JUST RELEASED: Visit the Incredible PBX Wiki
We’re a few months late to the party but, if Covid-19 has put a kink in your cellular budget or if you have young kids that could use a cellphone with unlimited calling and texting on the Sprint® network at zero cost in the U.S. and Canada, then your prayers have been answered. All you need is a CDMA phone and a $10 SIM card from TextNow. Better yet, you can purchase one of their refurbished iPhones or Android phones, and you’re off to the races. Their compatible web app with 200+ million downloads lets you make calls and send text messages from your favorite desktop computer or tablet. Special thanks to @Hometech for this tip.
What’s the Catch? The free tier is ad-supported so you’ll get a few ads. But, other than that, unlimited calling and texting throughout the U.S. and Canada are free whether you’re on WiFi or on Sprint’s nationwide network. If the ads are bothersome, you can always move up to the $10/month ad-free platform which also gets you voicemail transcription. There’s even free data service albeit on Sprint’s 2G network. But it’s perfectly suited for email. Yes, we’re aware of Sprint’s terrible coverage in some areas, but hopefully this will improve with the T-Mobile merger. Much like Google Fi, the TextNow design supports WiFi wherever it’s available. You can’t beat the price, and no credit card is required to sign up. So what are you waiting for?
Referral Code Saves $20. TextNow no longer offers referral codes or affiliate links, and we don’t have one. But here’s a link to some existing coupons that will save you $20 if you decide to purchase a phone from them.
Free Features: In addition to a free phone number and unlimited calling and texting to U.S. and Canadian numbers, TextNow offers conference calling, voicemail, and group texting. Calling and texting via the web app or platform-specific applications is just as intuitive and powerful as using a cellphone. In fact, you can set things up on your existing phone while you’re waiting on your TextNOW SIM card or smartphone to arrive. Come join the party!
Originally published: Friday, May 22, 2020
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Special Thanks to Vitelity. Vitelity is now Voyant Communications and has halted new registrations for the time being. Our special thanks to Vitelity for their unwavering financial support over many years and to the many Nerd Vittles readers who continue to enjoy the benefits of their service offerings. We will keep everyone posted on further developments.