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My iPad uses cellular data instead of Wi-Fi. I have tried to find cellular data in settings but there is no option for that visible. My screen shows that I am connected to Wi-Fi but I am actually using my cellular.
iPad Pro, iPadOS 15
Start here:
If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch won’t connect to a Wi-Fi network - Apple Support
…and here:
Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points - Apple Support
If your WiFi has been set-up according to Apple’s recommended settings, WiFi and Internet connection difficulties are usually an indication that your device does not have a routable IP Address - your IP Address usually being assigned by DHCP. When this occurs, your iPad may only have a self-assigned link-local IP address that begins 169.254.x.x.
If you have a VPN App or profiles installed, or a security App such as Norton, these may be interfering with DHCP and preventing your device from obtaining a valid IP Address for your iPhone hotspot - or the WiFi network to which you are attempting to connect. The resolution is usually simple; if installed, you may only need to temporarily disable or remove the Security App and/or VPN.
DHCP is frequently used to automatically obtain an IP Address. Until your iPad has a valid IP Address to connect to your network, you will not have an internet connection. Disabling or removing VPN and/or the offending security App should allow DHCP to operate normally - allowing connection to your network and the internet.
If this resolves your issue, the VPN and/or security App can be reinstated after the connectivity problem has been resolved.
Start here:
If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch won’t connect to a Wi-Fi network - Apple Support
…and here:
Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points - Apple Support
If your WiFi has been set-up according to Apple’s recommended settings, WiFi and Internet connection difficulties are usually an indication that your device does not have a routable IP Address - your IP Address usually being assigned by DHCP. When this occurs, your iPad may only have a self-assigned link-local IP address that begins 169.254.x.x.
If you have a VPN App or profiles installed, or a security App such as Norton, these may be interfering with DHCP and preventing your device from obtaining a valid IP Address for your iPhone hotspot - or the WiFi network to which you are attempting to connect. The resolution is usually simple; if installed, you may only need to temporarily disable or remove the Security App and/or VPN.
DHCP is frequently used to automatically obtain an IP Address. Until your iPad has a valid IP Address to connect to your network, you will not have an internet connection. Disabling or removing VPN and/or the offending security App should allow DHCP to operate normally - allowing connection to your network and the internet.
If this resolves your issue, the VPN and/or security App can be reinstated after the connectivity problem has been resolved.
I receive text messages on my iPad so that indicated to me that there’s a cellular connection . Discussions with my cell provider confirm that I have a very high data usage for the amount of time I am on my phone. My Wi-Fi provider says it’s an Apple problem and Apple says it’s a provider problem.
Your iPad receiving text messages is not an indication of your iPad directly using a Cellular connection - as text messages received by your iPhone may relayed to your iPad using Apple’s Continuity features.
Information about Continuity and the relevant Cellular services can be found here:
Continuity
Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple Watch – Apple Support
SMS/MMS Messaging
WiFi Calling
Make a call with Wi-Fi Calling – Apple Support
If you have an iPhone - and both iPad and iPhone are signed-in to iCloud with the same AppleID - to send SMS/MMS messages (green bubbles) from your iPad you simply enable Text Message Forwarding for your iPad on your iPhone...
On your iPhone:
Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding - set to ON - and explicitly enable your iPad from the list of devices.
Also ensure that Messages in iCloud is enabled on both your iPhone and iPad:
Settings > [Your Name / AppleID] > Messages - set to ON
If your iPad is using your iPhone’s WiFi hotspot, instead of seeing the WiFi connection symbol at top-right of the screen, you will instead see the chain icon - that shows a “link” (chain-link) icon. All the status icons are described within the iPad User Guide; here is a link to the relevant page:
Learn the meaning of the iPad status icons - Apple Support
If there is no setting category “Cellular Data” on your iPad, that implies your iPad is a WiFi only model and does not have an cellular connection capability.
Since your device shows your on WiFi why do you think you’re using cellular data? Do you have an iPhone with hotspot enabled? Is that what your iPad is connecting to?
Text messages can be shared from an iPhone using iOS continuity or iCloud messaging. So if you have an iPhone, then an iPad does not need its own cellular data connection to send and receive SMS texts. And iMessage texts don’t need cellular data either as Apple’s iMessage service is an internet messaging service, so iMessage just needs an internet connection of one kind or another.
Again I mention that if your iPad was a WiFi+cellular model then there would be a settings menu for “Cellular Data”. If there is no such settings section, then you have a WiFi only iPad. But if you have a cellular phone and it is allowing hotspot connections then your iPad may be using that. Your iPad would indicate WiFi as a hotspot connection is a WiFi connection. Your data plan for the cellular phone would show high data use as the phone’s cellular hotspot connects to the internet over cellular data (it then allows other devices to share that connection via WiFi).
So what does your iPad say about the WiFi node it is connected to? And does your cell phone have cellular hotspot enabled on its settings?
My iPad uses cellular data instead of using Wi-Fi connection, but the icon connection indicates that Wi-Fi is on. When I go to settings there is no option for cellular. I want to eliminate using my cellular data.
