Hiding the forwarded tag on messages you forward in FMWhatsApp

FMWhatsApp is one of the longer-running unofficial forks of the official WhatsApp client, and its privacy tweaks are a big part of why users in Brisbane, Perth, and regional towns keep downloading it. Among the small but useful settings is the option to strip the "Forwarded" label from messages you re-send to friends, family, or work chats. Knowing how that toggle works saves a lot of fumbling through menus.

This walkthrough focuses purely on the forwarded-message label and the settings around it. It also touches on the kinds of features FMWhatsApp users typically pair with that option, so the rest of your privacy setup stays consistent across the chats you actually use.

What the forwarded label actually does

When someone taps "Forward" on a message inside WhatsApp, the app stamps a small "Forwarded" tag above the bubble. The purpose is straightforward: it gives the reader a heads-up that the content originated somewhere else, which helps them judge whether to trust it.

In FMWhatsApp, that behaviour is mirrored by default because the mod is built on the same base code. The difference is that FMWhatsApp exposes deeper settings menus than the stock client, so the forwarded label is something you can disable rather than simply live with. For Aussies juggling group chats about weekend plans or tradie job sites, cleaning up forwarded chains is a real convenience.

Why people want to remove it

A handful of reasons push users toward the toggle. Some find the tag visually cluttery, especially when forwarding a screenshot into a busy group chat about Sunday arvo plans at the local park. Others run business chats and would rather customers not see the "Forwarded" hint, since it can make a price list or update look like secondhand info.

There's also a privacy angle. If you forward a message and the original sender's context gets stripped, the recipient may misread it. Hiding the forwarded label makes the message look native, which some users prefer because it removes an extra cue about how the message travelled.

Finding the right menu in FMWhatsApp

The toggle sits under the privacy section of FMWhatsApp's settings. Open the app, tap the three-dot menu in the top right, then go to FMMods or Privacy and Security, depending on your build. Scroll until you see the entry labelled "Hide Forwarded Tag" or something similar.

Flick the switch and back out. The change applies immediately, so the next message you forward will arrive in the recipient's chat without the small banner above it. Reversing it is a one-tap return to default. No need to clear cache, reinstall, or restart your handset — handy if you're mid-conversation on a Telstra or Optus connection that's patchy out in the bush.

Where to grab a clean copy of the APK

Because FMWhatsApp isn't on the Play Store, you'll be sideloading it. That's where most users hit trouble — not with the settings themselves, but with finding a build that isn't riddled with bloatware or bundled ads. Start from a release listing you trust rather than a random forum post, and compare the version number against the complete site index so you know the file matches what's been documented.

It's also worth checking what else is in the same family before committing. FMWhatsApp shares a lot of its feature set with GBWhatsApp, DELTA YOWA, and YOWhatsApp, all of which have their own privacy quirks and theme stores.

Pairing it with other privacy tweaks

Hiding the forwarded tag plays nicely with a few other FMWhatsApp settings worth toggling while you're in the menu. The "Hide Last Seen" option stops contacts from checking when you were last online, which many users pair with the forwarded setting to keep their activity opaque.

Anti-revoke is another common pairing. It lets you read messages that the sender deletes before you've opened them, and combined with a hidden forwarded tag it gives a fairly private messaging experience. If you're catching a flight from Sydney to Darwin and want chats to look exactly as you left them, these three settings cover most everyday privacy gripes.

Things to keep in mind

FMWhatsApp isn't affiliated with Meta, and the forwarded-tag toggle exists because the mod modifies the client. Updates to the official app can break modded builds until the developer pushes a new version, so keep a backup of your chat history and check release notes after every official update.

The broader mod ecosystem includes several forks worth knowing about, and if you're curious why so many users switch between them, the popularity breakdown of GBWhatsApp gives a useful snapshot of where these forks came from.

The usual ban risk applies regardless of which privacy toggles you use, since unofficial clients breach WhatsApp's terms. Updates roll out on a different cadence from the official app, so plan to check for a new APK every few weeks to keep features stable.

Quick checklist for setting it up

• Download the latest FMWhatsApp build from a trusted listing and verify the version number.
• Install the APK and grant the required permissions during setup.
• Open Settings, then Privacy or FMMods, and locate the forwarded-tag toggle.
• Flip the switch off so forwarded messages no longer carry the banner.
• Pair the change with Hide Last Seen and Anti-Revoke for a consistent privacy layer.
• Back up chats before applying any future FMWhatsApp update.

Grab the right build from WhatsAppMods.org and dive into the privacy menu — you'll have the label stripped in under a minute, and the rest of the mod's tweaks are just a few taps away.