If I pair an Apple Watch to an iPad with a cellular plan, can I make phone calls using the watch?

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Level 1

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If I pair an Apple Watch to an iPad with a cellular plan, can I make phone calls using the watch?

The Samsung Gear S3 is a connected device. I has a phone number assigned to it. Once initially paired with a compatible phone, it can make and receive phone calls and texts on its own. I know an iPad with a cellular plan has a phone number. I have been told if you call it, you cannot answer it with the iPad. Can you answer it with an Apple Watch? I should be able to text from either device. The issue is the voice call.

iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi, Cellular, iOS 10.3.3

Posted on Jul 27, 2017 5:14 PM

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Answer 1

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Michael Black

Level 10

80,268 points

Jul 27, 2017 5:58 PM in response to too2tall68

You cannot pair an Apple Watch with an iPad, only an iPhone. And an iPad is not capable of connecting to a cell service providers voice channel at all, so can neither make nor receive cellular telephone calls. It can make VOIP calls only. The telephone number of an iPad is used by carriers for account billing purposes only.

Similarly, by itself, without a paired iPhone, an iPad is limited to internet text message services only, like Apple’s iMessage Service. An iPad cannot send nor receive SMS or MMS texts itself as those require a cellular telephone voice channel connection. If paired with an iPhone via iOS‘s continuity feature, an iPad can use the iPhone’s SMS texting capabilities.

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