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TextNow: New and Existing Customers: 1GB/Month Free Essential Data (Limited Apps)
Free
$5 Sim Kit Req'd for New Membersat TextNow.com
$5 Sim Kit Req'd for New Membersat TextNow.comDeal Details
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:
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
Editor's Notes
Written by oceanlake- Please see the original post for additional details & give the WIKI and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
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:
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
Editor's Notes
Written by oceanlake- Please see the original post for additional details & give the WIKI and additional forum comments a read for helpful discussion.
Community Voting
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Top Comments
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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239 Comments
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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.
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1. **Download Maps for Offline Use:** Before you head out, download the maps of the areas you'll visit while you're connected to Wi-Fi. This means you won't use any data while navigating those downloaded areas.
2. **Use Wi-Fi Only Mode:** This setting ensures that Google Maps only connects to the internet when you're on Wi-Fi, preventing any data use when you're on mobile data.
3. **Disable Unrestricted Data Access:** In your phone settings, you can restrict Google Maps from using data in the background, which can save significant amounts of data.
4. **Avoid High Data Features:** Features like satellite view and live traffic updates use more data. Stick to simpler map views and try to avoid constantly zooming in and out or scrolling around unnecessarily.
These strategies should help make that 1GB go a lot further when using Google Maps for navigation. For detailed steps on setting these options, you might check out resources like Technipages or Mint Mobile's blog, which offer guides on reducing data usage for Google Maps.
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The best I can tell, is if you port in a number this no longer applies.
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.
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