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Set up Messages on iPad

In the Messages app, you can send text messages in two different ways:

  • Using iMessage with others who also use iMessage. Your iMessage texts appear in blue bubbles.

  • With SMS, MMS, and RCS messages forwarded from your iPhone. Your SMS, MMS, and RCS messages appear in green bubbles. See Choose other devices for SMS/MMS/RCS messaging in the iPhone User Guide. (RCS messages aren’t supported by all carriers or in all countries or regions.)

For more information, see the Apple Support article What is the difference between iMessage, RCS, and SMS/MMS? and the iOS and iPadOS Feature Availability website.

Turn on iMessage

  1. Go to Settings  > Apps > Messages.

  2. Turn on iMessage.

  3. To select which of your phone numbers and email addresses you want to use with iMessage, go to Settings > Apps > Messages, tap Send & Receive, then choose from the available options below “You can receive iMessages to and reply from.”

Learn more about iMessage.

Sync messages on all your Apple devices

When you turn on Messages in iCloud, messages you send and receive on your iPad are saved in iCloud. When you sign in to the same Apple Account and turn on Messages in iCloud on another device, your conversations show up there too.

  1. Go to Settings  > [your name] > iCloud, then tap See All next to Saved to iCloud.

  2. Turn on Messages (if it’s not already turned on).

If you have an iPhone, you can set it up so that when you send or receive an SMS, MMS, or RCS message, it also appears on your iPad. See Choose other devices for SMS, MMS, and RCS messaging in the iPhone User Guide.

After you turn on Messages in iCloud, any messages or attachments you delete from iPad are also deleted from your other Apple devices (iOS 11.4, iPadOS 13, macOS 10.13.5, watchOS 1, visionOS 1, or later) where Messages in iCloud is turned on. See Set up iCloud for Messages on all your devices in the iCloud User Guide.

Note: Messages in iCloud uses iCloud storage. See Sign in and manage your Apple Account.

Share your name and photo

In Messages, you can share your name and photo with others. You decide whether to share it whenever you send or receive a message from someone new.

  1. Go to the Messages app on your iPad.

  2. In the Messages conversation list, do one of the following:

    • Tap Edit in the top-left corner.

    • Tap the More button in the top-right corner.

  3. Tap Set Up Name & Photo, turn on Name & Photo Sharing, then change any of the following:

    • Your picture: Tap Edit below the circle, then choose an option. Your photo can be a Memoji, emoji, or custom image.

    • Your name: Tap Name.

    • Who can see your name and picture: Tap Share Automatically, then choose an option.

To change your name, picture, or who can see them after you set them up, tap Edit or the More button, then tap Name & Photo.

Note: Your name and photo may not appear as expected when you send messages to recipients who are using non-Apple devices.

See alsoApple Support article: Add or remove your phone number in Messages or FaceTimeSend and reply to messages on iPadChange message notifications on iPad
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