How To Auto-forward Text Messages From An IPhone

Q. I’m a physician hoping to take my family to Europe this summer for a three-week vacation. I need to stay in contact with my patients. I use an iPhone with AT&T service and can just get the AT&T International Service plan, but want to call-forward all my calls and all text messages to an unlocked U.S. phone with a T-Mobile SIM card while in Europe (better service where I am going than AT&T).

Auto-forwarding phone calls is no problem, but how do I auto-forward text messages?

— George Kuritza, Chicago

A. Android users can install an app — AutoForwardSMS, from the Google Play Store — to do just that.

Most Read Business Stories

• Costco loses $400,000 worth of lobster as cargo theft rises
• Washington historic floods uncover critical gap in renter protection
• Gas prices remain below $3 nationally, $4 in WA
• Los Angeles ends strange rite of passage with new fridge law
• An Intense White House Response From a Single Viral Video

Judging from the chatter on the web, however, iPhone users have been encountering mixed results trying to accomplish text forwarding. The best results seem to be through using a Mac computer running OS X Yosemite to configure your iCloud account to deliver all messages to your selected device running iOS 8 or later. You will, however, need to have all the devices available and connected to your Apple ID.

To do the setup, you need to be logged into the same Apple ID on the computer and the phone. On the computer, open Messages, then go to Preferences/Account. Choose your iCloud account and make sure that “Enable this account” is selected. Next, make sure your phone number is checked underneath “You can be reached for messages at.”

On the iPhone, go to Settings/Messages and select Text Message Forwarding. A list of devices connected to your Apple ID will be displayed. Select all the ones you want text messages forwarded to. You’ll then receive a six-digit code, which you’ll be instructed to enter on your computer. After that, any text message sent to your stateside iPhone should be forwarded to your traveling phone.

Q. I am so so tired of clicking on a story or article that is titled “50 great ways …”and then have to click through 50 pages of the article to see them all. Is there a plugin or some other way to get them all on one page? It is so frustrating.

— Jon Dow

A. I do understand and share your frustration. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of a way around the click-thrus … except to leave the site. Just like department stores, which don’t let you reach an escalator without running you halfway around all the displays on the floor, the websites that use that gimmick are trying to expose visitors to as much merchandise as they can. For websites, of course, the “merchandise” is usually ads. The only effective way to vote against this that I’m aware of is with your feet.

Q. I used to get those annoying calls about my Windows needing attention. I do not get them anymore. What I did for about three calls was engage the caller in a conversation about how I just had my windows cleaned and they are fine. The caller would try to explain he was talking about computer windows but I just ignored that and kept on telling him how nice and clean my windows are and I could see out quite well. I would tell him I get my windows professionally cleaned twice a year both inside and out. After about five minutes or so the caller would get frustrated and hang up. I did this at least three times and now have not had a call in over a year.

— Cliff Houlihan

A. Humor is, I suspect, the best strategy. And you brought a smile into my day. Thanks.