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I have a new iPad Air 5th generation, WiFi + Cellular. The problem is that I cannot configure iMessages to send or receive texts to or from android devices. Friends using iMessages on iPads, iPhones, etc. can send texts to me to both my android phone and to the new iPad, and they can reply to texts from both the iPad and my Google pixel six pro. Does anyone have any idea what I may be doing wrong?
/Charles
iPad Air, iPadOS 15
Hi Lyssa - I don't know how to thank you enough. I have been online with Official Apple iPad Support, to Google Fi Tech Support, to the Apple store in my San Francisco Neighborhood, and finally to a 90 minute lesson at the Genius Bar. I was able to confirm that everything was working correctly -- iPad, Cellular Data SIM, Google Fi set up, etc. Along the way I met a lot of very nice, knowledgeable people, and had interesting discussions about integrating an Apple iPad into a Google Ecosystem. No one, however, could explain why I couldn't use my new iPad to send text messages to friends with Android Phones -- that is, until I received your response. Friends with iPads weren't able to help. I let the young lady from iPad Tech Support connect to my iPad and control it remotely. She wasn't able to correct the problem or even explain I was having a problem. In the last few days I have learned what a PUK Code is. My favorite response came from the young lady at Google Fi Support. She was very bright and possessed serious technical skills. In the end, however, she exclaimed in exaspertion, "I don't see why you're having problems. I have an iPhone and I don't have any problems."
Anyway thank you again,
/Charles
Hi Lyssa - I don't know how to thank you enough. I have been online with Official Apple iPad Support, to Google Fi Tech Support, to the Apple store in my San Francisco Neighborhood, and finally to a 90 minute lesson at the Genius Bar. I was able to confirm that everything was working correctly -- iPad, Cellular Data SIM, Google Fi set up, etc. Along the way I met a lot of very nice, knowledgeable people, and had interesting discussions about integrating an Apple iPad into a Google Ecosystem. No one, however, could explain why I couldn't use my new iPad to send text messages to friends with Android Phones -- that is, until I received your response. Friends with iPads weren't able to help. I let the young lady from iPad Tech Support connect to my iPad and control it remotely. She wasn't able to correct the problem or even explain I was having a problem. In the last few days I have learned what a PUK Code is. My favorite response came from the young lady at Google Fi Support. She was very bright and possessed serious technical skills. In the end, however, she exclaimed in exaspertion, "I don't see why you're having problems. I have an iPhone and I don't have any problems."
Anyway thank you again,
/Charles
It would’ve saved me a lot of time had the iPhone requirement been documented up front. But on a positive note, trying to get iMessages to send messages to android phones from an iPad certainly provided me with a splendid opportunity to get to know my new iPad Air 5th Generation.
/Charles
You need to own an iPhone to send text messages to Android phones. The cellular capability on the iPad is for data only, and texting is not supported.
~Lyssa
I don't think the iPhone requirement is explicitly written out in much of the documentation. Hopefully that information could be added as a note in the future.
Glad you've sorted this out!
~Lyssa
Set up iMessages on a new iPad air 5th generation
