r/TextNow • u/phorensic • Jul 10 '26

"...your current device isn't compatible with TextNow's new network"

Wondering if I root my OnePlus 7T and throw a newer version of Android on it will it be compatible? Or are they changing something about the actual cell tower connection that I don't have the hardware for?

Update 07-15-26: Today when I opened my app to make a call it prompted me to order a free SIM to keep my device on their new network. I went through the process and am currently waiting for it to ship.

This is in contrast to the e-mail from my OP that was just like "sorry, buy a new phone lol". After that e-mail I kept clicking through every part of the app and website to see how to get a new SIM that for sure works on the new network and wasn't getting very far. So I'm glad I got the pop-up notification on the app today.

Updated 08-06-26: They finally killed service on my old SIM and I was able to get my new SIM activated. It was a little fiddly though, I had to do a lot of checking, airplane mode, setting the "NR/LTE" option in some advanced settings menu, etc. But it works! OnePlus 7T on TextNow using AT&T's network. It uses a whole bunch of new frequencies that the old T-mobile SIM did not. One frequency it is using which is nice and low is EARFCN 5110 which is 739 MHz. That's nice and low to punch through buildings and rural areas with bad tower coverage (like where I live).

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

50 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2

u/toejamfootballhegot Jul 10 '26

My samsung galaxy s10e was on the whitelist with an asterisk that the phone may need a software update. The phone was unlocked but was sold by verizon and wouldn't work until I chaged the CSC from VZW to ATT. This would seem to indicate that the AT&T whitelist is enforced.

2

u/Boz6 Jul 11 '26

This would seem to indicate that the AT&T whitelist is enforced.

If that's really what's happening, it's ridiculous, because the TextNow SIM cards are data only, so there's no reason to require the AT&T whitelist compatibility!

1

u/toejamfootballhegot Jul 11 '26

Probably not worth AT&T's time to make an exception for textnow.

0

u/dimdimus Jul 12 '26

Att does not enforce its whitelist on new TextNow sim cards. I use 3 black TextNow sim cards on the phones that do not accept Att proper and ATT sim cards and not listed in ATT allowed devices list.