How to text android devices? (IOS 12.1)

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How to text android devices? (IOS 12.1)

I have a fifth generation iPad that I purchased last June (2018). It is a WiFi machine, and has no cellular capabilities. I havs a 5MHz WiFi network in my house, thanks to “Time Capsule”. IOS is 12.1

One of the apps that was bundled with this 128GB iPad is iMessenger. This app works great for communicating with another Apple device, but does not work for communicating with Android devices.

Unfortunately, some of my friends have chosen not to use Apple devices! According to an article I just read by Xfinity (What’s the Difference Between iMessages & Text Messages?), there is a setting in “Settings > Messages” that allows me to send SMS messages to Android devices!

However, this selection is NOT available on my iPad! But I think there MUST be a way for me to “easily” communicate with my stubborn friends who have chosen not to utilize Apple products? Anybody know the best way?

I have spent a lot of time on the app store, searching for an acceptable app that will work for ALL! I think it’s time to ask y’all for some help!

Thanks,

Brad

iPad Wi-Fi, iOS 10.3.2, 128 gigs of storage & 2 gigs of RAM

Posted on Nov 29, 2018 1:47 PM

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Answer 1

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sberman

Level 10

272,280 points

Nov 29, 2018 2:37 PM in response to Bigger Brad

Actually, even if you had purchased an iPad with cellular capabilities, that would not allow your iPad to send or receive SMS text messages. Those messages are transmitted using voice frequencies, and those are not handled by any iPad.

The way around your issue is to have an iPhone. If you have an iPhone, you may use that to "hand off" your SMS cellular text messages to/from your iPad.

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

Without an iPhone, here is another possibility:

If you know the other person's cellular carrier, you may be able to send an email that becomes a text message to the recipient.

For example, if the other person is with AT&T and has a telephone number (987) 654-3210, you may send an email to 9876543210@txt.att.net and the person will receive it as a text message.

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Answer 2

ShagCA

Level 5

6,365 points

Nov 29, 2018 2:03 PM in response to Bigger Brad

Bigger Brad wrote:

But I think there MUST be a way for me to “easily” communicate with my stubborn friends who have chosen not to utilize Apple products? Anybody know the best way?

I have spent a lot of time on the app store, searching for an acceptable app that will work for ALL! I think it’s time to ask y’all for some help!

Unfriend those stubborn friends. They're not good friends if they don't spend money on Apple products. Btw, did you also think that they may think you're stubborn for insisting on using Apple products only? Jokes aside, there are quite many instant messaging apps that works on both Android and iOS on iPad. I can think of a few off the top of my head: BBM, Skype, Facebook Messenger, WeChat and many more that I don't know.

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Answer 3

ShagCA

Level 5

6,365 points

Nov 29, 2018 2:43 PM in response to Bigger Brad

I was only joking and you took it seriously. Anyway, WhatsApp won't work on iPad. It only works on smartphones so that's out of the question. iPad isn't a phone and it can't send/receive text (SMS) messages on its own. The 2018 models are the same, they can't send/receive SMS. iPad can send/receive SMS if you pair it with an iPhone. The iPad passes the message to the phone and the phone does the sending/receiving of SMS.

Facebook messenger won't work without an account. How about emailing? It's not instant messaging but it can do more than SMS and it won't cost your friend extra charges to send/receive email.

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Answer 4

Bigger Brad Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 29, 2018 2:32 PM in response to ShagCA

I don’t have an iPhone. AndI thoughtthat Apple deserved “kudos” for actually doing something that made perfect sense to users! By including a capability in “Messages” that allowed Apple users to text ANYONE . . . using the Apple app!

I was HUGELY disappointed when I learned that MY iPad did not have the selection that was shown in the article I just read! I have not yet gone down to the Apple store to look at the NEW iPads. Maybe those will have the same selections available that was shown in the article?

I hate to”scrape up” the money for this single feature, but I will consider it!

Does anybody know a way to make this “bundled” app work the way the article said that it already works (possibly on the NEW iPads) . . . on this 5 month old iPad?

I have already looked at “What’s app”, ”Hang outs”, and “Signal Private Message”, and I’m not crazy about any of those three! And I am about to delete my account from Facebook . . . and all things related, so I don’t know if Facebook messenger would even sitll work for me! The Apple app “iMessenger” looks to be perfect . . . if true! If only I could find a way to make it work as it was represented! I was thinking that Apple finally did something right, and, why not before this?

I really don’t want to “unfriend” those friends of mine who stubbornly cling to their Android devices! Anyway it would be pretty unjust to deprive them of my influence over their lives! Then what would happen to them?

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Answer 5

Bigger Brad Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 29, 2018 2:57 PM in response to ShagCA

Me too! When I wrote the question, “what will happen to them?” I was almost falling out of my chair! My next thought was, ”maybe they will finally prosper, without me!” I thought that was pretty funny!

You’re right! I should just use email. I always figured that a text message denoted a certain sense of urgency, and would be answered more quickly than an email would! My example would be the 2,000 emails that are currently residing in my inbox . . . while another 100 text messages received during the same time, have already been read and answered!

Now that I have an iPad, I spend a lot less time in the office (home office) on the computer! Now I just sit in my lazyboy with my iPad and split my time watching Fox News, and tweeting on my iPad. Who needs a computer?

Y’all have a great day . . . and thanks for all the help and ideas?

Brad

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Answer 6

Bigger Brad Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 30, 2018 1:57 PM in response to Bigger Brad

This is Brad here . . . writing an addition to the thread.

I just re-read the article by Xfinity that started this whole thread. They started out by saying “IOS”and I took that to mean both iPhone and iPad! As it turns out, they were talking about the iPhone! Which means that I “started out” misunderstanding! I have apparently been wasting everyone’s time with an iPad issue that doesn’t exist!

I’m sorry!

Brad

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How to text android devices? (IOS 12.1)

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