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Rizoo

Q: can you use your cell phone sim in an ipad to receive calls

Can you use your iphone sim in your ipad to receive calls on 3g

iPad 2, iOS 7.0.4

Posted on Nov 16, 2013 12:32 PM

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Q: can you use your cell phone sim in an ipad to receive calls

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  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Nov 16, 2013 12:34 PM in response to Rizoo
    Level 8 (37,952 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 16, 2013 12:34 PM in response to Rizoo

    You will need an app that provides VOIP services, FaceTime, Google Voice or Skype, but it should work. You cannot make cell calls from an iPad as there is no cellular voice channel support.

  • by ffiti,

    ffiti ffiti Nov 16, 2013 1:07 PM in response to Rizoo
    Level 3 (800 points)
    iWork
    Nov 16, 2013 1:07 PM in response to Rizoo

    No.

  • by Robertzamora19,

    Robertzamora19 Robertzamora19 Nov 16, 2013 1:09 PM in response to Rizoo
    Level 3 (575 points)
    Nov 16, 2013 1:09 PM in response to Rizoo

    no an ipad is an ipad not a phone

     

    there is a reason why apple makes an "ipad" and an"iphone"

  • by d.eick,

    d.eick d.eick Nov 30, 2013 12:31 AM in response to Robertzamora19
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 30, 2013 12:31 AM in response to Robertzamora19

    I had a thought (someone please tell me if I'm off base here). Couldn't you do the following?

     

    If you don't have one already, procure VoIP service and a VoIP phone number.

    Transfer your calls from your cell phone number to your VoIP number.

    Remove your SIM from your iPhone and put it in your iPad.

    Open your VoIP app on the iPad

     

    Shouldn't that enable you to receive incoming calls that are forwarded from your mobile number (via VoIP) and allow you to make phone calls via the

  • by Ethmoid,

    Ethmoid Ethmoid Nov 30, 2013 12:35 AM in response to d.eick
    Level 6 (11,262 points)
    Nov 30, 2013 12:35 AM in response to d.eick

    As far as I know, you can't put a sim card into an iPad - it is not a phone, so yes, you are way off base here.

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Nov 30, 2013 6:48 AM in response to Ethmoid
    Level 8 (37,952 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 30, 2013 6:48 AM in response to Ethmoid

    My iPad has a SIM slot and a SIM. All iPads do except WiFi only models. Even Verizon's, because all iPads are unlocked. And you need a SIM to access cellular data.

  • by d.eick,

    d.eick d.eick Nov 30, 2013 3:27 PM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 30, 2013 3:27 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

    Correct, Lawrence. Thanks.

     

    To Ethmoid, my question wasn't about whether a SIM card will fit or work. My household has an iPad, a mini, an iPhone 4 and two 5's. I know the SIM will fit and work as I have used it for data before.

     

    My question was based on an untried theory that since an iPad cannot answer cellular calls, but could answer VoIP calls, it should be possible to acquire a VoIP phone number and set my cell phone Verizon account to forward all calls to it, thus allowing me to answer (but perhaps not make) cellular calls to my iPhone number.

     

    Your response was both off base and incorrect.

  • by Meg St._Clair,

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair Nov 30, 2013 3:32 PM in response to d.eick
    Level 9 (58,841 points)
    iPhone
    Nov 30, 2013 3:32 PM in response to d.eick

    Your iPad doesn't need your cell phone SIM to use a VOIP app. It needs any connection to the internet. I've used mine for receiving calls on a Skype number.

  • by d.eick,

    d.eick d.eick Nov 30, 2013 6:29 PM in response to Meg St._Clair
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 30, 2013 6:29 PM in response to Meg St._Clair

    Thanks Meg. The issue that's driving my question is that my iPad has the SIM port, but I don't have (and usually don't want) a full-time data SIM for it. I have my phone and the SIM that I could use when needed, but also want to be able to get calls. I was hoping that if I moved the SIM from the phone to the iPad and forwarded my cell number to the VoIP number, I could surf on my pad and when a call came in to my phone, it would transfer to the VoIP number and ring on the pad, allowing me to still receive calls. Would this work?

  • by Meg St._Clair,

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair Nov 30, 2013 7:02 PM in response to d.eick
    Level 9 (58,841 points)
    iPhone
    Nov 30, 2013 7:02 PM in response to d.eick

    It should work passably. I find that the notifications for VOIP apps are not as noticeable as a ringing phone. If you've got the iPad in your hand, that shouldn't be a problem.

  • by acesinica,

    acesinica acesinica Nov 30, 2013 8:11 PM in response to d.eick
    Level 2 (155 points)
    Nov 30, 2013 8:11 PM in response to d.eick

    To d.eick,

     

    You'll have to try taking your SIM card from your iphone and stick it into the ipad, turn off wifi, and see if you can browse the Internet.

     

    Another way to do this is to turn on the hotspot functionality of your iphone, and then your ipad can go on line via the iphone's data connection.

     

    Verizon and at&t's data shared plans include hotspot. Tmobile and Sprint requires a separate hotspot service purchase.

     

    You will first have to setup Call Forward (full name is Call Forward Unconditional) to your VoIP number.

    This will enable all calls to be forwarded to that VoIP regardless of whether your iphone is turned on or not.

     

    I have tried doing CF to VoiP number, but the call quality isn't that great, and isn't economical.

     

    • The call leg from your mobile number forwarded to your VoIP number counts as one call, and the minutes count.
    • The VoiP call's call quality is variable. If reception isn't that great, a voice call may still be able to be conducted while the VoIP call may be dropped. The reason is voice calls are setup with nailed up resources (reserved for your call), while VoIP calls are "best effort delivery". If the reception isn't good, or if there is a delay that exceeds established thresholds, that call will drop.
    • Free VoIP calls such as Google Voice cuts out after 1 hr.
    • Paid VoiP calls would get you charged. So now you're paying your mobile carrier for the leg forwarded to you plus paying the VoiP service.

     

    And lastly, that SIM card's contacts would not last too long if it is subjected to repeated plugging in and out.

     

    I use a pay as you go prepaid service for this type of need. Anytime I need to get on line, I power the prepaid wifi hotspot box, use the ipad to connect to it, get on my account page, pay for the day's use (I'm using Virginmobleusa's hotspot - got it on sale, forgot how much). I'm not on a shared mobile plan, so I needed to do it this way.

     

    Another thing about these VoiP services - they need push notification turned on or else the first incoming call would not get picked up. You'll have to use the VoIP application to make one call to get your number "kicked in" on the VoIP's servers. Only then would incoming calls ring your ipad. But if you let your ipad sit for a while, and it goes to sleep, some times the incoming call would go to the voip's voicemail.

     

    I played around with this and decided that I'm going to use voip services only under wifi and only for outgoing calls. For incoming, I still would rather use the good old voice service.

     

    VoIP calls work ok sometimes, but sometimes after getting into the conversation the other party would complain that I'm breaking up. And this is with me sitting close to a wifi router (so I ended up buying a better wifi router to get around the call quality problem). I can't imagine how bad the quality would be if I'm running this over 3G. I tried it (CF to my voip number) once in my office but with reception so bad the voip call could not be established, but voice call was ok.

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Dec 1, 2013 4:23 AM in response to acesinica
    Level 8 (37,952 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 1, 2013 4:23 AM in response to acesinica

    Helpful and thorough post. Thanks for filling in what I didn't know.