iPhone / iPad questions

[chim]

My iPhone7 died. I ordered a new android and it's at least a week till it arrives and gets put into service. I feel a bit like a cowboy without a horse.

The iPad is used for handy internet access and FaceTime with distant relatives. It also receives my email and this morning a few new texts showed up, although I rarely used it for texts.

Till the new phone gets here, is there a way to use the iPad as a phone? Something as simple as turning some feature ON?

Would swapping the SIM from the phone to the pad work?

Thank you.

 

[Biker1mike]

LMAO !! I'll ask the teenager when she gets home from school.
There is never a kid around when you need really their phone savvy.

 

[ken erickson]

iPad's are available Wifi only or wifi/cellular. Mine for example is a WiFi only model with no provision for a SIM card. Even with a iPad with cellular and sim slot I do not believe a iPad can function as a voice phone. It simply allows one to connect to the internet via cell towers. There might be applications or programs that would allow VoIP, (voice over internet protocol). Take this for what its worth, I am not a IT person!

 

[chim]

Thanks guys. I don't even know what the iPad does with regard to connecting because I've only ever used it at home and connected to WIFI. The reason I thought it might work as a phone was it does FaceTime and dials the phone number to connect.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Thanks guys. I don't even know what the iPad does with regard to connecting because I've only ever used it at home and connected to WIFI. The reason I thought it might work as a phone was it does FaceTime and dials the phone number to connect.

I'm not Apple savvy, but, with Android, you can set up to call over wifi. Apple probably has something similar. You may have cellular access. Can you use FaceTime when out of wifi range? Also, most cellular tablets also have GPS capability, does yours?

 

[Russell King]

It can be done but may need a working iPhone.

Search the internet for calling from an iPad to get information

 

[jkrubi12]

FWIW I'll add this: I'm an 'iPhone guy' but I generally use my MacBook Pro (MBP) for internet stuff, generally at home over my wifi network.

If someone calls my phone while I'm on my MBP, I can answer from my MBP and converse while I'm online. I can also utilize FaceTime on the MBP to receive or make calls.

I was considering getting myself an iPad Pro, solely for the purpose of using it's OS to make myself better at using my iPhone 12 Pro Max with the internet. The two systems seem identical to me.

 

[The Evil Twin]

My recollection is that the 'Pad goes through the 'Phone to make and recieve calls. The phone is just a router at that point. The pad by itself doesn't make calls.

 

[jyoutz]

Thanks guys. I don't even know what the iPad does with regard to connecting because I've only ever used it at home and connected to WIFI. The reason I thought it might work as a phone was it does FaceTime and dials the phone number to connect.

You can do FaceTime with no vIdeo, but any when calling another Apple device.

 

[DeepWoods]

You can use a wifi only iPad as a phone if you use a service such as Ooma which is a VoIP. All you need for your iPad is the Ooma app, and any internet connection. For the short time you will be without a phone it isn’t really a viable solution, as it requires a monthly fee. if it is set up on your home phone, there is no charge for the unlimited local and long distance calling. Only the required federal fees and taxes, which is around $6.00 a month. We used it for several years before I got my iPhone, and now it is a boat anchor.

 

[chim]

Thank you to everyone who replied.
I tried a few things, searched the 'net and have come to the place where I'll check the iPad for texts and wait impatiently till the new phone goes on line.

 

[NCL4701]

My wife uses her WIFI iPad as a phone in the house routinely. It’s really an extension of her iPhone so it doesn’t work as a phone if her phone isn’t on and on the same WIFI. It won’t work off either of my iPhones, just hers because her iPhone and iPad are associated with the same Apple ID.

 

[Russell King]

What “killed” your iPhone?

 

[Mark_BX25D]

My iPhone7 died. I ordered a new android and it's at least a week till it arrives and gets put into service. I feel a bit like a cowboy without a horse.

The iPad is used for handy internet access and FaceTime with distant relatives. It also receives my email and this morning a few new texts showed up, although I rarely used it for texts.

Till the new phone gets here, is there a way to use the iPad as a phone? Something as simple as turning some feature ON?

Would swapping the SIM from the phone to the pad work?

Thank you.

Skype should work over WiFi with no problem. No SIM required.

 

[mikester]

Apple does not allow you to use your ipad as a stand alone phone replacement. They want you to buy two devices. It's the same reason why Apple forces you to buy special cables to charge your phone that are incompatible with the real world.

Don't forget to buy a phone charger for your new iPhone. Apple is being more environmentally friendly by NOT shipping chargers with your new phone. You now have to pay for extra excess packaging and shipping to charge your new iphone. It's better for the environment that way. The Apple environment.

 

[chim]

To answer a few questions:

Not sure what killed the iPhone. First, the HOME button quit working. The phone then generated a floating HOME button that temporarily resolved the issue. Then I had a couple silent calls where neither party could hear each other. Then I turned it off for a reboot and it never came back on.

I am able to send and receive texts on the iPad using our WIFI. That's somewhat helpful till I'm fully back in service.

I'm not getting another iPhone. It's being replace with an android that comes with the USB-C power adaptor. It's a Umidigi Bison 2 Pro. Never heard of them before, and never used an android so it'll be interesting. I was looking at some 5G phones, but decided to cheap out because it appears 4G won't be going away for a while.

 

[Thunder chicken]

I recently made the switch from iPhone to an android (samsung). It's a learning curve for sure, different gestures, menus are a bit different, slightly different 'language', but overall I've been happy and wouldn't be in a rush to go back. Wr also have MacBook and iPad but never used the cloud or synced things together which i imagine has made the transition easier

 

[Mark_BX25D]

I was looking at some 5G phones, but decided to cheap out because it appears 4G won't be going away for a while.

That's correct. Verizon and AT&T bet big on mmWave, and it was a huge mistake. Coverage is pathetic. They will be a looong time catching up to T-Mo. First they need to acquire some decent spectrum, and that will take a while and a pile (of money). AT&T is complaining to the FCC, trying to get them to force T-Mo to give up some of theirs, but I don't see that happening.

It's a classic case of The Big Guys sitting on their laurels while the little guy eats their lunch.

4G is here for a few years, at least.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Once you go Android you'll never own/rent/lease another Apple product.... neighbour has both phone and tablet ,Android based.. EASY to use and he is NOT 'tech savvy'. Never fails,always works....

I got rid of the landline in the garage and USE the 'answering machine' feature all the time. If it's important ,leave a message...if it's really important, come to the garage. When I retired 3 decades ago I decided I would NOT be a slave to ANY phone......

 

[mattwithcats]

Give MagicJack application a look…

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I use their VOIP phone service as a landline, but have not tried their iPad application…