How to Make Calls From an iPad (With or Without an iPhone)

Yes, you can make calls from an iPad, but how depends on what else you own. If you have an iPhone, your iPad can place and answer normal phone calls through it over Wi-Fi. Without an iPhone, you can call other app users with FaceTime or WhatsApp, or use a browser calling service to reach any landline or mobile, including numbers abroad.

An iPad has no phone number of its own. Even a cellular iPad's plan is a data plan, so it cannot dial a regular call by itself. To reach a phone number, it has to borrow a line: your iPhone's plan or a pay-per-minute calling service. FaceTime and WhatsApp skip the phone network entirely, which is why they only reach other app users.

Which method works for you?

What you have	Call another app user	Call a US phone number	Call a number abroad
iPad plus iPhone on the same Apple Account	FaceTime Audio, WhatsApp	Yes, through your iPhone's plan	Yes, but billed at your carrier's international rates
iPad only (Wi-Fi or cellular)	FaceTime Audio, WhatsApp	Only with a calling app or browser service	Only with a calling app or browser service
iPad plus an Android phone	FaceTime Audio, WhatsApp	Not through the Android phone	Only with a calling app or browser service

The third row trips people up. Apple's call relay feature only works with an iPhone, so an Android phone in your pocket does not help your iPad ring.

Method 1: Relay calls through your iPhone

This is the closest thing to a real phone on your iPad. The call goes out through your iPhone and your carrier plan, shows your normal number as caller ID, and costs exactly what it would cost on the iPhone itself. Apple's requirements, from its support page on calls on other devices:

• Both devices are signed in to the same Apple Account.
• Both have Wi-Fi turned on and are on the same Wi-Fi network.
• Your iPhone has an active carrier plan.
• FaceTime is on, with your phone number ticked under "You can be reached by FaceTime at" on both devices.
• The devices are near each other. Apple's iPad guide says within 30 feet (10 meters).
• If you use a VPN, it must not block local network traffic, or relay calling can fail.

Set it up on your iPhone

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Phone.
3. Tap Calls on Other Devices and turn on Allow Calls on Other Devices.
4. In the list of devices, turn on your iPad.

Set it up on your iPad

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps, then tap FaceTime.
3. Check that FaceTime is on and signed in with the same Apple Account as your iPhone.
4. Turn on Calls from iPhone.

Place the call

Once both switches are on, you can tap any phone number in Contacts, Calendar, FaceTime, Messages or Safari to call it. To dial a number by hand, use the Phone app. Recent versions of iPadOS have one on iPad, and Apple's iPad guide says that if it is missing, you can download it from the App Store. Open it, tap the keypad, type the number and tap call. If your iPhone has two lines (Dual SIM), the call goes out on your default voice line.

Incoming calls show up as a notification on the iPad. Swipe or tap to answer.

When your iPhone is not nearby: Wi-Fi Calling on other devices

Relay calling stops working once your iPhone leaves the Wi-Fi network. If your carrier supports Wi-Fi Calling on other devices, your iPad can keep making calls on your number even when the iPhone is at home and you are not. Apple's Wi-Fi Calling article gives the steps:

1. On your iPhone, open Settings and tap Cellular.
2. Tap Wi-Fi Calling and turn on Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone.
3. Go back, tap Calls on Other Devices, and turn on your iPad in the list.
4. On the iPad, make sure Calls from iPhone is on (Settings, Apps, FaceTime).

To call, open FaceTime on the iPad, tap New FaceTime, enter the number, and tap the Audio call button. Not every carrier offers this, and not every Wi-Fi network allows Wi-Fi Calling, so test it before you rely on it.

One thing Wi-Fi Calling does not change is the price. Calls to US numbers use your plan minutes. Calls to foreign numbers bill at your carrier's international rate, even from an iPad on hotel Wi-Fi. Our guide to whether Wi-Fi calling is free internationally explains where that catches people.

Method 2: FaceTime Audio and other apps

If the person you want to call also uses an iPhone, iPad or Mac, FaceTime Audio is the simplest option. It works on any iPad, needs no iPhone and no SIM, and only uses data.

1. Open the FaceTime app.
2. Tap New FaceTime.
3. Type the person's name, phone number or email address.
4. Tap the Audio button for a voice call, or FaceTime for video.

WhatsApp, Signal, Messenger and similar apps work the same way: both people need the app. They are free over Wi-Fi, but they cannot reach a landline, a business switchboard, a hotel front desk or anyone who has not installed the app. Apple also notes that FaceTime is not available in every country or region.

Method 3: Call real phone numbers from Safari

For everything app calls cannot reach, you need a service that connects your iPad to the regular phone network. You can do this without installing anything, from Safari.

BoraPhone is one example: it calls landlines and mobiles in 180+ countries from a browser tab on an iPad, laptop or phone, over any internet connection. You do not need an iPhone or a SIM, so it works on a Wi-Fi-only iPad. Credit is pay-as-you-go in US dollars from $5, the rate shows before you dial, billing is per minute (rounded up to the next minute), and your first call is free.

A call from an iPad in Safari goes like this:

1. Open Safari and go to the calling service's website. Sign in or create an account.
2. Allow microphone access when Safari asks. Without it, the other person will not hear you.
3. Type the number in international format: the country code, then the number without its leading zero. A UK mobile written 07xxx xxxxxx becomes 44 7xxx xxxxxx.
4. Check the per-minute rate on screen, then tap call.
5. Hang up in the browser tab when you are done.

What a call from an iPad costs

Rates below are BoraPhone's at the time of writing (October 2026). Follow the country link for the live price, since rates change.

Calling from an iPad to	Landline	Mobile	A 10-minute call (landline)
United States or Canada	from $0.04/min	shown in the dialer	from $0.40
United Kingdom	$0.04/min	$0.07/min	$0.40
Mexico	$0.04/min	$0.11/min	$0.40
Germany	$0.07/min	$0.10/min	$0.70
India	$0.11/min	$0.11/min	$1.11

The full list is on the rates page. Some routes cost much more: a 10-minute call to a Philippine mobile is about $6.50 and to a Nigerian landline about $5.10. If you call those countries often, a carrier add-on, a calling card or an app call to someone who has the app will usually be cheaper.

Can a Wi-Fi-only iPad make phone calls?

Yes, with limits. A Wi-Fi-only iPad can:

• relay calls through an iPhone on the same Wi-Fi and Apple Account,
• make Wi-Fi Calling calls on your iPhone's number, if your carrier supports it,
• make FaceTime Audio and app calls to other app users, and
• call any landline or mobile through a browser or app calling service.

What it cannot do is get its own carrier phone number or place a call when it has no internet. A cellular iPad does not change much: it can do all of the above away from Wi-Fi using mobile data, but it still does not make regular carrier calls on its own.

Sound and microphone tips for iPad calls

• Use wired or Bluetooth earphones. On speaker, the other person may hear an echo of their own voice. Earphones with a microphone fix that, and keep the call private.
• Keep the microphone uncovered. iPad cases and keyboard covers sometimes sit over the microphones. If the other person says you sound muffled, take the iPad out of the case or check where your model's microphones are.
• Check Safari's microphone permission. If you tapped Don't Allow by mistake, open Settings, tap Apps, then Safari, find the microphone option in the website settings and set it to Ask or Allow. Then reload the page.
• Stay on strong Wi-Fi. Voice uses little data, but a weak signal causes gaps. If hotel Wi-Fi is poor, a mobile hotspot from your phone is often steadier.
• Pause big downloads. A film download or a 4K stream on the same Wi-Fi competes with your call.

Why is my iPad not ringing when my iPhone rings?

When relay calling stops working, it is usually one of these:

1. Different Apple Accounts. Check that the iPad and iPhone are signed in to the same Apple Account for FaceTime and iCloud.
2. Different Wi-Fi networks. If one device is on a guest network, or the iPhone has dropped to mobile data, relay calling stops. Join both to the same network.
3. A switch is off. Check Allow Calls on Other Devices on the iPhone (and that the iPad is ticked in the list), and Calls from iPhone on the iPad.
4. Too far apart. Without Wi-Fi Calling on other devices, the iPhone has to be close by.
5. A VPN is in the way. Apple warns that a VPN that blocks local networking can interfere. Turn it off and try again.
6. Old software. Apple recommends updating both devices to the latest version.

If you mostly call from a laptop, our guide to calling from your computer covers the same choices on a Mac or PC, and there is a separate guide for calling from a Chromebook. For dialing formats and costs on the phone itself, see international calls on iPhone.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my iPad to make phone calls without an iPhone?

Yes, but not through a carrier. Without an iPhone you can make FaceTime Audio or WhatsApp calls to other app users, and you can call real landlines and mobiles through a browser or app calling service over Wi-Fi. Relay calling and Wi-Fi Calling on other devices both need an iPhone with an active plan.

Can an iPad have a phone number?

Not a carrier phone number for calls, because a cellular iPad's plan is for data. You can use your iPhone's number on the iPad through relay calling. Some internet calling services also sell virtual numbers that ring on the iPad while their app or browser tab is open.

Is Wi-Fi Calling on an iPad free?

Calls to US numbers use your iPhone plan's minutes, the same as a call made on the iPhone. Calls to foreign numbers are billed at your carrier's international rates, whether you are on Wi-Fi or not. FaceTime Audio and app-to-app calls only use data.

Can I make an international call from my iPad?

Yes. Through your iPhone, the call is billed at your carrier's international rate. Through a browser calling service, you pay that service's per-minute rate, which is often a few cents a minute to the UK, Mexico or Western Europe. Dial the country code followed by the number without its leading zero.