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We all need a phone number, but they aren’t a public good. They cost money. TextNow promises you a phone number and cell service for free, as long as you’re willing to look at ads.
Sounds great, but does it deliver on its promise?
What ls TextNow?
TextNowis a mobile app available for Android and iOS that allows you to send SMS messages and place calls over the web for free. If you order a SIM card, you can also get free cellular service and data.
And yes, this is all true. I’ve downloaded TextNow, created a number, sent messages, and placed calls without sending TextNow any money. The only time I’ve had to dip into my wallet was to order a SIM card, which cost $5.
But I can’t say I’ve enjoyed any aspect of the experience; how much you will depends on your tolerance for ads.
How Good Is the TextNow Service?
Millions of people have downloaded TextNow since its founding in 2009. I can see why.
The app works. Getting a number was painless, and I haven’t had any issues sending or receiving texts. The app feels like your phone’s built-in messaging app and dialer mashed into one. I feel pretty confident I could hand this app to anyone who has never used a smartphone, and they could quickly figure it out.
Placing and receiving phone calls haven’t been an issue either in my limited time trying out the service, at least in terms of call quality. Whether over Wi-Fi or the free LTE connection, calls came in clear enough for my needs. However, when I called my actual number, my daily phone displayed the incoming call as suspected spam. Then, when I called my mom, her phone didn’t give her such a warning. Your mileage may vary.
If you order a SIM card, you get free “essential” data to cover email, maps, and rideshare apps. You can get more and faster data via TextNow, but not for free.
How Annoying Are the Ads?
The app is absolutely inundated with ads. How you feel about those ads and ads in general will determine whether this is an app you can get by with.
When you start a conversion, ads pop up in your message thread. Sometimes, you will need to sit through a full-screen ad, which is especially common after ending a call.
Ads make TextNow a hard pass for me. That said, I consider the ad-free price of any streaming service to be the base price because I do not put up with ads when given a choice. Ads, to me, make cable television unbearable. I don’t like ads in podcasts or magazines. There’s no way I’m going to inject ads into areas that haven’t traditionally had ads, like in my dialer or messaging app. That’s a complete non-starter.
Yet I know dealing with ads sure beats not having a number at all, especially if you’re one of the vast majority of people who, unlike me, prefer to use ad-supported apps than download an ad-free paid version.
Why You Shouldn’t Give TextNow Any Money
TextNow will attempt to upcharge you during just about every moment of using the app. With few exceptions, you’re being grossly overcharged.
If you want to lock in your number so that you don’t lose it due to inactivity (and you would also like to receive two-factor authentication codes), it costs $2 a week or $8 a month. You aren’t paying for cellular service for that amount, and you still get ads.
If you want to do without ads, ad-free+ costs $7 per week to remove ads and lock in your number. That’s $28 per month for an internet-only number! Whether or not you choose to order a SIM is an entirely separate affair.
That amount of money is enough to get an unlimited data plan from an MVNO, which will also supply you with faster speeds and also lack any ads.Visible’s $25 planwill land you unlimited ad-free calls, text, and 5G data for less money.
If you’re trying to save a buck, you canget a Red Pocket planthat will lock down a number and provide unlimited calls for $10 a month (or around $8.33 if you pay for a year of service upfront). You canget a Tello SIM cardfor a similar amount of money.
If you want to use data, the prices are even more egregious for anything other than rare, occasional usage. An hour of unlimited data sets you back a buck, which is fine if you are almost always on Wi-Fi and just need data in a pinch. A day of data (which the small print says is actually 2GB of high-speed data that gets throttled after) is $5. If you only need data for one day in the month, that price isn’t great, but it’s tolerable. A full month of unlimited data costs $40, and it throttle after the first 10GB! At that point, you’re paying postpaid carrier prices yet getting just a fraction of the data!
Like the rent-to-own economy in general, TextNow is primed to take advantage of people who can’t afford big upfront payments by allowing them to make smaller payments that add up to far, far more money in the end.
Should You Use TextNow?
TextNow is a tricky service for me to recommend. On the one hand, if you’re a teen without access to your own credit card, it makes a certain sense. I’d have probably used this in high school.
Likewise, if you’re struggling to keep a mainline active, it makes sense to have TextNow as a fallback for hard times.
Yet TextNow feels primed to take advantage of people who aren’t aware of how many cheap MVNOs there are out there (and thebenefits of switching to an MVNO), as well as those who are unlikely to do the math about how much those small weekly payments actually add up to. In short, the people TextNow could help most are also those I’m most cautious about sharing it with.
I’d say you’re much better offgrabbing the nearest Mint Mobile SIMfrom your local corner store, but if that’s not an option for whatever reason, or you’re just looking for a burner number without needing to buy a burner phone, then—and only then—would I recommend TextNow.
