Comparison

PhoneLeash vs SMS Forwarder

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PhoneLeash

Automatically forward incoming text messages from your iPhone to your email. Access texts from anywhere, receive alerts at work, or keep an archive of conversations. Your messages are encrypted and never sold.

Highlights
  • Automatic SMS forwarding to email
  • Access texts remotely
  • Receive alerts at work
  • International text access
  • Email archive of conversations
  • Encrypted message transit
Read full description

PhoneLeash automatically forwards texts that arrive on your iPhone to the email address of your choice—perfect for when your phone is in another room, or another country! See your texts in your email inbox, whether at work or just away from your iPhone. OTP-ONLY FORWARDING (NEW) Want just your verification codes? PhoneLeash can forward ONLY your one-time passcodes (OTP / 2FA codes) and skip all your regular texts. Perfect for keeping your login codes flowing to a second phone, a work device, or your email while you travel—without forwarding personal messages. Most SMS forwarders can't do this. Available as affordable OTP-only plans. SETUP (follow the step-by-step instructions in the app) 1. Install PhoneLeash 2. Enter your destination email 3. Install the packaged Shortcut (no need for any config, just Save and done!) 4. Create the Automation: "When I get a message containing [your keyword]" → run the PhoneLeash Shortcut. 5. Send yourself a test message, "Allow" the Shortcut. Done! WHAT YOU CAN DO • Access your texts when your phone is across the room • Get delivery, shipping, and appointment alerts at your work inbox • Get your texts while traveling internationally • Forward ONLY your 2FA / verification codes with OTP-only mode • Build an email archive of important conversations PRIVACY • Messages only transit through PhoneLeash's secure servers, while staying encrypted the whole way. They are not stored once processed. • PhoneLeash asks for Contacts permission to label your texts with both name and number. But this is optional, you can safely decline it without affecting functionality. • Your data is never sold, there are no ads. LIMITATIONS PhoneLeash is based on iOS Shortcuts and Automation, and that limits the feature set. Here are a few key limitations. • Attachments (photos, videos, audio) are not forwarded — only message text. • For group messages, the list of participants is not forwarded. Only the sender of the message and its content. • In high-traffic situations Shortcuts may not fire reliably, and some messages could be lost --- Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

SMS Forwarder

Features
Read full description

Never miss a text again! SMS Forwarder automatically forwards every SMS you receive to email, Telegram, WhatsApp, your favorite messaging platform - or straight to your own API. No manual copying, no missed messages. Built on Apple Shortcuts, SMS Forwarder runs as a native iOS automation. The moment an SMS arrives on your iPhone, the shortcut triggers, applies your forwarding rules, and routes the message to your chosen destination. Once it's configured, it runs hands-free! FORWARD YOUR SMS TO: Email - receive every text directly in your inbox, automatically Telegram - route messages to yourself or a group via a dedicated Telegram bot LINE - receive your SMS on LINE via the SMS Forwarder official account WhatsApp - forward texts to a WhatsApp contact or number of your choice Slack - pipe incoming SMS into any Slack channel, instantly Discord - deliver texts straight to a Discord channel Microsoft Teams - send incoming SMS to a Microsoft Teams channel via webhook Google Chat - NEW! Forward texts to a Google Chat space Zapier, Make & IFTTT - trigger your automations with every SMS Custom API - Send every incoming SMS as a JSON POST to any HTTPS endpoint you control - your server, your automations, your rules KEY FEATURES: Custom API destination - each text is delivered to your endpoint as a clean JSON POST, ready to parse and automate Forwarding rules - create rules that map specific senders or keywords to specific destinations AES-256 encryption - every text is encrypted on your iPhone before it's forwarded, and never stored Built-in test message flow - verify your setup works before relying on it Quick Setup - NEW! On iOS 27, add the ready-made forwarding shortcut in a few taps, then switch its automation on In-app Shortcuts onboarding - a step-by-step walkthrough gets you configured in under 5 minutes Native Apple approach - works entirely through Apple Shortcuts, using iOS the way it was designed Keyword filtering - Add filtering keywords to only forward messages that are necessary HOW IT WORKS: Install SMS Forwarder and open the app Follow the in-app guide to set up an Apple Shortcuts automation on your iPhone Add a forwarding rule - choose your destination (email, Telegram, LINE, WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Zapier, Make, IFTTT or your own API) and set any filters Send a test SMS to confirm everything is working Most users are fully set up in under 5 minutes. PERFECT FOR: Travelers, expats and dual-SIM users - land abroad, switch to a travel eSIM, and still see every text sent to your main number: OTPs, bank alerts and delivery updates follow you on any device, in any country Developers and technical teams - point the Custom API destination at your own REST endpoint and every SMS arrives as structured JSON - trigger pipelines, log messages, feed bots, or integrate with internal tools Business owners and solopreneurs - receive client texts in Slack, Teams or email so nothing slips through while you're heads-down Anyone managing OTPs and 2FA codes - auto forward verification codes to email or Telegram so they're always within reach Frequent SMS forwarders - stop copy-pasting texts manually; let the automation handle it every time SMS backup - Backup and save all your important SMS messages in your email or desired destination PRIVACY: SMS Forwarder uses Apple Shortcuts to access your incoming SMS details so you have full control over which messages get forwarded. Every message is encrypted with AES-256 on your iPhone before it's sent, then delivered to the destinations you chose. We never store your message content or the sender's number - only a masked preview and the delivery status, so you can see your forwarding history. No account is needed. Terms of Service: https://hoholapps.com/apps/sms-forwarder/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://hoholapps.com/apps/sms-forwarder/privacy/ EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

PhoneLeash4 screens
SMS Forwarder4 screens

Verdict

The call

PhoneLeash and SMS Forwarder are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PhoneLeash sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and SMS Forwarder sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PhoneLeash ships an update every 6 days, SMS Forwarder every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
PhoneLeash versus SMS Forwarder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhoneLeashSMS Forwarder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGEARANDROID LLCMehmed Ihsan Kahramanoglu

In-app purchases

7 purchases

PhoneLeash

Subscriptions7
  • Personal OTP — Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Commercial OTP — Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Personal - Monthly$8.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Commercial Monthly$25.991 Month
  • Personal Semi-Annual$38.996 Months
  • Personal Annual$69.991 Year
  • Commercial — Semi-Annual$116.996 Months
4 purchases

SMS Forwarder

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Yearly$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$149.99

Questions

Is PhoneLeash free?
PhoneLeash is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SMS Forwarder free?
SMS Forwarder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PhoneLeash or SMS Forwarder have ads?
Neither PhoneLeash nor SMS Forwarder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PhoneLeash or SMS Forwarder?
PhoneLeash ships an update every 6 days, and SMS Forwarder every 5 days. Most recently, PhoneLeash was updated on October 31, 2026 and SMS Forwarder on October 31, 2026.

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