TextNow: New and Existing Customers: 1GB/Month Free Essential Data (Limited Apps)
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$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:
I have textnow SIM on my old Android 9 unlocked phone.
My phone doesn't support 5g, 4g LTE is max I would get I was thinking.
I am still showing 2g which I have had in the past also but data never worked actually.
Can anyone else using TextNow on a non-5g phone confirm if getting 4g LTE data?
TIA
yes I get 4g LTE on my moto g pure with my TextNow sim
I have textnow SIM on my old Android 9 unlocked phone.
My phone doesn't support 5g, 4g LTE is max I would get I was thinking.
I am still showing 2g which I have had in the past also but data never worked actually.
Can anyone else using TextNow on a non-5g phone confirm if getting 4g LTE data?
TIA
I have a Motorola moto g6
I am getting 4G LTE data. I opened up Google Maps. Seems to be working. A bit slow for Google Maps to detect that I was online.
I put the $.99 sim from the last deal into my old unlock galaxy note 8 a few days ago. With wifi and data off, can't make/receive calls or text. Data on, it works fine. I don't even know where that data I used for calls came from. It doesn't say anything about free data on my account. Will I be charged later?
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.
Whilst I agree with your points (I've used TextNow but not the SIM), I will say that DNS adblocking (Pi-Hole, NextDNS, RethinkDNS, AdAway, etc) may be beneficial to alleviate the issues with ads.
Great racket they've got going. Give free calls and text but make you watch ads..give free data for the ads so there advertisers know there ads are gonna get watched or heard before the phone call. Just enough to run the ads for your advertisers.
I always click their ads and sometimes I create accounts and use their TextNowPerks services. I'm using their service for free, so that's the way I support them.
Thanks to all who confirmed 4gLTE working. I just now updated my textnow app. it is showing essentials plan is active but still not getting any data. This is on LG g7 running on Android 9.
I have a textnow phone number with SIM card. I am trying to use WHATSAPP with this number but Whatsapp is not able to recognize my Textnow number as a valid phone number and cannot install whatsapp. Any workaround for this?
they are not, they classified as voip which means most services block them for SMS verification purposes, and top of that your number only works when using it from their app
Also isn't this whole concept against net neutrality rules?
I bought the number in the app for 4,99 and since then it works with verification and it doesn't expire if I don't use it. It's worth for me combined with the free calling and texting when you bought a SIM and have it in your phone. So it is a great backup service. Uses the T-Mobile network.
I have a textnow phone number with SIM card. I am trying to use WHATSAPP with this number but Whatsapp is not able to recognize my Textnow number as a valid phone number and cannot install whatsapp. Any workaround for this?
I bought the number in the app for 4,99 and since then it works with verification and it doesn't expire if I don't use it.
I've had TextNow for several years and signed up for the free cell phone account when it started. TextNow offered data but charged for it. However, I noticed that I had data already because I started getting messages over my phone when I drove down the freeway using GPS. I mentioned this to an acquaintance who is an engineer with AT&T. He told me I probably had data all along.
I bought the number in the app for 4,99 and since then it works with verification and it doesn't expire if I don't use it. It's worth for me combined with the free calling and texting when you bought a SIM and have it in your phone. So it is a great backup service. Uses the T-Mobile network.
Yeah no, something doesn't app. You're saying you bought the number for $4.99 as a one time fee or $4.99 monthly fee? that's what their website says
Quote
:
Lock-In Number: Even if you don't have a Premium Number, you can still buy our Locked-In number add-on, which will keep your number locked to your account for as long as your locked-in subscription is active. Also locking in your number allows you to receive verification codes from other services. Cost: $4.99/month
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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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My phone doesn't support 5g, 4g LTE is max I would get I was thinking.
I am still showing 2g which I have had in the past also but data never worked actually.
Can anyone else using TextNow on a non-5g phone confirm if getting 4g LTE data?
TIA
My phone doesn't support 5g, 4g LTE is max I would get I was thinking.
I am still showing 2g which I have had in the past also but data never worked actually.
Can anyone else using TextNow on a non-5g phone confirm if getting 4g LTE data?
TIA
I am getting 4G LTE data. I opened up Google Maps. Seems to be working. A bit slow for Google Maps to detect that I was online.
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.
Whilst I agree with your points (I've used TextNow but not the SIM), I will say that DNS adblocking (Pi-Hole, NextDNS, RethinkDNS, AdAway, etc) may be beneficial to alleviate the issues with ads.
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Also isn't this whole concept against net neutrality rules?
Yeah no, something doesn't app. You're saying you bought the number for $4.99 as a one time fee or $4.99 monthly fee? that's what their website says
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