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set up cellular data on ipad air gen 4

how do I set up cellular data on my ipad air 4th generation?



iPad, iOS 9

Posted on Oct 19, 2021 1:26 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 19, 2021 4:29 PM

ALZV wrote:

Please clarify something for me, if you cannot receive phone calls or texts to the number associated with an iPad SIM, what is it used for? Looks like this feature is not what I had hoped. Thanks so much for your input, much appreciated.

IF you want to text or call on the ipad, you will need an iphone to set this up Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch - Apple Support


Adding cellular allows you to use the ipad on via cellular data, not make calls or text, you could use facetime or imessage.

10 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 19, 2021 4:29 PM in response to ALZV

ALZV wrote:

Please clarify something for me, if you cannot receive phone calls or texts to the number associated with an iPad SIM, what is it used for? Looks like this feature is not what I had hoped. Thanks so much for your input, much appreciated.

IF you want to text or call on the ipad, you will need an iphone to set this up Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch - Apple Support


Adding cellular allows you to use the ipad on via cellular data, not make calls or text, you could use facetime or imessage.

Oct 19, 2021 2:13 PM in response to ALZV

What is the model number that starts with A of the iPad under Settings->General->About->Model? Link-> Identify your iPad model - Apple Support


If it's a cellular model, there's nothing to activate on the iPad by Apple. Consumer Cellular should just need to issue you a SIM card with their service you can insert into the iPad's SIM card slot.


If its a Wi-Fi only model, then it cannot use cellular service directly as it lacks the hardware for it.


Link-> Set up cellular data service on your Wi-Fi + Cellular model iPad - Apple Support

Oct 19, 2021 6:08 PM in response to ALZV

ALZV wrote:

Please clarify something for me, if you cannot receive phone calls or texts to the number associated with an iPad SIM, what is it used for? Looks like this feature is not what I had hoped. Thanks so much for your input, much appreciated.

Did you mean to ask what the SIM is used for or what the number is used for? Others have answered what the SIM is used for. I'll talk about what the number is used for.


The number associated with the iPad SIM is for the company to track billing, data routing, and the like. It has no use to the end user except when we need to talk to the carrier about which specific line on our account we mean. (My family account has four data-only devices on it. I wouldn't want them to disconnect my iPad when I meant my wife's Watch.)

set up cellular data on ipad air gen 4

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