What happened to the phone icon on my iPad ?

As I said, the Phone App does not exist on an iPad. It has never existed on an iPad. Those options are only available on iPhones.

You cannot dial a random number from an iPad. You can place calls by tapping the number in a Contact in the Contacts app.

But there has never been a dialer on iPad.

If you have an iPhone, you can use Continuity to place Cellular calls through the iPhone from the iPad,by again tapping the phone icon next to the Phone number in a contact in the Contacts App.

Use Continuity to connect your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac - Apple Support

Once again, there is no Phone App (icon) on an iPad.

iPads were never designed to place calls on there own, so a Phone App would be kind of useless on them.

When Continuity was implemented it, it was done so as an extension of an iPhone, so all calls are placed through the iPhone, so again, no real need for the Phone icon on the iPad.

Its just not something iPads can use on their own, so its not included to avoid having a useless icon if you do not own an iPhone.

And if you do, you can only place calls to your contacts. Other calls must be placed through the iPhone anyway.

mcgregorgk wrote:

But then,how do load data and/or airtime ?

Since the iPad cannot make cellular calls on its own, Airtime is irrelevant. iPads don't use Airtime.

If your carrier requires you call a number or you need to send an SMS to add data to your plan, you cannot do it directly from the iPad.

You would need to do it from a cell phone.

If you have an associated iPhone with the iPad, you can use that to make the call.

You'll need to contact your carrier for other options when using an iPad.

But then,how do load data and/or airtime ?

What phone icon?

The iPad is not a phone, it does not have a phone app like an iPhone would.

Please explain in detail what it is you are referring to.