TextNow is a free texting app that began offering cell phone service. TextNow offers everyone free calling and texting via their mobile application. The free version of the app supports ads. If you’d like an ad-free experience, you can pay to have the ads removed. And if you’d like to be able to make calls and send texts without needing a Wi-Fi connection, you can sign up for one of TextNow’s cellular data plans. Here are TextNow’s current plans:
- Unlimited calls and texts with ads - free
- Unlimited calls and texts without ads - $10/month
- 2GB high-speed data without ads - $20/month
- 23GB high-speed data without ads - $40/month
When you sign up for TextNow, you must use their mobile application to make calls and send texts. TextNow’s application allows you to make calls and send texts anywhere you have WiFi connection, even if you have no cell reception. This can be a game-changer for people who travel frequently and can help improve call quality and message reliability.
TextNow’s app also allows you to sign in to your account and send messages from your laptop, tablet, or other connected devices.
TextNow offers a limited selection of smartphones to choose from on their website. However, for the best experience we suggest you bring your own unlocked smartphone to their network. An unlocked smartphone means it isn’t tied to any carrier or contract, and it gives you the flexibility to switch plans or carriers any time you want.
You can find great deals on unlocked smartphones on a site like Swappa, with whom we have an affiliate partnership. We feel Swappa can help you save money on your new smartphone, offering discounts between 20% and 50% off.
TextNow is great for anyone looking for an app to make free calls and texts and is frequently on Wi-Fi. The ability to make calls and send texts over Wi-Fi is also a great feature as it greatly expands your coverage area. However, TextNow’s cellular plans tend to be more expensive than other options. For example, Tello offers 2GB of LTE data for just $14 per month.
TextNow Discounts
TextNow doesn’t offer any discounts at this time.
TextNow Coverage
TextNow uses the Sprint network for coverage. However, since Sprint has merged with T-Mobile, TextNow customers will soon be able to access the T-Mobile network for coverage.
- T-Mobile 4G LTE bands: 2, 4, 5, 12, 66, 71
- T-Mobile 5G bands: n41, n71, n260, n261
- Sprint 4G LTE bands: 25, 26, 41
- Sprint 5G bands: n41
TextNow Features
- Visual Voicemail
- MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)
- HD Voice / VoLTE
- Wi-Fi Calling
- Personal Hotspot
- Stateside International Calling
- Cross-platform application
- Conference Calling
- Caller ID
- Call Forwarding
- Calls to USA & Canada
Stateside International Calling
TextNow supports making stateside international calls to a variety of locations at affordable rates. Unlimited calls to the USA and Canada are included with plans starting at $9.99 per month.
International Data Roaming
While you will not get cell reception while traveling internationally, TextNow will continue to work anywhere you have WiFi. This may include your hotel, coffee shops, airports, or other places with free public internet access.
Hidden Fees
TextNow adds standard taxes and regulatory fees to the cost of their cell phone plans.
TextNow Customer Service
You can reach TextNow’s customer service by contacting them through their support page.
Verizon’s network uses the following LTE and 5G bands to provide coverage:
The bands in bold are Verizon’s primary bands that they use for LTE and 5G coverage.
Make sure your phone supports the primary LTE and 5G bands for the best coverage, performance, and data speeds on the Verizon network. The more bands your phone supports, the better your experience will be.
Verizon’s network provides coverage to over 327 million people across 2.68 million square miles.
This means Verizon covers over 99% of the United States population.
Here’s Verizon’s coverage map, as reported by the independent third party site RootMetrics:
If you’d like, you can check Verizon’s coverage in your area by using the following resources:
You can also download and use the following applications to see if Verizon offers good coverage in your area:
AT&T’s network uses the following LTE and 5G bands to provide coverage:
The bands in bold are AT&T’s primary bands that they use for LTE and 5G coverage.
Make sure your phone supports the primary LTE and 5G bands for the best coverage, performance, and data speeds on the AT&T network. The more bands your phone supports, the better your experience will be.
AT&T’s network provides coverage to over 400 million people across the United States and Mexico.
AT&T covers over 99% of the United States population.
Here’s AT&T’s coverage map, as reported by the independent third party site RootMetrics:
If you’d like, you can check AT&T's coverage in your area by using the following resources:
You can also download and use the following applications to see if AT&T offers good coverage in your area:
T-Mobile’s network uses the following LTE and 5G bands to provide coverage:
The bands in bold are T-Mobile’s primary bands that they use for LTE and 5G coverage.
Make sure your phone supports the primary LTE and 5G bands for the best coverage, performance, and data speeds on the Verizon network. The more bands your phone supports, the better your experience will be.
T-Mobile’s network provides coverage to over 326 million people and currently offers the largest 5G network in the United States.
T-Mobile covers over 99% of the United States population.
Here’s T-Mobile’s coverage map, as reported by the independent third party site RootMetrics:
If you’d like, you can check T-Mobile's coverage in your area by using the following resources:
You can also download and use the following applications to see if T-Mobile offers good coverage in your area:
