Sms Ipad Cellular
Even with a cellular data plan, iPads can’t natively send an SMS. That doesn’t mean you can’t chat with others by SMS. It requires a little configuration on your iPhone or a third-party app.
- Set up Messages on iPad In the Messages app, you can send text messages as SMS/MMS messages through your cellular service, or with iMessage over Wi-Fi or cellular service to people who use iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or a Mac.
- How cellular data works with your iPad. Cellular capabilities come preinstalled in some Wi-Fi + Cellular models in some countries and are embedded in other Wi-Fi + Cellular models. They’re also available for purchase at most Apple Store locations.
- Wi-Fi + Cellular. Since its humble beginnings, the best iPad has offered a Wi-Fi + Cellular option in its lineup. The extra price for a cellular option ranges from $130 for the three iPad models and $150 for the two current iPad Pro models.
Your Best Bet: Continuity With Your iPhone
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro features an immersive, edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display.¹ The new pro cameras, Wide and new Ultra Wide, combined with the all-new LiDAR Scanner enable entirely new experiences in the next generation of augmented reality (AR) apps. The iPhone, iPad, or Mac will see if the owner of the receving device registered with iMessage (ie, has a qualifying iOS or Mac) and send it as an iMessage only if that condition is met - otherwise, it sends as an SMS (unless the device doesn't have cellular - then the message cannot be sent/received - SMS relies on both parties having.
If you have both an iPhone and iPad running at least iOS 8.1, that’s all you need to send and receive SMS messages on your iPad. Even though you’re on your iPad, people will see those messages as if they were on your iPhone.
How to Set Up Your iPhone to Send SMS Messages From Your iPad
The weird part of this setup is that you do it on your iPhone, not your iPad. When you think about it, this makes sense. Your iPhone is relaying the messages to and from the iPad. For this to work, your iPhone and iPad need to have the same iCloud account setup on the devices.
On your iPhone go to
I already have two Macs configured for SMS’ through the Messages app. Apple puts in the destination (Mac) so you know these are MacOS systems. The middle device is an iPad and I have
Not Sure How to Set Up Your Mac for SMS? Check out our guide.When I switch it on, Apple sends a code to my iPad that I need to enter on my iPhone. That’s for security reasons. Once you enter that code, SMS messages will show up on both your iPhone and iPad. Then you can respond to them like you would any other messages.
Limitations And Warnings For Using Continuity SMS Relay on the iPad
Since your iPhone is relaying the messages, it needs to be on and connected to a cellular network. If, for example, your iPhone is in Airplane mode, then SMS relay won’t work. That’s a bummer when you’re on an airplane. You might have a data connection, but unless your phone has a cellular collection, you won’t have the relaying.
The iPhone and iPad don’t need to be near each other or on the same WiFi network. Your iPad needs to be connected to the Internet though. This connection can be through a wireless connection or cellular data connection. If you use your data connection and have a data cap, messaging will count in your data plan not your texting plan. If you get lots of text messages with attachments, you may want to turn off this feature.
The Best Alternative for non-iPhone users: Google Voice
Google Voice is free and gives you a dedicated phone number. That number can receive phone calls and text messages. Phone calls won’t work from the iPad, but text messages will. They Google Voice app works on the iPad, but it’s designed for the iPhone screen. When you get a text message to your Google Voice number, you can respond from the app or from an email.
Want a Google Voice app for the iPad?: Try GV Connect. It’s $2.99 but is fully optimized for the iPad.Other iPad Apps for SMS/MMS Messaging
I tried a few of these alternative apps. They give you a phone number and the app acts as a gateway to your iPad. FreeTone and nextplus work great for not just text messaging, but phone calls as well. You get a few free messages for signing up. After that, you can pay a monthly subscription, buy a bucket of messages or watch ads/respond to offers to get more free credits. I don’t like this option with yet another phone number; that’s why I prefer keeping it within Google Voice.
Just because you’re on your iPad doesn’t mean you have to miss out on text-based conversations.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
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Sms Ipad Cellular Number
Receiving lots of
Try these steps first
- Restart your device:
- Check your network connection. To send a message as iMessage or MMS, you need a cellular data or Wi-Fi connection. To send an SMS message, you need cellular network connection. If you turn on Wi-Fi Calling, you can send SMS messages over Wi-Fi.
- Check with your carrier to see if the type of message you’re trying to send, like MMS or SMS, is supported.
- If you’re trying to send group MMS messages on an iPhone, go to Settings > Messages and turn on MMS Messaging. If you don't see an option to turn on MMS Messaging or Group Messaging on your iPhone, then your carrier might not support this feature.
- Make sure that your device has enough space to receive images and videos.
- Make sure that you entered the correct phone number or email address for the contact.
If you see a Waiting for Activation alert, learn what to do.
If you still need help, find your issue below to learn what to do next.
If you see a red exclamation point
If you try to send a message and you see with an alert that says Not Delivered, follow these steps:
- Check your network connection.
- Tap , then tap Try Again.
- If you still can’t send the message, tap , then tap Send as Text Message. Messaging rates may apply. Contact your carrier for more information.
If you see a green message bubble
If you see a green message bubble instead of a blue one, then that message was sent using MMS/SMS instead of iMessage. There are several reasons for this:
- The person that you sent the message to doesn't have an Apple device.
- iMessage is turned off on your device or on your recipient’s device. To check if iMessage is turned on for your device, go to Settings > Messages > iMessage.
- iMessage is temporarily unavailable on your device or on your recipient’s device.
Learn the difference between iMessage and MMS/SMS messages.
If you receive messages on one device but not the other
If you have an iPhone and another iOS device, like an iPad, your iMessage settings might be set to receive and start messages from your Apple ID instead of your phone number. To check if your phone number is set to send and receive messages, go to Settings > Messages, and tap Send & Receive.
If you don't see your phone number, you can link your iPhone number to your Apple ID so you can send and receive iMessages from your phone number. You can also set up Text Message Forwarding so you can send and receive MMS and SMS messages on all of your Apple devices.
If you have issues with a group message
If you’re in a group message and stop receiving messages, check if you left the conversation. Open Messages and tap the group message. If you see a message that says you left the conversation, then either you left the conversation or you were removed from the group message. You can rejoin a group message only if someone in the group adds you.
To start a new group message:
- Open Messages and tap the Compose button to start a new message.
- Enter the phone numbers or email addresses of your contacts.
- Type your message, then tap the Send button .
Sms Empfang Ipad Cellular
If you have other issues with a group message, you might need to delete the conversation and start a new one. To delete a group message:
- Open Messages and find the conversation that you want to delete.
- Swipe left over the conversation.
- Tap Delete.
When you delete a message, you can't recover it. If you want to save parts of a message, take a screenshot. To save an attachment in a message, touch and hold the attachment, tap More, then tap Save.
Receive Sms Ipad Cellular
Learn more
Apple Cellular Ipads
- If you still can't send or receive messages, contact Apple Support.
- If you don't receive SMS messages, contact your carrier.
- If you switched to a non-Apple phone, learn how to deactivate iMessage.
- Learn how to report unwanted iMessages.