Why on earth does my iPad have to become an iPhone reflector getting all my voicemails? Can't stop it

Well…useless to you maybe, but anyway, if you don’t want that functionality, disable it.

On your phone, go to Settings - Apps - Phone - Calls on Other Devices - switch off Allow Calls on Other Devices

HappyMac2000 wrote:

You are not correct. The settings are completely turned off. No calls are going to the iPad, no messages are going to the iPad. The phone app remains locked on the home screen and receives notifications for ever call, the history and voicemail and has a useless dialer that does nothing after doing the touch tones.

If the previous setting did not stop your Notifications, Call History, and Voicemail, then go to Setting > [name on top] > iCloud, and turn off the toggle for Phone & FaceTime in the list of apps using iCloud.

The fact that the Phone app is supposed to be on your iPad with iOS 26 is correct, and it did not get transferred from your iPhone backup. The dialer will not work because you have chose to not link the iPhone and that is your choice. It is true the app cannot be deleted on the iPad, just like it cannot be deleted on the iPhone.

Remove or delete apps from iPad - Apple Support

HappyMac2000 wrote:

Turns out it's a carryover when you transfer your iPhone to an iPad. It adds a PHONE icon that you cant get rid of and you have now permanently linked your phone and iPad. A very poor feature design or bug, but it's not right. You can't delete it and it even has a dealer that makes touch tones but wont call anyone. Sadly you will get your call history here and voice mails for life. Horrible quality control issue that should remove this when it doers the transfer from the iPhone to the iPad. Bad testing Apple

Nope the app was not transferred from your iPhone backup. The phone app on the iPad is now part of iOS 26 and is intended to be there. You can check here for more information and a review of the new app.

https://slatepad.org/2025/07/03/ipad-phone-app-ipados-26/

For your issue, turn off the Setting provided to you in the previous post if you do not want any of your phone data shared from your iPhone. That happens when both use the same Apple Account, just like any other data that can be shared across both devices.