To forward a single email in Gmail, open the message and click Forward — the arrow icon at the top-right of the email, or the Forward button below it — then add a recipient and send. To forward all incoming mail automatically, go to Settings (the gear) > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP, click “Add a forwarding address,” enter the address, and complete the verification-code step Gmail emails to that account. The two methods cover every case: a one-off hand-off and a hands-off redirect.

Forward a single email

This is the everyday case — passing one message to someone else.

  1. Open the email you want to forward.
  2. Click Forward. On desktop it’s the arrow at the far right of the message header; you’ll also find a Forward button beneath the last message in a thread.
  3. Type the recipient’s address in the To field. Add a note above the forwarded content if you like.
  4. Click Send.

To forward an entire conversation at once, open the thread, click the three-dot More menu at the top, and choose Forward all — Gmail bundles every message into one email.

Set up automatic forwarding for all mail

Use this when you’re changing addresses or want a second inbox to receive everything.

  1. Click the gear icon at the top-right, then See all settings.
  2. Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
  3. Click Add a forwarding address, enter the destination address, and click Next, then Proceed.
  4. Gmail sends a verification code to that address. Open the destination inbox, find the confirmation email, and either click its link or copy the code back into the Forwarding tab and click Verify.
  5. Back in Forwarding and POP/IMAP, select Forward a copy of incoming mail to and pick your verified address.
  6. Choose what happens to Gmail’s copy — keep Gmail’s copy in the Inbox is the safest default — then scroll down and click Save Changes.

That verification step is not optional: forwarding stays off until the code is confirmed, which is Gmail’s safeguard against mail being redirected without the destination’s consent.

Forward only some emails with a filter

If you want just receipts, or mail from one sender, going elsewhere, a filter is the tool:

  1. In the Gmail search bar, click the filter/adjust icon (sliders) on the right.
  2. Set your conditions — for example, a sender in the From field or a word in Has the words.
  3. Click Create filter.
  4. Tick Forward it to and choose a verified forwarding address (add one first in the Forwarding tab if the menu is empty).
  5. Click Create filter to save.

From then on, only messages that match are forwarded, while everything else stays put.

Forwarding from your phone

The mobile app handles single messages but not automatic rules:

  • Single email: open it, tap the Forward arrow (or the three-dot menu > Forward), add a recipient, and send.
  • Automatic forwarding and filters: these live only in the desktop web version at mail.google.com. Open a browser — even on a phone, request the desktop site — to reach Settings.

Forwarding vs. other ways to redirect mail

Forwarding isn’t the only tool, and choosing the right one avoids headaches:

  • Forwarding sends copies of incoming mail to another address in real time — best when you want to read everything in one inbox.
  • Import (POP) pulls existing messages from another account into Gmail once — best when you’re consolidating old history, not just new mail.
  • Send mail as lets you write from another address inside Gmail — pair it with forwarding to run a second address entirely from one inbox.

These sit in the same area of Settings: Forwarding and POP/IMAP for the first two, and Accounts and Import for “Send mail as.”

If forwarding isn’t working

The usual culprits are quick to check: the destination address was never verified (look in its inbox, including spam, for the confirmation email), forwarding is set to “Disable forwarding,” or a work or school administrator has blocked it. Remember too that only new mail is forwarded and spam is skipped — so a quiet forwarding address is often working exactly as intended.

Turn forwarding off later

To stop an automatic redirect, return to Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP and select Disable forwarding, then Save Changes. To remove the address entirely, use the drop-down beside it and choose Remove address. If you set up filters, open Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses and delete any that forward.

Things worth knowing

  • Auto-forwarding applies to new incoming mail only, not messages already in your inbox.
  • Spam is not forwarded, which is usually what you want.
  • Work or school accounts on Google Workspace may have forwarding disabled by an administrator; if the option is greyed out, that’s why.

Cleaning up where your mail goes pairs naturally with tidying your devices — see our guides on turning off read receipts and sharing your Wi-Fi password for two more quick wins.