Comparison

Forwardit or SMS Forwarder? The privacy trade-off

SMS Forwarder by frzinapps is one of the most-installed apps in this category. The trade-off is that its Google Play Data Safety listing references ad networks, Google sign-in, and data transport concerns. Forwardit focuses on the core forwarding job with no Forwardit server, no ads, no account, and no data collection.

Get Forwardit — it's free

Direct comparison

Forwardit vs SMS Forwarder

SMS Forwarder

Server in the message path

None — matched & forwarded on your device

Push relay + cloud

Data collected

Nothing

Ad ID, approx. location, email, device IDs

Ads

None, ever

Yes — AdMob, AppLovin, Pangle, Unity Ads

Secure transfer

Your own SMTP over TLS

“Data isn't transferred over a secure connection”

Account / sign-in

None

Google sign-in

Trackers

Zero

Firebase + ad SDKs

Destinations

Email + phone (Telegram on the roadmap)

Email, phone, Telegram, webhook, push

Price

Free tier + fair Premium, no ads

Free with ads + in-app purchases

Languages

8, incl. Arabic right-to-left

English-first

Security lock

Biometric/PIN on every rule change

—

“Your data isn't transferred over a secure connection.”

— SMS Forwarder — Google Play Data Safety, 2026

Why users choose Forwardit

No server, less exposure

Messages are matched and forwarded on your phone. Forwardit never receives them, so it cannot store or share them.

No ads, no Google sign-in

Forwardit does not require an account and does not show ads inside the app.

Sensitive codes stay masked

Verification codes are masked in the on-device log and appear only when you choose to reveal them.

The verdict

If you like SMS Forwarder’s basic convenience but want to avoid ads, Google sign-in, and a Forwardit server in the message path, Forwardit is the private on-device alternative. SMS Forwarder still offers destinations such as Telegram and webhooks; those remain on Forwardit’s roadmap where Google Play policy permits.

Get Forwardit — it's free

FAQ

Is Forwardit a free alternative to SMS Forwarder?+

Yes. Forwardit is free to download with a working free tier (one active filter to one destination). Premium unlocks unlimited filters and destinations — with no ads either way.

Does Forwardit forward SMS to Telegram like SMS Forwarder?+

Not yet. Telegram forwarding via your own bot is planned. Today Forwardit forwards to your email (using your own SMTP) and to another phone, fully on-device.

Is Forwardit more private than SMS Forwarder?+

It is architectural: Forwardit has no server, so there is nothing to collect or share. SMS Forwarder's own Google Play Data Safety listing discloses data collection and states that data isn't sent over a secure connection.