To stop text messages from going to your iPad, open Settings on the iPad, tap Apps > Messages, and turn off iMessage. That stops blue-bubble iMessages. To stop green-bubble texts (SMS, MMS and RCS), go to your iPhone’s Settings > Apps > Messages > Text Message Forwarding and turn off your iPad. To stop phone calls, go to your iPhone’s Settings > Apps > Phone > Calls on Other Devices and turn off your iPad.
This guide covers iPhone and iPad on iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. It explains why your messages show up on your iPad, how to stop each kind of message and call, how to keep iMessage on the iPad without your phone number, what to do when someone else uses your iPad, and how to just silence alerts. The steps come from Apple’s Set up Messages on iPad guide and related Apple support pages, checked in October 2026.
Why Your Texts Show Up on Your iPad
Apple explains that the Messages app on iPad gets messages in two ways:
- iMessage (blue bubbles). The iPad receives these directly when it’s signed in to the same Apple Account and iMessage is on.
- SMS, MMS and RCS (green bubbles). These only reach the iPad when your iPhone forwards them.
A third setting can also bring messages over: Messages in iCloud. Apple says that when it’s on, your whole message history, including SMS, MMS, RCS and iMessage, stays up to date on every device signed in to that Apple Account with it turned on. Calls are separate again. Your iPhone can relay calls to the iPad, and FaceTime can ring there on its own.
So stopping everything can take a few switches. The table below shows which one does what.
| To stop | Device | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Blue iMessages | iPad | Settings > Apps > Messages > iMessage |
| Green SMS/MMS/RCS texts | iPhone | Settings > Apps > Messages > Text Message Forwarding |
| Synced message history | iPad | Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Messages |
| Phone calls | iPhone | Settings > Apps > Phone > Calls on Other Devices |
| FaceTime calls | iPad | Settings > Apps > FaceTime |
How to Stop iMessages From Going to Your iPad
- Open Settings on your iPad. Result: the Settings menu opens.
- Tap Apps, then tap Messages. Result: the Messages settings appear.
- Turn off iMessage. Result: the iPad stops sending and receiving iMessages.
Turning off iMessage on the iPad doesn’t change your iPhone. You’ll still get every message there.
How to Stop Green-Bubble Texts From Going to Your iPad
- Open Settings on your iPhone. Result: the Settings menu opens.
- Tap Apps > Messages. Result: the Messages settings appear.
- Tap Text Message Forwarding. Result: you see a list of your other devices.
- Turn off your iPad. Result: SMS, MMS and RCS messages stop appearing on the iPad.
If only blue messages show up on your iPad, this is why: forwarding is off. Turn it back on here if you want green texts too.
Keep iMessage on the iPad, but Not Your Phone Number
Maybe you like using Messages on your iPad with your email address, but you don’t want texts sent to your phone number to appear there. Apple’s phone number article explains how to turn off just your number:
- On your iPad, open Settings and tap Apps > Messages. Make sure iMessage is on. Result: the Messages settings appear.
- Tap Send & Receive. Result: you see the phone numbers and email addresses the iPad can use.
- In the “You can be reached” section, uncheck your phone number. Result: messages to your number stop appearing on the iPad.
- For FaceTime, go to Settings > Apps > FaceTime and uncheck your phone number there too. Result: FaceTime calls to your number stop ringing on the iPad.
How to Stop Phone Calls From Ringing on Your iPad
Apple’s calls and texts on iPad guide explains that your iPhone relays calls to devices you allow. To stop it:
- Open Settings on your iPhone. Result: the Settings menu opens.
- Tap Apps > Phone. Result: the Phone settings appear.
- Tap Calls on Other Devices. Result: you see your other devices.
- Turn off your iPad, or turn off Allow Calls on Other Devices to stop calls on all of them. Result: your iPad stops ringing for iPhone calls.
FaceTime calls are separate. If your iPad still rings for FaceTime, open Settings > Apps > FaceTime on the iPad and uncheck the phone number or email address you don’t want to be reached at.
If Someone Else Uses Your iPad
This is the most common reason people want texts off the iPad, such as a child using a parent’s iPad. Apple warns that if you share your Apple Account with someone, you can’t prevent them from seeing your conversations. It recommends setting up Family Sharing instead of sharing one Apple Account.
If the iPad will stay with someone else, Apple says you can remove your number completely. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Send & Receive, select your Apple Account at the bottom and tap Sign Out. Then go to Settings > Apps > FaceTime, tap your Apple Account and choose Sign Out.
Apple adds that if your number belongs to an iPhone you can’t access, changing your Apple Account password removes all phone numbers from your iPad and Mac.
Stop Your Message History From Syncing
Even with iMessage and forwarding off, Messages in iCloud can keep your conversation history on the iPad. Apple’s steps to manage it on iPad are:
- Open Settings on your iPad, tap your name, then tap iCloud. Result: your iCloud settings appear.
- Tap Messages. If you don’t see it, tap See All in the Saved to iCloud section. Result: the Messages in iCloud setting appears.
- Turn off Use on this iPad. Result: your conversations stop syncing to this iPad.
Just Want Fewer Alerts?
If you’re happy to have messages on the iPad but don’t want it buzzing, Apple’s notification guide says to go to Settings > Notifications > Messages and turn off Allow Notifications. You’ll still get your messages, but without alerts. Apple notes that senders may see a note that you have notifications silenced. To change what shows while the iPad is locked, see how to adjust iPad Lock Screen message previews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off iMessage on my iPad affect my iPhone?
No. The iPad setting only affects the iPad. Your iPhone keeps receiving all your messages.
Why do my texts still appear on my iPad after I turned off iMessage?
Green-bubble texts come from Text Message Forwarding on your iPhone, and older conversations can come from Messages in iCloud. Turn off both.
Do my iPhone and iPad need the same Apple Account?
For messages and calls to appear on the iPad, yes. Apple says both devices must be signed in to the same Apple Account, and for calls they need to be on the same Wi-Fi network.
Can I stop texts from one person going to my iPad?
The settings above apply to all your messages, so there isn’t a switch for one person. You can still mute that conversation on the iPad: in Messages, swipe left on it and tap the alerts button.
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Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.