iMessages on iPad

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Jun 6, 2013
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sw ohio
Greetings-
I have full use of iMessages on my iPhone (can send and receive from anyone) but cannot receive any on my wifi iPad unless they are in my contacts or Apple users(?). Tried Apple support but they were clueless or wait time is infinite on a phone. Any ideas?
 
If you do not have a SIM card (and data or texting plan to accompany it) in your iPad you'll not be able to use iMessages for conventional texting: iMessages, without a SIM card, is just another instant messaging application that only works with others who have the same application. In this case iMessages, unlike most other instant messaging applications, is not cross-platform: It only works on Apple devices.
 
Your ipad isn't a "phone". It doesn't have a SIM or phone number so it cannot send and receive SMS(green texts on Apple device). iMessage is NOT the same as SMS(text messaging).

iMessage requires an Apple ID.

SMS, which is conventional text messaging requires a phone number. This is why someone on an Android device can't text you on your ipad.

They're two different things.
 
... doesn't have a SIM or phone number so it cannot send and receive SMS(green texts on Apple device). iMessage is NOT the same as SMS(text messaging).

It should be noted that iMessages does two things: SMS texts and instant messaging. The former will colour your messages with the other party green and the latter blue. I will presume, willbur, that on the iPad all of your messages (that actually work) are currently blue. (I wonder if iMessages is syncronizing messages between iDevices and may show some green ones; but would be iteself unable to send or receive them, only sync them with an iPhone with teh same Apple account on it.)
 
I have a WiFi only iPad Pro and I send texts to people with Android phones on it
My best guess is that the iPad is using some other Apple device of yours *with* a SIM card to do the actual data transmission. eg. I use https://messages.google.com/ to "send texts" to people via a web browser; but in reality the service is communicating through my phone, which has been paired with the service. Win10 has an app, as I recall, that communicates with an app on your phone to allow "sending texts" from your desktop computer, too. But an actual text message (as opposed to an instant message, which can be sent via the internet) must be done through a device with a SIM card.
 
My best guess is that the iPad is using some other Apple device of yours *with* a SIM card to do the actual data transmission
Which is what the OP has (an iPhone). It does work with a WiFi-only iPad. I can assure this 100%.

The OP needs to do a number of settings changes. On the iPhone
  • Enable iMessage (probably is but confirm)
  • Send & receive - make sure a phone # and Apple ID (email address) is filled in
  • Text message forwarding - make sure the iPad is listed
On the iPad, make sure iMessages is enabled and Apple ID are entered.
 
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