Automatic forwarding sends every incoming email to another address automatically

Gmail's forwarding feature copies every message you receive to a second email address of your choice. Once you turn it on, new messages arrive at both your Gmail inbox and the forwarding address at the same time. You can keep a copy in Gmail, delete it after forwarding, or archive it — the choice is yours. The setup takes about two minutes and works for all incoming mail unless you create filters to exclude certain senders.

Forwarding is useful when you're transitioning between email addresses, want to monitor messages in a different inbox, or need a backup copy of important mail. It does not forward messages you've already received before turning the feature on — only new arrivals from that point forward.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Gmail settings, go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab, and enter the email address where you want messages sent.
  • Gmail sends a confirmation email to the forwarding address — you must click the link in that email to set up forwarding.
  • You can choose to keep forwarded messages in your Gmail inbox, automatically delete them, or archive them.
  • Forwarding works for all new messages unless you create filters to exclude specific senders or labels.
  • You can turn forwarding off at any time by returning to settings and selecting "Disable forwarding."

Step-by-step: Turning on forwarding in Gmail

Start by opening Gmail in your web browser and clicking the gear icon in the top right corner. Select "See all settings" from the dropdown menu. Click the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab — it's the second tab at the top of the settings page.

In the Forwarding section, click "Add a forwarding address." A box will appear asking for the email address where you want messages sent. Type the address carefully — Gmail will not correct typos. Click "Next" and then "Proceed" on the confirmation screen. Gmail will send a verification email to that address within a few minutes.

Open the forwarding address's inbox and find the email from Gmail (it usually comes from noreply@accounts.google.com). Click the confirmation link inside that email. Once you confirm, return to your Gmail settings. The forwarding address will now show as "Verified" and you can set up it.

In the Forwarding section, select the verified address from the dropdown menu. Below that, choose what happens to the original message in your Gmail inbox: "Keep Gmail's copy in the Inbox," "Archive Gmail's copy," or "Delete Gmail's copy." Click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the page. Forwarding is now active.

What to do if the confirmation email doesn't arrive

Check your spam or junk folder first — confirmation emails sometimes get filtered there by mistake. If it's not there, wait five minutes and check again, as Gmail can be slow to send the verification message. If you still don't see it after ten minutes, return to Gmail settings, click "Add a forwarding address" again, and re-enter the email address to request a new confirmation email.

If the forwarding address is a work email or uses a mail server with strict security settings, it may block Gmail's confirmation email. Contact your email provider or IT department to ask if they're blocking messages from noreply@accounts.google.com. You may need to whitelist that sender before the confirmation email will arrive.

Using filters to forward only certain emails

Gmail's forwarding feature sends every message by default, but you can use filters to forward only specific senders or exclude certain ones. Open Gmail settings and click the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. Click "Create a new filter" at the bottom.

In the filter box, enter the sender's email address in the "From" field if you want to forward only their messages, or use the "To" field if you want to forward messages sent to a specific address. You can also filter by subject line or keywords. Click "Create filter" when you're done entering your criteria.

In the next screen, check the box next to "Forward it to" and select your forwarding address from the dropdown. You can combine this with other actions — for example, you could forward a message and archive it at the same time. Click "Create filter" to save. Now only messages matching your criteria will be forwarded.

Turning off forwarding and managing multiple forwarding addresses

To stop forwarding, open Gmail settings and go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab. In the Forwarding section, select "Disable forwarding" from the dropdown menu. Click "Save Changes." Forwarding stops when ready, but messages already sent to the forwarding address will still arrive there.

Gmail allows you to set up only one active forwarding address at a time, but you can add multiple addresses and switch between them. To add a second address, click "Add a forwarding address" and follow the verification process again. When you're ready to use it, select it from the dropdown and save. The previous forwarding address will automatically turn off.

If you want to forward to multiple addresses simultaneously, you'll need to use a filter-based approach instead. Create a filter for each forwarding address with different criteria — for example, forward work emails to one address and personal emails to another. This gives you more control over where different types of messages go.

Security and privacy considerations

Forwarding sends your emails to another address, so make sure you trust the forwarding destination. If you forward to a work email, your personal messages will be stored on your employer's servers. If you forward to a less find email service, your messages may be at higher risk. Only forward to addresses you control or fully trust.

If your Gmail account is compromised, an attacker could set up forwarding to steal your incoming mail. Check your forwarding settings regularly to make sure no unauthorized addresses are listed. If you see a forwarding address you didn't create, remove it when ready and change your Gmail password.

Forwarding does not encrypt messages in transit — they travel the same way as normal email. If you need to forward sensitive information, consider using Gmail's confidential mode instead, which lets you set expiration dates and prevent recipients from forwarding or downloading messages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I forward emails to multiple addresses at once?

Gmail's forwarding feature only supports one active address at a time. To forward to multiple addresses, use filters with different criteria for each destination. For example, create one filter to forward emails from your boss to address A and another filter to forward emails from your team to address B.

Will forwarding work if I'm using Gmail on my phone?

Forwarding is a server-side setting, so it works regardless of which device you use to access Gmail. Once you turn it on through the web settings, it applies to all your Gmail access — phone, tablet, or computer. You don't need to set it up separately on mobile.

What happens to forwarded emails if the forwarding address is full or inactive?

If the forwarding address's mailbox is full or the account is deleted, Gmail will stop forwarding and send you a notification. The original message will stay in your Gmail inbox. Fix the problem with the forwarding address and Gmail will resume forwarding new messages automatically.

Can I forward emails that arrived before I turned on forwarding?

No, forwarding only works for new messages received after you set up it. If you need to forward older emails, you'll have to do it manually. Select the messages you want, click the forward arrow, and send them to the address you want.

Does forwarding count against my Gmail storage limit?

No, forwarding doesn't use extra storage. If you choose to keep a copy in your Gmail inbox, that copy takes up space. If you choose to delete or archive the copy, it doesn't. The forwarded message at the destination address uses storage on that email service, not on Gmail.