Why am I not receiving messages and calls on the iPad?
Why am I not receiving messages and calls on the iPad?It used to work
Question marked as
Do you have an iPhone - or just an iPad? If you are experiencing difficulties, more details of the issue would help contributors provide specific help of guidance.
With what type of messages are you having difficulty? Would this be iMessage - of SMS text messages? Something else?
As for calls, what calling features are the problem? Perhaps you're having difficulty with FaceTime calls, or Cellular telephone calls relayed from your iPhone?
Messages
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.
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
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
Calls
When coupled with an iPhone, your iPad can access Cellular Voice and WiFi Calling features of the associated iPhone - relayed to the iPad over WiFi using Apple’s Continuity features.
An iPad using Continuity is able to access Cellular calling features of the iPhone when both the iPad an iPhone are in close physical proximity and are connected to the same WiFi network - but this is not the end of the story.
Now, if your both your Cellular Carrier and your calling plan support WiFi Calling, your iPad can make and receive calls independently of the iPhone - even when the iPhone is switched off, elsewhere, or using a different WiFi network. Not all carriers support full WiFi calling.
The settings that you need to change/verify on your iPhone and iPad are:
On your iPhone
Settings > Mobile Data >WiFi Calling >
- WiFi Calling on This iPhone - set to ON
- Add WiFi Calling for Other Devices - set to ON
Settings > Mobile Data > Calls on Other Devices >
- Allow Calls on Other Devices - set to ON
- [Allow Calls On] - explicitly enable your new iPad from the list of devices.
On your iPad
Settings > FaceTime > Calls from iPhone > Calls from iPhone - set to ON
Information about Cellular calling features can be found here:
Make a call with Wi-Fi Calling – Apple Support
Make and receive phone calls on iPad - Apple Support
When correctly configured, the iPad FaceTime App provides access to Cellular Voice Calling features - whilst Messages supports SMS/MMS messaging services.
