TextNow uses T-Mobile network while you have no WIFI access, after you activate the SIM card. That is, you can make phone calls and send text messages through T-mobile cell towers when you are outside(on a highway for example), no monthly cost. You need to use their Ad-supported App(that's how they make money to cover free services for you).
Area with adequate T-Mobile coverage (check coverage https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/coverage-map)
Helpful tips from ptsder(Thanks!):
1. In the past, some TN accounts were offered "free data". A coworker got that offer. My account did not get the offer even though my TN account and phone number are older. There were some folks who claimed to have been offered 250 MB/month. IIRC, that was from 2 years ago. After that, some have gotten the "Essential Apps" data. Most recent offer is probably around the time mentioned in Anyone else get an email about essential data on their free plan. Seems to be Google maps, and Gmail... [reddit.com] which includes a link to a page that lists out what TN considers as "Essential Apps": Access to Essential Apps Plan Details [textnow.com]
To repeat: Not every TN account gets that offer. Have no idea how TN determines who gets the offer vs. not.
2. My TN account was from before COVID-19. Initially, messages containing verification codes were not blocked at all. IIRC, 6 to 12 months after, TN started blocking them behind paywall for me, including blocking Google verification codes. That seemed to be the trend with other `free providers', as well, such as TextFree. Recently, though, my TN account has been getting Google verification codes unblocked for several months now, without paying TN anything. Have no idea when that change happened. Never asked TN about it, either. Have not tried to check if any bank's 2FA verification code would go through and probably will never try.
3. Without a data plan, the "Google search" that several others mentioned is referring to being able to get the search result page from Google.com but most likely cannot drill through on the search results. E.g., you can do a search for "abc show" but cannot click through to visit https://abc.com/... that's likely ranked high in such search results.
4. Have not been able to find the definitive answer as to how often TN needs to be used to not get number recycled. Coworkers mentioned to be somewhere between 3 to 4 weeks, where TN will send reminder messages. It does not seem like every week or every other week as some SDers have mentioned earlier in this thread.
5. Am aware of 2 times when TN had offered SIM cards for no cost, both in 2022. First was around middle of January where the offer came through the TN application itself. Second was the end of that same year: TextNow SIM Card Activation Kit. If anybody else got theirs for no cost other than through during those 2 offer periods, would appreciate if you'd share, especially if there was a no-cost SIM offer in 2023.
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expiredsdsniffer posted Feb 15, 2024 9:39 AM
TextNow SIM Card Activation Kit for Free Nationwide Talk & Text w/ Ads
$1.00
$5.00
80% off
+ Free Shippingat TextNow.com
Top Comments
Keep in mind that after you start using TextNow's phone number assigned to you, you will need to use it once a while(make calls or send/receive text message) or you will lose the number. You can request for a new number though, so if you don't care about the number much like I do(I mostly make outgoing calls as a backup phone), then you don't worry about losing the number due to inactivity.
Hope that helps.
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