14 DAY TRIAL // iMessage (found in the Messages app on virtually every Apple product these days) is one of the coolest things ever. It lets you text your friends and family all day long with an intuitive conversation flow, file sharing, and emojis using nothing but the Internet.
You might not know this but your iPad or iPod touch can do the trick just as well as the iPhone. All you need to do is link your Apple ID for use with FaceTime and iMessage on these non-phone devices and you’ll be up and running in seconds.
Turn your other iDevices into texting machines
If you only have an iPad or an iPod touch, you can use Messages with an email address, multiple email addresses, and/or an actual phone number. If you also have an iPhone with a SIM card in it, you can link its number to those other devices and pretend to be using your phone, when in fact you’re using the iPad / iPod touch.
For this, you’ll need an iPad 2 or newer or an iPod touch 4th-generation or newer.
Go to Settings > Messages and punch in your Apple ID and password. Select Sign In and now choose the account you want to use on that device. There could be one or more, so pick which one you want and hit the Next button at the top right of the screen. Wait for the device to verify the information.
At the following screen, select Send & Receive. There, you’ll see all the addresses and the phone number associated with your Apple ID. Tick the ones you want to use and you’re done. Your iPad / iPod touch can now do text messaging.
Let us know how this guide worked for you in the comments, and don’t forget to check out other tutorials and how-tos on our Tips & Tricks section.