- Forwarding a message on Messenger from your phone
- Forwarding a Messenger message from a computer
- What you can pass on with Messenger forwarding
- The Messenger forwarding limit and what it means for you
- What happens to a forwarded Messenger message afterwards
- Forwarding a message on Messenger versus replying or sharing
- If you can't forward a message on Messenger
- Forwarding on Messenger for small business owners and creators
- Quick answers on forwarding messages on Messenger
- Frequently asked questions
To forward a message on Messenger, open the chat, tap and hold the message, tap More, tap Forward, then tap Send next to the person or group chat. On a computer, hover over the message, click Options, then Forward. Messenger also limits how many chats you can forward one message to at once.
Got a venue address, a supplier's reply or a voice note that somebody else needs to see? Passing it on without retyping saves a surprising amount of time, and it's something I do constantly when I'm moving a detail between chats. According to Messenger's help pages it works for messages, images, videos and recordings, and it takes three taps on your phone. Here are the steps for each device, plus the bits people trip over.
Forwarding a message on Messenger from your phone
Messenger's help centre gives the same steps for Android and iPhone.
- Open the conversation that holds the message.
- Tap and hold the message or media you want to forward.
- Tap More, then tap Forward.
- Next to the person or group chat you want to send it to, tap Send.
Menus vary by app version, so if your phone shows slightly different wording, start with the tap-and-hold and look for More. You can repeat the last step for other chats from the same list.
Forwarding a Messenger message from a computer
On a computer the help pages point you to messenger.com. The steps are a little different because you hover instead of tapping.
- Open messenger.com and go into the conversation.
- Hover over the message or media you want to forward, then click Options.
- Click Forward.
- Next to the person or group chat you want, click Send.
Messenger's update page says the old desktop app for Mac and Windows is no longer available, and that facebook.com/messages in a browser is the way to use Messenger on a computer. If your screen looks different from the steps above, that is usually the reason.
What you can pass on with Messenger forwarding
The help page lists messages, images, videos and recordings. That covers most of what a small business needs: an enquiry that a colleague should see, a customer's photo for the person packing orders, or a voice note that needs a second pair of ears.
| What you want to pass on | Forward it? |
|---|---|
| A text message | Yes, listed on Messenger's help page |
| A photo or image | Yes, listed |
| A video | Yes, listed |
| A voice recording | Yes, listed |
The Messenger forwarding limit and what it means for you
Messenger's help pages carry a note that there are limits on how many chats you can forward the same message to at once. They don't give a number, so I won't guess one. If you're trying to pass an announcement to lots of people, expect to hit that ceiling. For a message that should reach a whole team, a group chat is the better tool, and I've covered the basics of running a poll in a group chat if you need an answer from everyone.
What happens to a forwarded Messenger message afterwards
Forwarding sends a copy into the other chat. Messenger's help centre adds a useful detail about deletion: if you delete forwarded content, such as a Facebook post you shared into a chat, only the forwarded message in the chat is deleted, not the original post. So removing it from the conversation doesn't take anything off Facebook.
Think before you forward anything private. Once a message is in another chat, the people there can read it, and you can't control what they do next. If it's something a customer told you in confidence, ask first.
Forwarding a message on Messenger versus replying or sharing
These get mixed up, so here is the difference as I read the help pages. Forwarding moves a message you already have into a different chat. Replying keeps the conversation in the same chat and points at the message you're answering. Sharing a Facebook post into Messenger sends the post itself. If you want a record of who said what to the original person, reply. If you want somebody else to see it, forward.
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If you can't forward a message on Messenger
- Check you're holding the message long enough on your phone. A quick tap won't bring up the menu.
- Look for More. On some versions the Forward option sits behind it.
- Update the app, because older versions can show different menus. My guide to updating Messenger on iPhone, Android and computer has the steps.
- On a computer, hover over the message first. The Options button only appears when you do.
- If a chat you're forwarding into won't accept the message, the help pages have a separate article on being unable to send messages on Messenger.
Forwarding on Messenger for small business owners and creators
A few habits make forwarding more useful at work. Keep one chat for yourself or a trusted colleague as a scratchpad, and forward things there that you want to find later. Pair it with archiving chats on Messenger to keep your inbox tidy once a job is finished. And if you handle customer enquiries, forward the message and add a line of your own so the person receiving it knows what you need from them.
One more practical point. Always check the right chat is selected before you tap Send. It's easy to forward a supplier's message to a client by accident, and you can't take back a message someone has already read.
Quick answers on forwarding messages on Messenger
To recap in a sentence each: on a phone, tap and hold, choose More, then Forward, then Send. On a computer, hover, click Options, click Forward, then Send. Messages, images, videos and recordings can all be forwarded, and Messenger limits how many chats you can send the same message to at once.
For the rest of the series, see the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I forward a message on Messenger?
On your phone, open the chat, tap and hold the message, tap More, then Forward, and tap Send next to the person or group chat. On a computer, hover over the message, click Options, click Forward and then Send.
Can I forward photos and videos on Messenger?
Yes. Messenger's help pages say you can forward messages, images, videos or recordings from a conversation to another person or a group chat.
Is there a limit to forwarding on Messenger?
Yes. The help pages say there are limits for how many chats you can forward the same message to at once, but they don't state the number.
If I delete a forwarded post, does the original go too?
No. Messenger's help centre says only the forwarded message in the chat is deleted, not the original content.
Can I forward a message to a group chat?
Yes. The forward screen lists people and group chats, and you tap Send next to the one you want.
