iPad FAQ: Some Messaging Questions Answered – Part 2 - reposted by Andre DiCioccio

In part 1 of this iPad FAQ, we went over some frequently asked questions about the iPad in terms of its messaging features. Specifically, we went over some of it emailing features. We discussed what type of email accounts were supported by the iPad, the types of attachments it supports, and also some questions about sending videos and photos via email. Today, we will continue with the messaging theme, with a discussion of some more emailing features, as well as the iPad’s usability as a device to send text messages.

Every time I send an email, the recipient can see the words “Sent from my iPad” at the bottom of the message. How do I get rid of this?

The actual reason why the iPad adds this line of text is unsure, but it is a followup to what the iPhone would put as well. Maybe it is a subliminal way to spread the message of the device’s capabilities to others? Regardless, you can remove it if you wish. In essence, the text is basically your email signature. To edit it, go to the iPad’s home screen. Go into the Settings, and from there select the Mail, Contacts, Calendar option. Next, look for the Signature option. Select it, and you will see the Sent from my iPad text. You can delete that, and make whatever custom signature you want. It can be you contact information, an interesting quote, or something of that nature. Once edited, the next time you send out an email, the recipient will see your new signature.

I loved my iPhone because it allowed me to send messages to my friend’s phones. Can I do this with the iPad?

Yes, you can. The iPad for the time being does not support text and multimedia messaging in the traditional sense, but if you are a bit crafty you can send messages to your friends’ phones using the iPad. The first way to text friends using the iPad is with the textPlus app. It is free, and it offers group texting as well as unlimited texting. Your friends do not need to have the app themselves to receive your messages. All they need is a standard cell phone with messaging capabilities.

The second way is a bit more complex, but it does work for messaging. You can use email to accomplish this. Simply compose your email message or add whatever attachment you want to send. When putting in the recipient’s address, enter their phone number, the @ symbol, and the suffix for their cell phone carrier. For instance, if your friend is a Sprint customer, and their phone number is 561-334-8978, you would enter their email address as 5613348978@messaging.sprintpcs.com. Even though you are sending the message via email, they will receive it on their phone as if it was a standard text or multimedia message. Keep in mind that to message in either one of these ways, you will need to be connected to the internet.