I have an ipad with WiFi +Cellular. It has a distinctive and nonfunctioning cell phone number and a different APPLE ID.

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I have an ipad with WiFi +Cellular. It has a distinctive and nonfunctioning cell phone number and a different APPLE ID.

Is it possible to use my other APPLE ID on my iPad? Will that allow me to TEXT from my regular iPhone number or is it not possible with an iPAD with WiFi + Cellular?

I upgraded my iPhone, my Mac Mini and my iPad.

The Mac Mini and iPad are linked but now my iPhone is only linked to my old iPad, old Mac Mini, and old Macbook.

Prior to buying a WiFi+Cellular iPad, I had a regular iPad. My original non-cellular iPad is old but still works. With that, all my Apple devices were synched (until I upgrades a few of them). I could answer my iPhone on my iPad, on my Mac Mini, on my Macbook. I have a sim card in the iPad, and do occasionally use the iPad as a hotspot when I'm out and about.

I know that a WiFi+Cellular iPad cannot be a stand-alone phone, but am I stuck with an unusable phone number on the iPad, that only receives text messages ONLY from my ISP/Cellular provider?

With the updating of my Mac Mini, my iPhone, and my iPad, I linked my iPad and Mac mini.

My iPhone is linked to my old iPad and my old Macbook.

Posted on Sep 2, 2024 10:24 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

LotusPilot

Level 10

320,160 points

Sep 3, 2024 9:28 AM in response to kitcatvi

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 an eSIM or physical DataSIM and Cellular plan to a WiFi+Cellular model of iPad, the number associated with the eSIM/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

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

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

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Answer 2

Rudegar

Level 10

184,514 points

Sep 2, 2024 11:16 PM in response to kitcatvi

cellular ipads only have the data module not the voice (and sms which rely on the voice) cellular part

so only way to send normal sms from ipads is having an iphone handle that part on behalf of the ipads

read

Set up iCloud for Messages on all your devices - Apple Support

How to Text on the iPad (lifewire.com)

more ipad send sms via iphone - Google-

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I have an ipad with WiFi +Cellular. It has a distinctive and nonfunctioning cell phone number and a different APPLE ID.

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