Apple Intelligence now features Image Playground, Genmoji, Writing Tools enhancements, seamless support for ChatGPT, and visual intelligence.

Apple Intelligence has also begun language expansion with localized English support for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. Learn more >

You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Can’t text non iPhone people from my iPad

IPhone X IOS 16.7

IPad Pro IPadOS 16.7


Right now and way too many times before, when I update my iPhone and or IPad I stop being able to text non-IPhone people. I have read all the help files and done all the things. All devices are signed into the same apple id. SMS on and text forwarding to other devices on. I turned the devices off and back on. I shut down messages on both. No luck. URGH!

iPhone X

Posted on Sep 28, 2023 6:36 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 29, 2023 4:03 AM

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. Verify these settings...


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


11 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 29, 2023 4:03 AM in response to Sherry Wacker

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. Verify these settings...


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


Feb 5, 2024 10:15 AM in response to vivek_iphone

vivek_iphone wrote:

to send SMS you need to have a cellular connection on your iPad.


Not so. Without being used with an iPhone, 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 a Cellular plan has been added to a WiFi+Cellular model of iPad, the number associated with the SIM/eSIM is only used to identify the Cellular account for billing purposes. This number is cannot used for making calls or sending messages.

Can’t text non iPhone people from my iPad

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.