TextNow: New and Existing Customers: 1GB/Month Free Essential Data (Limited Apps)
Free
$5 Sim Kit Req'd for New Members
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TextNow is offering 1GB/Month Free Essential Data Plan (Limited Apps) for Free to new and current subscribers. New subscribers may order a Sim Kit for $4.99 (click the Get Sim button on the home page).
Thanks to community member ROB.E.REIN for finding this deal.
Plan Details:
With Free Essential Data, you can use most email, calendar, maps, notes, and rideshare apps without needing to be connected to Wi-Fi (see eligible apps on the details page)
TextNow app required
Make sure you're logged into an account with an active TextNow SIM card. If you have an active SIM in an area with cellular coverage available, you'll automatically have access to 1GB of Free Essential Data each month.
350MB of data per month at regular speeds, then you'll have access to data at slightly slower speeds up to 1GB.
This is in additional to the free texting/calls from via the TextNow app
TextNow's New "Free Essential Data" plan provides unlimited talk, text, and 1GB of data monthly for essential apps like email, maps, and rideshare. This plan is free except for a one-time $4.99 fee for the SIM card, and is supported by occasional ads. The first 350MB is at regular speeds, followed by slower speeds up to 1GB. Users can buy data passes starting at $0.99 for 300MB.
Last Edited by MisterDude
May 11, 2024
at
08:43 PM
If you already have a TextNow SIM card but find it no longer works you may need to update your APN settings inside your smartphone. One can use the TextNow support chatbot to get the new APN settings. These settings can also be found online in their support article: https://help.textnow.com/hc/en-us...er-network Once I input the new APN info data worked perfectly on older SIM and sure enough the app is showing my free essentials data because I used the app to activate the SIM several years back. Sweet deal!
As an experienced user of Textnow, those considering it should understand:
1) The usage requirement to keep your phone number alive and active seems to vary by area code, yet not specified to the user, although they do send out warning emails. It can vary from once every couple of weeks, to every couple of days. Once you lose your phone number, you can sign up for a new one.
2) Many, if not most of the SMS verification services will not work with Textnow numbers. I'm not going into all the details, but this is not a traditional carrier where your SIM card phone number is governed by the SIM card. In fact while there is a phone number associated to the SIM card, that number isn't usable to the customer. Instead Textnow assigns you another number, which is in effect a voice over IP number that it uses over your wifi connection, or when not present, Textnow's data connection.
3) They are notorious for suddenly cancelling your account if you have any use of a VPN on your phone. Apparently they view this as something non US users do to try to get a free Textnow account from overseas, and so cancel your account, without warning, upon detecting this.
4) The ads that are show on your phone, over time, are becoming more intrusive and more video orientated. Before, I hardly noticed the ads. Now they do bother me.
As such, I don't see this suitable for most people as their main cell number, but instead as something for a second, or backup phone, if you can accept the downsides to this service.
For those looking for onetime SMS verification, companies like SMSPool provide numbers you can rent for 24 hours or longer, that are guaranteed to work with the selected service. I needed one for a Claude Ai account initial setup and rented it for 36 cents.
So you're getting the SIM card AND 1GB of data every month, all for a 1 time $4.99 charge? Do the calls and texts use up the 1GB of data? How long will the 1GB/mo of data last for free?
I'm confused....when I go to sign up, I see nothing about an Free Essentials Plan with 1GB data/mo. Where is a link to that? In the app I downloaded, it goes straight to buying the SIM card. When do I pick the plan?
Where does it say anything about a free 1GB data/mo? Don't see that.
Edit: I found this page which explains the types of apps you can use the 1GB of data with. Apparently, it's NOT data that you can use for just anything you want to:
Seems like you'd burn through that 1GB pretty quick, using it for navigation?
I download offline maps and only use Google Maps data for traffic updates. It is a pain to download offline maps in patches in Google Maps or Apple Maps but fully offline open street maps like organic maps can't give traffic updates (and the search by business name is pretty much useless, you have to know the street address) so we have to put up with Google Maps for now.
Tl;Dr use Google Maps offline to cache your maps and make sure you set updates to only happen over WiFi.
This sounds sketchy. My first thought is that they are spying on your data. The fact that another commenter said that they disallow any vpn use only bolsters my belief that they are spying.
they deactivate old sims so you have buy new one its a scam
It's not a scam. It costs TextNow money to keep the SIM active. If you never use it, and they get no income from delivering ads to you, they decline to keep losing money on you.
Port in a number from anywhere, including Google Voice for $3, to TextNow. It's been said that this action will eliminate the inactivity timer. Porting in a number reportedly removes the inactivity timer, ensuring your number will no longer be suspended due to inactivity. Several comments attest to this, but there's no official mention of this on the TextNow website. If these comments are accurate, it would make sense that TextNow wouldn't openly disclose this, as it could potentially impact their profits.
As an experienced user of Textnow, those considering it should understand:
1) The usage requirement to keep your phone number alive and active seems to vary by area code, yet not specified to the user, although they do send out warning emails. It can vary from once every couple of weeks, to every couple of days. Once you lose your phone number, you can sign up for a new one.
2) Many, if not most of the SMS verification services will not work with Textnow numbers. I'm not going into all the details, but this is not a traditional carrier where your SIM card phone number is governed by the SIM card. In fact while there is a phone number associated to the SIM card, that number isn't usable to the customer. Instead Textnow assigns you another number, which is in effect a voice over IP number that it uses over your wifi connection, or when not present, Textnow's data connection.
3) They are notorious for suddenly cancelling your account if you have any use of a VPN on your phone. Apparently they view this as something non US users do to try to get a free Textnow account from overseas, and so cancel your account, without warning, upon detecting this.
4) The ads that are show on your phone, over time, are becoming more intrusive and more video orientated. Before, I hardly noticed the ads. Now they do bother me.
As such, I don't see this suitable for most people as their main cell number, but instead as something for a second, or backup phone, if you can accept the downsides to this service.
For the TextNow SIM card plan subscribers your number doesn't expire, even on the free SIM card based - app used for talk and text plan. I have a number that's bens on it for a few years. Tv Wy will send your email invoice each month for $0.00.
Wow this sounds perfect for my android head unit, does anyone use it for this or know if it would be an issue? Really just need maps to work, don't use it for anything else. Want to be able to just get in my car and it just works, already have to tether to do this as is and if there is extra steps involved every time I start my car it's not worth it. Is there any type of script that exists that automates sending a text to keep the number and account alive?
Wow this sounds perfect for my android head unit, does anyone use it for this or know if it would be an issue? Really just need maps to work, don't use it for anything else. Want to be able to just get in my car and it just works, already have to tether to do this as is and if there is extra steps involved every time I start my car it's not worth it. Is there any type of script that exists that automates sending a text to keep the number and account alive?
GitHub has several scripts related to TextNow, but they seem out of date. Many commenters recommend porting in a number to bypass the inactivity timer. Moreover, the post directly above yours suggests that merely paying for the SIM card invalidates the inactivity timer. However, this is the first time I've come across this suggestion. Another commenter mentioned having a TextNow phone in their car specifically for Google Maps. They didn't specify if they used a head unit or just the phone, but I believe it was just the phone. Also when starting your car, head unit turns on, TextNow phone already on, they connect and go go Google maps go!
Have 2 lines, both times it was about a week to get a SIM.
They also have eSIM but sometimes it's available and sometimes it's not
Quote
from ChaChing23
:
The SIM card was delivered in two days.
No, they did not send via FedEx.
No, it did not take more than a week.
I ordered on Tuesday, Oct 31 at 5:26 PM.
My SIM card was shipped the next day, Wednesday, Nov 1 via Amazon Shipping/Amazon Logistics.
My SIM card was delivered on Thursday, Nov 2 at 6:30 PM.
Ordered Hello Mobile. For five bucks worth a try.
We'll see which of those two delivery times is accurate. I expect the longer wait, but hope for the shorter.
For the TextNow SIM card plan subscribers your number doesn't expire, even on the free SIM card based - app used for talk and text plan. I have a number that's bens on it for a few years. Tv Wy will send your email invoice each month for $0.00.
How often do you use TN for either making calls or sending messages, @Dirt_Cheap? Are you stating your TN SIM card-based account never received TN reminders due to inactivities in years?
SIM gives you one month of number lock in. That's it.
I think different people have different results because some promotional number lock-ins from yesteryear might not be available today, and number lock-ins other than what TextNow is trying to sell to us aren't really advertised on their website, such as porting in your number to lock your number in.
I think different people have different results because some promotional number lock-ins from yesteryear might not be available today, and number lock-ins other than what TextNow is trying to sell to us aren't really advertised on their website, such as porting in your number to lock your number in.
Past promotions don't matter anymore. What I said is about today's situation - a new SIM gives one month number lock in. Port in number is an entirely different case. I was only talking about SIM case.
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1) The usage requirement to keep your phone number alive and active seems to vary by area code, yet not specified to the user, although they do send out warning emails. It can vary from once every couple of weeks, to every couple of days. Once you lose your phone number, you can sign up for a new one.
2) Many, if not most of the SMS verification services will not work with Textnow numbers. I'm not going into all the details, but this is not a traditional carrier where your SIM card phone number is governed by the SIM card. In fact while there is a phone number associated to the SIM card, that number isn't usable to the customer. Instead Textnow assigns you another number, which is in effect a voice over IP number that it uses over your wifi connection, or when not present, Textnow's data connection.
3) They are notorious for suddenly cancelling your account if you have any use of a VPN on your phone. Apparently they view this as something non US users do to try to get a free Textnow account from overseas, and so cancel your account, without warning, upon detecting this.
4) The ads that are show on your phone, over time, are becoming more intrusive and more video orientated. Before, I hardly noticed the ads. Now they do bother me.
As such, I don't see this suitable for most people as their main cell number, but instead as something for a second, or backup phone, if you can accept the downsides to this service.
I'm confused....when I go to sign up, I see nothing about an Free Essentials Plan with 1GB data/mo. Where is a link to that? In the app I downloaded, it goes straight to buying the SIM card. When do I pick the plan?
Where does it say anything about a free 1GB data/mo? Don't see that.
Edit: I found this page which explains the types of apps you can use the 1GB of data with. Apparently, it's NOT data that you can use for just anything you want to:
https://help.textnow.co
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Tl;Dr use Google Maps offline to cache your maps and make sure you set updates to only happen over WiFi.
1) The usage requirement to keep your phone number alive and active seems to vary by area code, yet not specified to the user, although they do send out warning emails. It can vary from once every couple of weeks, to every couple of days. Once you lose your phone number, you can sign up for a new one.
2) Many, if not most of the SMS verification services will not work with Textnow numbers. I'm not going into all the details, but this is not a traditional carrier where your SIM card phone number is governed by the SIM card. In fact while there is a phone number associated to the SIM card, that number isn't usable to the customer. Instead Textnow assigns you another number, which is in effect a voice over IP number that it uses over your wifi connection, or when not present, Textnow's data connection.
3) They are notorious for suddenly cancelling your account if you have any use of a VPN on your phone. Apparently they view this as something non US users do to try to get a free Textnow account from overseas, and so cancel your account, without warning, upon detecting this.
4) The ads that are show on your phone, over time, are becoming more intrusive and more video orientated. Before, I hardly noticed the ads. Now they do bother me.
As such, I don't see this suitable for most people as their main cell number, but instead as something for a second, or backup phone, if you can accept the downsides to this service.
For the TextNow SIM card plan subscribers your number doesn't expire, even on the free SIM card based - app used for talk and text plan. I have a number that's bens on it for a few years. Tv Wy will send your email invoice each month for $0.00.
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They also have eSIM but sometimes it's available and sometimes it's not
No, they did not send via FedEx.
No, it did not take more than a week.
I ordered on Tuesday, Oct 31 at 5:26 PM.
My SIM card was shipped the next day, Wednesday, Nov 1 via Amazon Shipping/Amazon Logistics.
My SIM card was delivered on Thursday, Nov 2 at 6:30 PM.
We'll see which of those two delivery times is accurate. I expect the longer wait, but hope for the shorter.
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Past promotions don't matter anymore. What I said is about today's situation - a new SIM gives one month number lock in. Port in number is an entirely different case. I was only talking about SIM case.