Before you leave home, set up SMS forwarding on the iPhone that holds your home SIM (or eSIM) — forwarding to email, Telegram, or WhatsApp. Leave that phone powered on with internet access. On your travel iPhone with a local SIM, check the destination (email/Telegram/WhatsApp) to receive SMS from your home number. Setup takes 3 minutes. Works globally.
You're in Tokyo with a cheap local SIM. Your bank in New York texts a verification code you need to check your account. Your delivery service texts to confirm a package. Your parents text asking about your flight. All of these SMS go to your home number — and none of them reach you.
This is one of the most common iPhone travel headaches. SMS is tied to the SIM, not the phone. Change SIMs and you lose access to any SMS sent to your home number.
Fortunately, there are three good ways to fix this. Pick whichever fits your setup.
Method 1: Dual SIM with your home line + local eSIM
Keep both lines active on the same iPhone
Modern iPhones (XS and later) support dual SIM — one physical SIM plus one or more eSIMs. Keep your home SIM active in one slot, add a local prepaid eSIM in the other, and disable roaming/data on your home line to avoid carrier charges.
Your home line still receives SMS. Re:Text forwards them to email/Telegram/WhatsApp, which you can check over the local data line.
✓ Pros
- Only one iPhone to carry
- Home SMS arrives instantly
- Local data cheap and fast
- Home line stays online for calls
✗ Cons
- Requires eSIM-capable iPhone
- Some carriers block eSIM add
- Must configure carefully to avoid roaming charges
Method 2: Leave your home iPhone at home, use a spare abroad
Home iPhone stays put and forwards SMS
Leave your primary iPhone (with your home SIM) at home, plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi. Take a spare/older iPhone with you and put a local SIM in it. Set up SMS forwarding on the home iPhone before you leave.
The home phone acts as your permanent SMS forwarder — every SMS to your home number is forwarded to email/Telegram/WhatsApp, and you check them on your travel phone using its local data connection.
✓ Pros
- Home iPhone stays safe at home
- No dual SIM configuration needed
- Cheap local SIM on second phone
- Best for month-long trips
✗ Cons
- Requires a second iPhone
- Must trust home Wi-Fi to stay up
- Someone at home should watch the phone
Method 3: Roaming with SMS forwarding as a backup
Roam normally but forward important SMS to email
For short trips where you don't want to swap SIMs, keep your home SIM active and use international roaming. Enable SMS forwarding as a backup, so critical codes end up in email as well — accessible even if SMS delivery is delayed on the roaming network.
✓ Pros
- No setup change abroad
- Same phone number for calls
- Backup access via email
✗ Cons
- Expensive roaming charges
- SMS delivery can be slow abroad
- Overkill for month-long trips
Recommended setup: pre-trip checklist
Before you leave home
- Install Re:Text SMS Forwarder on the iPhone with your home SIM.
- Set up your primary destination — email works best for travel (accessible from anywhere).
- Add a secondary destination (Telegram or WhatsApp) as a backup — good for real-time notifications.
- Enable filters for verification codes to avoid inbox noise.
- Test forwarding by sending yourself an SMS — confirm it arrives at the destination.
- If using Method 2, leave the phone plugged in with Wi-Fi Auto-Reconnect enabled.
- Enable Low Power Mode as a fallback if leaving the phone unattended.
- Turn off automatic iOS updates while abroad (in case an update reboots the phone).
Best destinations for travel forwarding
Email — best all-around choice
Accessible from any device, any browser, anywhere in the world. Searchable, archived, and doesn't require anything to be installed abroad. Set up a dedicated Gmail address for forwarding to keep verification codes separate from your regular inbox.
Telegram — best for real-time notifications
Multi-device sync means you can check from your travel iPhone, laptop, or borrowed devices. Instant push notifications. See our 30-second Telegram setup guide.
WhatsApp — good if you already use it globally
Same as Telegram — multi-device, real-time. Since WhatsApp is more commonly used abroad, may be simpler if it's already installed on all your devices.
What to filter and what to skip
Set up filters to avoid unnecessary forwarding volume while abroad:
- Do forward: verification codes (
code,OTP,verify), bank alerts, delivery notifications, appointments - Skip: marketing SMS (blacklist keywords like
sale,discount,unsubscribe), spam - Consider skipping: personal texts from friends (they can reach you on iMessage or WhatsApp anyway)
Troubleshooting on the road
Forwarded SMS suddenly stopped arriving
Your home iPhone likely lost power, Wi-Fi, or cellular signal. If you're at home in Method 1 (dual SIM), check your home line's signal. For Method 2, contact whoever is watching the phone at home.
Getting duplicated SMS at destinations
You may have set up multiple destinations forwarding the same SMS. This is intentional (redundancy is good abroad) — but if it's too noisy, disable one destination in Re:Text.
Bank codes aren't arriving in time to use
Some banks refuse to send verification codes to non-carrier destinations. Contact your bank and add an alternative verification method (authenticator app is best) as a backup before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Can I receive SMS from my home number while using a foreign SIM?+
Yes. With SMS forwarding set up before you travel, your home SIM (in a phone left at home or an eSIM on your current device) forwards SMS to email, Telegram, or another destination you can check from anywhere with internet.
Do I need to leave my iPhone at home?+
Not necessarily. If you use dual SIM (physical + eSIM), you can keep your home number active on one line and a local travel SIM on the other. Re:Text forwards from whichever line receives SMS.
Will forwarding work if my iPhone is off?+
No. Your iPhone must be powered on with internet access to forward incoming SMS. Keep the phone charged and connected to Wi-Fi or data.
Does forwarding SMS use my home SIM's data allowance?+
Forwarding uses your iPhone's internet connection to send outbound messages. If your iPhone is on Wi-Fi, no cellular data is used. If it's on cellular, it uses a very small amount of data per SMS forwarded.
What about MMS/picture messages?+
SMS forwarding covers text content only. MMS and multimedia messages are not supported due to iOS Shortcuts limitations.
Can I set this up while I'm already abroad?+
Yes if you still have access to your home iPhone somehow — via remote desktop, a family member, or if you're using dual SIM. But it's much easier to set up before you leave.
Set up SMS forwarding before your next trip.
Free forever with 1 destination. 3-minute setup.
Download on the App Store