Slickdeals is community-supported.  We may get paid by brands for deals, including promoted items.
frontpage
frontpage
ROB.E.REIN 161K Views
May 11, 2024 11:37 AM

TextNow: New and Existing Customers: 1GB/Month Free Essential Data (Limited Apps)

Free

$5 Sim Kit Req'd for New Membersat TextNow.com
Get Deal at TextNow.com

Why are you downvoting this deal?

Good Deal?
238Comments
Save
Share
Deal 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:
  • 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
Additional Details:

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.

Original Post

Written by ROB.E.REIN
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:
  • 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
Additional Details:

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.

Original Post

Written by ROB.E.REIN

Community Voting

Deal Score
+134
Good Deal
Bad Deal

Why are you downvoting this deal?

Get Deal at TextNow.com

Top Comments

zigner
844Comments
319Reputation
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.
Go to Comment
luckygecko
7KComments
4.3KReputation
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.
Go to Comment
DallasGG
1.7KComments
642Reputation
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:

https://help.textnow.com/hc/en-us...ntial-Data
Go to Comment

Join The Conversation

Share your experience with the Slickdeals community

Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!

239 Comments

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

May 11, 2024 11:52 AM
1.9K Comments
Joined Mar 2008

This comment has been rated as unhelpful by Slickdeals users.

May 11, 2024 12:07 PM
2.4K Comments
Joined Mar 2005
buzzmanMay 11, 2024 12:07 PM
2.4K Comments
Quote from innatthepark View quoted comment :
Shows active on existing account which is accessible from IOS and Android devices. Didn't need to add SIM on IOS.
How do you get data without a SIM?
Original Poster
May 11, 2024 12:11 PM
6.1K Comments
Joined Nov 2013
ROB.E.REIN
Original Poster
May 11, 2024 12:11 PM
6.1K Comments
Quote from buzzman View quoted comment :
How do you get data without a SIM?
I think that's pretty much impossible. Everything I've read says you need to have a SIM card, and they don't support eSIM yet. I'm not sure what this guy is saying, but if you already have a SIM card, I believe you'll receive the free data automatically.
May 11, 2024 12:11 PM
1.9K Comments
Joined Mar 2008
innattheparkMay 11, 2024 12:11 PM
1.9K Comments
Quote from buzzman View quoted comment :
How do you get data without a SIM?
The original was on Android with a SIM. I was able to add the app to IOS and maintained the same account; now on 2 different devices.
5
Original Poster
May 11, 2024 12:18 PM
6.1K Comments
Joined Nov 2013
ROB.E.REIN
Original Poster
May 11, 2024 12:18 PM
6.1K Comments
Quote from innatthepark View quoted comment :
The original was on Android with a SIM. I was able to add the app to IOS and maintained the same account; now on 2 different devices.
Yeah, but I'm assuming that your iOS device is without a SIM card, so it won't have access to the free data, even though it's signed into the same account as your Android device with a SIM card. It can't access the free data without a SIM. However, since you already have an account with a SIM card on your Android device, it'll automatically be upgraded to the free data plan, based on what I've read and what you're saying.

So basically, your Android phone with a SIM card can access the free data, which was an automatic upgrade, but your iOS device without a SIM card can't access the data, even though they're both signed into the same account.
Last edited by ROB.E.REIN May 11, 2024 at 05:20 AM.
May 11, 2024 12:26 PM
1.7K Comments
Joined Sep 2005
asianman35May 11, 2024 12:26 PM
1.7K Comments
You still have to call and text through their app with this right ?
Original Poster
May 11, 2024 12:30 PM
6.1K Comments
Joined Nov 2013
ROB.E.REIN
Original Poster
May 11, 2024 12:30 PM
6.1K Comments

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank

Quote from asianman35 View quoted comment :
You still have to call and text through their app with this right ?
Unless something has changed, it would seem so.

For TextNow's free service, you must use the TextNow app to make calls and send texts. It relies on the app to provide these features, which are not available through your device's native phone and messaging apps.
4

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

May 11, 2024 12:31 PM
151 Comments
Joined Oct 2016
Pulvarize63May 11, 2024 12:31 PM
151 Comments
Quote from asianman35 View quoted comment :
You still have to call and text through their app with this right ?
That's right, i just tried calling from the regular phone app instead and it just says the subscriber you are trying to reach is unavailable. Only works if you call and text from their app. Data works fine via 5g though.
May 11, 2024 12:32 PM
2.4K Comments
Joined Mar 2005
buzzmanMay 11, 2024 12:32 PM
2.4K Comments

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank

Quote from asianman35 View quoted comment :
You still have to call and text through their app with this right ?
Yes, and you'll lose your number if you don't use every 30 days (or something like that). The SIM card coverage has Canada coverage, BTW.

I have an old SIM card from them that I haven't used in 2 years, and it no longer works.
2
May 11, 2024 12:37 PM
151 Comments
Joined Oct 2016
Pulvarize63May 11, 2024 12:37 PM
151 Comments
Quote from buzzman View quoted comment :
Yes, and you'll lose your number if you don't use every 30 days (or something like that). The SIM card coverage has Canada coverage, BTW.

I have an old SIM card from them that I haven't used in 2 years, and it no longer works.
I think they have significantly reduced the amount of time you have to call or text in order to keep the number active. I started getting weekly reminders to use it or I'd lose the number and their website states that you should use it at least once every 2 days to fully ensure it doesn't get deleted.

https://www.textnow.com/blog/keep...now-number
2
May 11, 2024 12:47 PM
2.3K Comments
Joined Nov 2016
holly_mollyMay 11, 2024 12:47 PM
2.3K Comments
I have not used their service but can I use their sim in iPad for perhaps navigation etc while driving with one time cost of $5?
1
May 11, 2024 12:52 PM
2.4K Comments
Joined Mar 2005
buzzmanMay 11, 2024 12:52 PM
2.4K Comments
Quote from holly_molly View quoted comment :
I have not used their service but can I use their sim in iPad for perhaps navigation etc while driving with one time cost of $5?
Yes, but you'll still need to use their app to send out a text every few days to keep your account active.

Here's the info about the free data. You only get 350MB of high speed. The remaining 650MB is slow speed (2G/3G?)

https://help.textnow.com/hc/en-us...ntial-Data
May 11, 2024 12:58 PM
365 Comments
Joined Sep 2007
RichpocketMay 11, 2024 12:58 PM
365 Comments
Anyone tries to combine this with Google Voice?
1
2
May 11, 2024 12:59 PM
1.9K Comments
Joined Nov 2022
L97May 11, 2024 12:59 PM
1.9K Comments
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this more or less Google Voice but paying $5 for 'free' data? If you have to use their app, it leverages data so 1gb won't go far if you use that for all calls, texts, and whatever entertainment unless you're on WiFi 24/7 and in that case just use Google Voice
2

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

May 11, 2024 1:01 PM
8.2K Comments
Joined Nov 2010
MusicSharkMay 11, 2024 1:01 PM
8.2K Comments
Need to use the ads app.

Join The Conversation

Share your experience with the Slickdeals community

Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!

Related Searches

Tech & ElectronicsPhonesCell Phone Plans & ServicesTextNow.com