iPad Pro can’t use phone number

[Fayjoe]

I bought two iPad Pro’s and have unsettled sim, set up iCloud as had iPhones. But the phone numbers are not working for texts. I can text some numbers but my email address shows up. I have tried texting the iPad number from my phone and it goes through as a text message not iMessage and it is not received on the iPad. I have 100 free texts on iPad too. Please help

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

@Fayjoe 

iPads can't do sms messages, only iMessages I'm afraid.

[Fayjoe]

Thanks for your reply. It is an iMessage we are trying to send. Should it be showing email address rather than phone number?

[MI5]

@Fayjoe 

You need continuity on other devices turned on so it will use your phones number to send iMessages from.

Make sure you select the phone number in the iPad settings to "start messages from" too.

[Fayjoe]

Ah ok her phone broke! So that explains it. How frustrating I didn’t want to get her a new phone. Sorry any chance you know of a good messaging app? As WhatsApp doesn’t work, thanks

[MI5]

@Fayjoe 

Facebook messenger seems the obvious choice?

[Fayjoe]

It’s for my 10 year old so she’s not allowed Facebook. Thanks anyway I will have a good look at what’s available

[MI5]

@Fayjoe 

You can use messenger without a facebook account, but the problem you will run into with nearly all messaging apps is that you'll need a phone number to link to it.

You can send and receive iMessages to email addresses but it relies on all recipients having an Apple device and allowing messages to be sent to an email address.