Since upgrading to iOS 18.1 I’m not able to make voice calls from my iPad. I can only make FaceTime calls. I make the call using the person‘s contact information in my text messages. I click on the phone icon and it automatically makes it a FaceTime call. How do I turn the feature off? I only wanna make voice calls. Thank you.
iPad Air 3, iPadOS 18
Do you have an iPhone, or just an iPad?
An iPad, whether a Cellular model or not, is not capable of directly accessing Cellular Voice or Messaging features. An iPad with Cellular connectivity alone can only access IP-data services. An iPad is not, and can never be, a standalone substitute for an iPhone.
However, when coupled 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. For the most part, 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 >
Settings > Mobile Data > Calls on Other Devices >
On your iPad
Settings > FaceTime > Calls from iPhone > Calls from iPhone - set to ON
Additional information about Continuity and the relevant Cellular services can be found here:
Continuity
Work across all of your devices seamlessly – Apple Support
SMS/MMS Messaging
Forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad - Apple Support
WiFi Calling
Make a call with Wi-Fi Calling – Apple Support
Making and receiving calls on iPad
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.
Do you have an iPhone, or just an iPad?
An iPad, whether a Cellular model or not, is not capable of directly accessing Cellular Voice or Messaging features. An iPad with Cellular connectivity alone can only access IP-data services. An iPad is not, and can never be, a standalone substitute for an iPhone.
However, when coupled 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. For the most part, 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 >
Settings > Mobile Data > Calls on Other Devices >
On your iPad
Settings > FaceTime > Calls from iPhone > Calls from iPhone - set to ON
Additional information about Continuity and the relevant Cellular services can be found here:
Continuity
Work across all of your devices seamlessly – Apple Support
SMS/MMS Messaging
Forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad - Apple Support
WiFi Calling
Make a call with Wi-Fi Calling – Apple Support
Making and receiving calls on iPad
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.
While documented within the provided links, I perhaps failed to make clear that, for iPad, the FaceTime App provides access to Cellular Voice Calling features - whilst Messages supports SMS/MMS messaging services.
Your iPad is not a standalone alternative for an iPhone. As the iPad cannot directly access Cellular Calling functions found on iPhone, the iPad doesn't have the "phone" App to make calls. Instead, the FaceTime App provides this functionality for iPad - Cellular calls either being routed via your iPhone or WiFi Calling to the Carrier network.
This is not a change brought about by the iOS/iPadOS update - but is established functionality of all versions of iPadOS.
When using iPad to establish a call from your Contacts App, simply tap the phone number to initiate the call - not the calling buttons.
Thank you for sending this however that’s not the issue I’m asking about. I have an iPhone and an iPad and have them synced so I can make calls from my iPad using my iPhone. I have it set to make calls from other devices.
My problem is when I go to make a call from my iPad and I click on the call icon it automatically makes it a FaceTime call and not a voice call. I’m not clicking on the video button. I’m clicking on the phone icon. How do I fix it so I can make a voice calls from iPad?
Thank you.
I have to disagree with you. Prior to ios18 I was able to make a voice calls from iPad from my iPad. I would click on the phone icon and it would make a voice call. It doesn’t do it anymore, so something changed with iOS 18. I guess I’ll just have to start a voice call from my iPhone which isn’t always in the same place as my iPad. Just another inconvenience. Thanks.
Perhaps you missed the closing line of my previous reply?
Also note that you can initiate a call directly from the FaceTime App. Here, select the New FaceTime button, then type (or copy) the phone number that you wish to call in the To field. Calls can also be initiated (or returned) from the list of recent calls.
Making voice calls from iPad with ios 18
