how do i text an android phone from my ipad mini

Yes, IF you have an iPhone, you can use iOS OS X continuity to connect a Mac or an iPad to an iPhone for SMS texting (see Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch - Apple Support). The iPad and Mac actually do not send nor receive the SMS texts, your iPhone has to do all that as it is the only device in the group that can do so. Your iPhone then shares those messages with the other devices.

If you do not have an iPhone, then an iPad cannot send nor receive SMS texts. It can still use email and carrier-specific SMS email gateways, or it can use internet based messaging services. But for a device to natively send or receive SMS Texts it must be capable of connecting to a cellular service providers voice channel network, which an iPad cannot do.

Your iPad does not have a functional phone number that can be used to connect to a cellular carrier's voice telephone network. It has a phone number for carrier billing purposes only.

iOS and OS X Contiunity allows you to use your iPhone telephone number that is registered with your iMessage account as a message ID on your iPad - see Add or remove your phone number in Messages or FaceTime - Apple Support

THank you. In my case I had done a reset on my iPhone. In the settings, messages, I found that "Text Message Forwarding" was turned off for my Mac and iPad! I turned them on and entered the code that appeared on my iPad and then on my iMac. It now works!

Thank you!

Note: due to the reset I'm coming across settings that I didn't even know that I had set... I keep finding and fixing. Thanks to folks like you!

I'm sorry but you are wrong! I am now getting text messages via Wifi connection to my iPad and my iMac. I am able to use iMessage to send and receive these messages. I'm using MACos 10.12.3 on my mac and iOS 10.0.2 on my iPhone and iPad! The iPhone connects via AT&T, the iPad and iMac connect to the iPhone via WIFI.

The key was enabling "Text Message Forwarding" on my iPhone for the two devices! It now works perfectly text, pictures, everything. And yes, I use iMessage as the interface on the iMac and on the iPad.

Wes and this totally is frustrating because I can’t afford phone service and use my iPhone on WiFi like an ipad! I can’t afford a phone now due to life’s circumstances and paying so much medical. iPhone could fix this! I am going to Android I guess.

I hate this cuz I can’t text my family. I am at home stuck, but have WiFi, a must for husbands work. However, I have not had phone service in almost 3 years so I have to text. I CANNOT text unless Family or friend my have iPhone.

iPhone is a racket. The could fix this.

You could arrange to use any one of a number of (also proprietary) cross platform internet messaging services, like Skype, google hangouts etc. If you have wifi, there is also always good ol’ email.

It is not as if an iPad is limited solely to iMessage. It is merely limited to internet messaging services, of which there are numerous.

If you need or want SMS/MMS texting, then you need a cellular telephone with voice and text service enabled. Those services explicitly require a cellular voice telephone connection, and always have (It is inherent in the very nature of what an SMS text is that it must be sent over the voice bandwidth connection). There simply is no such thing as an internet or cellular data based SMS texting service.

An iPad cannot send SMS text messages since it is not a phone. It can send iMessages to other Apple devices.

On your iPhone make sure in Settings -> Messages -> Text Message Forwarding -> Text Message Forwarding is turned On.

Connect your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac using Continuity - Apple Support

On your iPhone open Settings > Messages > Send & Receive > You Can Be Reached by, make sure your email as well as you phone number is checked.

OK. On your iPad is your cell number showing & checked in Settings->Messages->Send & Receive.? Make sure the same number & emails are listed on both your iPad & iPhone

SIgn out of iMessage on your iPhone then sign back in, make sure both devices are signed in with the same Apple ID. Uncheck the email on your iPhone in 'You can be reached by', close Settings then reopen settings & check the email again.

if it still isn't showing

Reset your iPhone holding down the home & sleep/wake buttons at the same time until the Apple logo appears then let go & wait for your iPhone to boot up. Now see if text message forwarding is showing now.

IF not, then do a general reset

Settings->General->Reset->Reset All Settings, you won't lose any data but will have to log back into your wifi network(s) and customize certain settings again.

These steps worked with my 6 plus. After I unchecked my email on phone a screen came up asking if I wanted to enable my iPad to send and receive messages. I checked yes and then a screen came up on iPad with a code to enter on iPhone. Once entered everything synced perfectly and able to text to anyone via iPad. WooHoo!