One-time passwords (OTPs) and verification codes are a constant friction point when you work across multiple devices. Your code arrives on your iPhone, but you’re at your laptop — and you have 30 seconds before it expires.

This guide shows how to automatically forward OTP messages from your iPhone to wherever you’re working, using Fwrdly on iOS 16+.

Why OTP Forwarding Is Painful Without Automation

Here’s the typical OTP scenario:

  1. You’re working on your MacBook
  2. A site asks for a verification code via SMS
  3. You pick up your iPhone, unlock it, navigate to Messages
  4. Type the 6-digit code manually before it expires
  5. Repeat dozens of times a day

If you’re dealing with multiple accounts, multiple devices, or international numbers, this gets old fast.

The Solution: Automatic OTP Forwarding with Fwrdly

Fwrdly can detect OTP messages and forward them instantly to your Telegram, email, or any other destination — before you even reach for your phone.

Step 1: Install Fwrdly

Download Fwrdly from the App Store. It runs on iOS 16+ with no jailbreak required.

Step 2: Add Your Preferred Destination

For OTP forwarding, the best destinations are:

  • Telegram — instant push notification on all your devices (Mac, iPad, Android, desktop)
  • Email — creates a searchable archive of all codes
  • Slack — useful if you work in Slack all day

Set up your destination following the relevant guide (Telegram, Email, Slack).

Step 3: Set Up an OTP Keyword Filter

This is the key step. Instead of forwarding all SMS, configure a keyword filter to only forward messages that contain OTP-related words:

  1. In Fwrdly, go to your destination’s settings
  2. Enable Keyword filtering
  3. Add these keywords:
    • code
    • verification
    • verify
    • OTP
    • one-time
    • password
    • pin
    • authenticate

Now Fwrdly will only forward messages matching these keywords — keeping your personal conversations private while still capturing all the codes.

What You Get

When a verification code arrives, Fwrdly forwards it to your Telegram (or chosen destination) in under 3 seconds. On Telegram desktop, it appears as a notification — you can copy the code without touching your iPhone.

Before Fwrdly:

Pick up phone → unlock → open Messages → read code → type on laptop

After Fwrdly:

Glance at Telegram notification → copy code

Use Cases for OTP Forwarding

Developer with multiple test accounts Managing 10+ accounts across different services means constant OTP lookups. Forward them all to a dedicated Telegram chat and never leave your editor.

Remote worker on VPN Many corporate VPNs use SMS MFA. Forward those codes to Slack so you can authenticate from your work laptop without disrupting your flow.

International SIM card If your primary number is from another country, receiving texts while abroad on a local SIM is a pain. Forward OTPs to Telegram and access them globally.

Shared team account authentication When a team shares login to a service that uses SMS MFA, forward the codes to a private Slack channel so anyone who needs to authenticate can grab the code.

Security Considerations

OTP codes are sensitive. Here’s how to keep forwarding secure:

Use private Telegram chats, not groups — Forward to your personal Telegram DM, not a group where others could see codes.

Use keyword filtering — Only forward messages that look like OTPs, not everything.

Delete codes after use — In Telegram, you can set messages to auto-delete after a short period.

Secure your Telegram account — Enable two-step verification in Telegram settings.

Fwrdly’s on-device processing — Fwrdly never sends your messages to external servers. Forwarding goes directly from your iPhone to Telegram’s API.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast does OTP forwarding happen? Typically under 3 seconds from when your iPhone receives the SMS to when it appears in Telegram. The main variable is your iPhone’s internet connection quality.

Will this work if my iPhone screen is locked? Yes. iOS notification extensions (which Fwrdly uses) can process incoming notifications while the screen is locked, as long as the device is on and has an internet connection.

What if the OTP arrives when I have no data connection? If your iPhone doesn’t have a data connection at the moment the SMS arrives, Fwrdly will attempt to forward it when connectivity is restored. For time-sensitive OTPs with short expiry windows, a data connection is necessary.

Does Apple’s built-in SMS code detection conflict with Fwrdly? No. iOS’s AutoFill for SMS codes (the feature that suggests codes in the keyboard) operates independently. Fwrdly and AutoFill can both work simultaneously.

Can I filter by sender to only forward codes from specific services? Yes. In addition to keyword filtering, you can filter by sender number. For example, forward only messages from GOOGLE or +18005551234 to forward only Google verification codes.

What if I want to stop forwarding OTPs? Toggle forwarding OFF in Fwrdly at any time, or delete the destination. Forwarding stops immediately.