TextNow

Received some sick text message with people cut to pieces and people with their heads cut off the first time I tried to use text now

I have this app on my iPhone and Samsung, and it works seamlessly with all devices. You can create a group chat of up to 25 people, compared to a paltry 6 on Freetone, the app I switched from. This app is free for unlimited Wi-Fi calling and unlimited texting on Wi-Fi. I use it to text my friends and call them at home. The person you're calling or texting doesn't need to have TextNow. Call quality is awesome - I called my friend Ev yesterday and everything sounded perfect. Messages are awsome too - they send in 2 seconds. Also, you don't get your messages blocked at random times, like with Freetone. You can also block people. Also, you can set it as your default phone calling app, which is very useful. Voicemail is free. I can also transfer my (TextNow) number to a SIM card on Sprint's network. You can also use it for receiving verification codes (new Google account, Youtube account, Tiktok messaging, etc). You can use your TextNow number as your Google Duo number (Google Duo is Google's video call app, sorta like FaceTime for iPhones. You can download it for both Android and iOS). Overall, I'd say that this is the best. I daresay it's so good that I don't need Textnow's customer service :) This is THE BEST!

First, I appreciate that TextNow provides a way to get a low cost or even free additional number. And having tried MANY other comparable services, I have to admit the horrible audio quality is standard. In more than 10 years, I have yet to use a decent VOIP phone service no matter what part of the US I've lived in or who the provider is (large cable companies or small apps).

But what make TextNow especially frustrating are two things: 1) There's no way to BULK DELETE messages. So you sit there getting rid of one junk message after another. And every single call that comes into your number is stored as a call. I think TextNow subscribers get so many junk calls because the numbers are so frequently recycled. See problem #2:2) For some reason I can't find yet, I get DOZENS of spam calls every single day. It's so bad I have to keep my device OFF because otherwise I get calls from junk callers all day long at work. Now you understand why problem #1 is so bad. To use TextNow, you have to constantly scroll to, select, delete, then--an added waste of time--CONFIRM DELETE every. Single. Junk. Call.

Oh, and the service is unreliable, to boot. I've missed multiple calls due to tech issues with the service. And callers tell me the voice mail system doesn't work. They'll call, try to leave a message, but either they're disconnected or the message won't get delivered to me.

Although free (I wouldn't buy one of those outdated, glitchy phones they sell for a paid subscription), TextNow just isn't worth it. Even if you were willing to put up with the massive waste of time fielding and deleting junk calls, your other parties can never hear you on the other end. Getting messages isn't reliable. And the constantly recirculated pool of numbers sets you up for oceans of junk calls. I give the app 2-stars instead of 1-star because, unlike many of its competitors, it at least does work on my phone. So it's a decent emergency texting service when you need to send confirmations... but don't want to use your real mobile number.