this speed breaker to prevent misuse and control spamming. If still facing issues, troubleshoot Gmail forwarding not working in a few easy ways.

Forwarding Is Not the Same as Backing Up Gmail

Forwarding sends a message to another address; it does not create a dedicated backup of your Gmail mailbox or Google Drive data. If your goal is to preserve emails and documents for recovery, migration, archiving, or long-term access, a backup workflow is a better fit.

That distinction matters because forwarding and backup solve different problems. If you need to preserve Gmail emails and Google Drive documents rather than simply send messages to another address, the SysTools Gmail Backup Tool can create backups in multiple formats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I bulk forward emails in the Gmail mobile app?

No, there is no option for bulk forward like you see on the web app.

Q: Is it possible to forward emails directly from the Gmail spam folder?

Yes, you can forward messages right from inside the spam folder.

Q: Do forwarded messages remain in my original account?

Yes, they do. However, if you set up an auto-forward rule, you may accidentally select the option that bypasses your account and directly puts the message into the recipient’s mailbox. If you wish to retain copies of messages, make sure you keep the option to keep a copy in my account enabled.

Q: Is a forwarded message larger than the original message?

Yes, Gmail adds a bit of extra context inside the messages that you forward in Gmail, which enlarges the size of the messages. Although the message content remains as is, only the metadata is what changes.