text message from an ipad to a phone number

Do you have an iPhone - or just an iPad? If exchanging messages with Android or non-Apple devices, you’ll need to use Cellular SMS/MMS messaging.

An iPad, whether a Cellular model or not, is not capable of directly accessing Cellular Voice or SMS/MMS Messaging features. An iPad with either WiFi or Cellular connectivity alone can only access IP-data services. If you have added a DataSIM and Cellular plan to a WiFi+Cellular model of iPad, the number associated with the SIM card is only used to identify your account for billing purposes. This number is not used for making calls or sending messages.

However, when paired with an iPhone, the capabilities of iPad significantly broaden to include access to Cellular Voice and Messaging services of the associated iPhone - relayed to the iPad over WiFi using Apple’s continuity features. So, if you have an iPhone - and both iPhone and iPad are configured for Message Forwarding - SMS messages sent from your iPad will appear to originate from your iPhone's Cellular phone number.

More information about Continuity and the relevant Cellular services can be found here:

Continuity

Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple Watch – Apple Support

SMS/MMS Messaging

How to forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your iPad, iPod touch or Mac - Apple Support

Setup

If you have an iPhone - and both iPad and iPhone are signed-in to iCloud with the same AppleID - to send SMS/MMS messages (green bubbles) from your iPad you must explicitly enable Text Message Forwarding for your iPad on your iPhone...

On your iPhone:

Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding - set to ON - and explicitly enable your iPad from the list of devices.

Also ensure that Messages in iCloud is enabled on both your iPhone and iPad:

Settings > [Your Name / AppleID] > Messages - set to ON

Hi,

if you have just an Apple ID, you will only be able to text phone numbers linked to an Apple ID, so therefore, only other Iphone/iPad/iPod/Mac users. If the phone number you are trying to text is from someone with an Android or Windows phone, you will not be able to text them, as non Apple products use SMS and not IMessage.