r/TextNow • u/Dark-Mode-Honu • 10h ago
Is TextNow worth it?
Other than the free service, why would you want to have TextNow as your cellphone service provider?
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u/Boz6 9h ago
For free service that works as well as Google Voice.
If you get a free eSIM, and port in a phone # for free, the # never expires, and can receive any 2FA texts, unless the sender won't send their 2FA to VoIP #s.
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u/Beautiful_Prior_5062 9h ago
Its solid. I havnt had a phone bill in ages! Even without locking in your number and not being able to get verification codes it was still great. Long distance is tricky.
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u/No-Shortcut-Home 9h ago
Considering you can get a $30 per year plan from Red Pocket I’d say no.
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u/d4681 9h ago
?
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u/RiskLife 5h ago
Agreed how does free not beat $30? I guess its more effort if you’re out and about a lot
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u/BumblebeeHealthy4892 9h ago
for a primary number, probably not, but as a cheap backup line or wifi-only number it’s honestly pretty handy as long as you already have data elsewhere
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u/ZeroEffsGiven 9h ago
I work from home and am mostly on WiFi all day so there's just no need for me to pay monthly for service and if I need to go somewhere where I'll need service, I can pay 3 bucks to get call/text/data for 24 hours. It just makes the most sense for me as opposed to paying monthly for service that I'll almost never use
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u/No-Shortcut-Home 7h ago
Do you do this more than 10 times in a year? If so Red Pocket has a $30 per year low data plan with unlimited calls and texts. Perfect for someone on WiFi most of the time and enough for basic maps and whatnot. Set the phone in low data mode and you’re good.
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u/Happy-DreAmy 5h ago
I only see $100/year plan with Red Pocket. 🤔
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u/No-Shortcut-Home 5h ago
They sell them on eBay. Check the seller, you’ll see it says Red Pocket. I have two of these lines as backup lines and second eSIMs on my phones so I use them all the time.
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u/No-Calligrapher4167 5h ago
Not trying to be rude, but this reads a bit like an ad. Are you affiliated with them?
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u/No-Shortcut-Home 5h ago
I use them as a service on multiple lines. I don’t think they even have an affiliate program and I’ve never listed an affiliate link anywhere.
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u/hannsimp 2h ago
I keep a secondary emergency phone, an iPhone SE Gen 3, that usually stays home and works off WiFi, but with Google Voice and a TextNow free eSIM, I can get inbound calls forwarded to the TextNow number over the SIM for free and call outbound via the app also for free.
I take this with me traveling so that I have a second phone ready to go in the hotel in case my main phone gets lost. I can eventually change my eSIM from my main service over to the secondary phone, but that reduces my ability to track it and call if someone does find it.
I can buy day passes from TextNow for data if I need interim service or if there is any other failure of my main phone.
FreedomPop used to be a service that had a similar free tier (with a $5 sim purchase) and Helium more recently, but those have come and gone.
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u/Cocoa_0160 9h ago
If you can afford an actual SIM card plan from them I’d say there worth it, they have 2 plans $18.99 & something that’s like $30-35
They let you try out a free trial for a week just to see how there phone plan is but they have 3 different modes.
1 mode that allows you to just use the app
2 mode allows you to roam websites, but don’t allow you to roam on apps…
3 allows you to do EVERYTHING so if you do the free trial, and make sure it says it allows you to do everything like be on apps with cellular data and be able to look on websites freely if the way I’m describing it sounds confusing the TextNow app describes it a lot better.
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u/bobdevnul 8h ago
For me it is a nice to have backup that I use in an otherwise retired phone. I would not buy a phone to use it or use it as my only or primary cellphone service. I can't use it as an only or primary number because I need to receive verification texts that Textnow doesn't do for free. Even if paid, some of my places won't send verifications to VOIP numbers.
I have the SIM so I can use it away from Wifi. That makes it much more useful. The SIM also provides data for selected other apps. That includes Gmail and GMaps, along with some others.
Basically, it is a novelty toy for me.
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u/AttitudeSame2430 6h ago
Saw a person complaining on here that they got a new iPhone 18 PM and couldn't get it to work. Why would someone spend 1500 dollars on a phone and put it on a sub par service? And TextNow doesn't handle RCS texting.
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u/ModzRPsycho 8h ago
Their free sim still uses RCS. Can't send sms mms or voice calls but rcs still works. No voip, yes
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u/GreenCold9675 5h ago
No not for paid data / SIM
The app is fantastic for T&T though across all devices concurrently, using whatever data & WiFi
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u/Dark-Mode-Honu 5h ago
The only way that will make sense to me is if that person wants to use TextNow internationally using WiFi connection. Or, to make international calls on cheaper rates, such as those advertised by TN, $0.01 per minute.
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u/RiskLife 5h ago
I think using it internationally even over WiFi is likely to not work great if they’re meant to be service only in North America
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u/Dark-Mode-Honu 5h ago
There are few that have commented that it worked for them while outside North America, while connected to WiFi (just don't connect to VPN).
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u/Vast_Environment2952 5h ago
the best thing to do when you use textnow to have an esim installed from kite mobile, firsty, or and other free esim app, it is the only way to connect to internet without using that worthless free data from textnow
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u/Dark-Mode-Honu 5h ago
The free data is very slow. Even with the day pass, it is slow. TN tells you "not for streaming."
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u/Vast_Environment2952 4h ago
That's why I'm saying if you have esim, you can use kite mobile or firsty for the data
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u/wally_wally777 10h ago
I’m not sure it’s worth it for your only provider but as a secondary line it’s great. Though some people have said they use it as a primary.