I finally did it. No more monthly fees for text messages from AT&T. Thank you, Push Notifications.
The way people use texts varies considerably from person to person. Some need unlimited messages while others only send a couple a day. In any case, here are options that should make kicking the costly text message addiction easy for just about everyone, well anyone with an iPhone that is.
Savings could range from a couple dollars a month to over $20 a month if you’re on a family plan.
Textfree Unlimited (currently $5.99) and Textfree Lite (free)
Textfree Lite is limited to only 15 messages a day and that number could change at any time for the better or worse. If you’re subscribing to AT&T’s minimum plan, that’s already a considerable increase in your texts per month. Textfree Unlimited is unlimited for a year.
Either of these options may work for you. In fact, both may work for you. You can ease into the elimination of AT&T text messages over time by using Textfree Lite initially. Then upgrade to Textfree Unlimited when you’re ready to go whole hog like I did.
When you install one of these apps you are prompted to sign up for a unique username@textfree.us account name. I went with my name (which was luckily still available) so that people can easily identify who the text message is from.
Textfree doesn’t use a password because it somehow identifies your unique iPhone. So if you reinstall or delete the app your account is still attached to that iPhone. When you reinstall the app you’re already logged in.
I installed Textfree Lite last week on my original iPhone and then needed to transfer the account to my new iPhone 3GS when it arrived. To do that I had to send an e-mail to support@pinger.com and they took care of transferring the account within 48 hours.
Textfree supports the following carriers in the United States. From Pinger’s Web site:
You can send a text message to just about any carrier in the US. This means AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Alltel, Virgin Mobile, US Cellular, Cellular One/Dobson, Boost Mobile, Metro PCS, Unicel, Sun Com Wireless, Cincinnati Bell, Cellular South, Tracfone, NTELOS, Cricket Wireless, Centennial Wireless, Midwest Wireless, Surewest, Alaska Digitel, Northcoast PCS, YC, ACS Wireless, and Advantage Cellular.
I know you can send text messages through AIM or Google Talk, but I found Textfree to be a much more seamless solution. A unique username that’s my actually name really makes all the difference. There’s also an option in Textfree to receive an e-mail copy of every text message you receive. I have them going to my gmail account where I have a filter set up that automatically archives the messages. Now I’ll always have them no matter what happens to my phone. If there’s something I need they’re just one gmail search away.
I should also note that MMS messages are not possible with Textfree and the app doesn’t currently have the option to send to multiple people at once. You have to retype (or copy and paste) the message.
Cancelling/Downgrading Text Messages
I simply called AT&T up and told them I wanted to opt out of being able to send or receive text messages. There’s no way for me to send or receive them now using the built-in messages app.
However, I also could have just cancelled my $5/month for 200 messages plan and moved to a per message plan that costs 10 cents each. In fact, I’m going to do that on my fiance’s iPhone.
I have a feeling if you’re resistant to getting rid of text messages this may be the tip that actually gets you to do it.
My fiance is more concerned than I am about missing text messages from friends who didn’t get the memo about messaging her at her textfree account. So she’ll pay 10 cents per incoming message but she’ll always reply from her textfree account. This way we’ll train our friends and family over time
We’re gambling that she won’t receive 50 incoming messages in a month. If that’s true, we’ll still be saving money. After a couple months, when all of her friends have hopefully become accustomed to her new account name, we’ll opt her out of text messages altogether too.
Conclusion
I’ve been pretty satisfied with Textfree Unlimited thus far. I’ve never sent a lot of text messages, so I expected to go gradually from Textfree Lite and going to a per message cost to Textfree Unlimited and opting out of messages entirely. That plan only lasted a week though and now I’m full on Textfree-only. And it’s the first time I’ve ever had unlimited text messages and now I know what I’ve been missing. It really changes the way you think about communication if you don’t have that ever present limit hanging over your head,
Also, I signed up for an AT&T Premier Account (you need a school or a work e-mail address that works to activate it) in order to take advantage of that 35 percent off the iPhone 3GS using the Bing.com promotion.
What I didn’t know is that because I signed up for a Premier Account I’ll somehow be charged a couple dollars less per month for the 3G iPhone Data plan. That, combined with $5 less per month for text messages, means I’m paying $3 net more per month for the iPhone 3GS than the original iPhone.
How do you like that, AT&T? I’ll never pay you for tethering either.
Let us know in the comments whether you’re considering canceling your text messages.
How do people text you the first time (or do they always just reply to your texts)?
Does that question make sense? What number do you give them to text you? That’s my only problem with the system. I have aim on my phone, but I don’t know what number to tell them to text me at. They can reply, but not initiate.
I haven’t fully tested it with all phones, but when you send someone a message they can save the incoming text to your contact information. It comes in as a weird 10110101 number or something similar. On iPhone, for example, you can select that weird number and “add to existing contact,” then add a custom label called “SMS” and then save it there. When they want to send you a new message they can just start typing your name like normal.
Ian, followed the link to bing.com and read this under the comments, any truth to it from your knowledge?
We have just recieved information from AT&T that has indicated to us that purchases from http://www.premier.att.com store are not eligible to earn cashback. Once again, we are sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment you have experienced with the cashback program.
Thank you for contacting Bing cashback Customer Support.
Warmest regards,
Ray N.
Customer Service Representative
Bing cashback Customer Support
Unfortunately, I think there is truth to it. I got something similar just yesterday but not for using the Premier store. Apparently the promotion only works for new accounts, despite the fact I’ve had my iPhone for 2 years and need to sign a new contract.
Here’s my note from Bing:
Hello Ian,
Thank you for contacting us at Bing cashback Customer Support! My name is Shelby. I will be assisting you with Service Request ———- regarding your AT&T purchase.
We are sorry for any inconvenience you have experienced with the cashback program. Unfortunately, according to AT&T’s Bing cashback Terms and Conditions, items considered to be upgrades, add-a-lines, or device purchases with GoPhone (prepaid) service are not eligible for cashback rewards; please see the link below. Once again, we are sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment you have experienced with the cashback program.
AT&T Live Search cashback Terms and Conditions (See section iii (a)):
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/sharedSegments/MSN-termsConditions.jsp
Thank you, Ian, for contacting Bing cashback Customer Support.
Warmest regards,
Shelby H.
Customer Service Representative
I’m fed up with ridiculous texting charges and canceled texting on my iPhone’s AT&T account even before Textfree and push notifications came out. Did you know — anyone can send a text message using email if they know the person’s phone number and provider (http://www.emrupdate.com/blogs/ducknet/archive/2008/11/30/how-to-send-email-text-messages-to-any-cell-phone-for-free-from-your-computer.aspx). Textfree just makes that process easier by generating the email address for you from a selected phone number in your contacts list.
The only drawback of canceling your texting plan is that people cannot send you the first text message. Most people don’t realize that their phones support texting to an email address. I encourage that with my friends, or I send them a text from my email or from Textfree and tell them to always reply to that text. So far it’s worked fine for me. Occasionally a person I don’t know very well will send me a text that I won’t get, but I’m willing to make that sacrifice if it helps start the trend of moving away from ridiculous texting prices. Say “NO” to the extortion and cancel your texting today.
When you switched from the lite version to the paid version were you able to keep your original @textfree.us account? I ask, because I decided to upgrade as well, and of course, it is telling me that my account is no longer available as an account. I’ve already passed out my account to friends and don’t want to have to change it to something else. Thanks!
A nit: If you’re engaged to be married to “her”, she’s your fiancée (as opposed to your fiancé, which would be a “him”).
(And I too disabled traditional texting with AT&T.)
I’m not sure when you purchased your copy of Textfree, but the description mentions a FEE after the first year of service if the app is purchased after 6/17/09. So how free is this really going
to be?
Ian,
I have the app, and loved it till I ran into an issue.
So I have a question.
Whenever you send someone a text, does it appear as that same random number, or is it a different number every time?
Cause that seems to be the case with me.
And that doesn’t work well with some phones that hold conversation logs.
(Such as the iPhone)
Thanks for your time!
Macik, you’re right, it doesn’t log the messages together on iPhone to iPhone. So that is a drawback, but as I see it, it’s the only one. People can still reply to it and there’s no question who the message is from because it’s inserted into the message.
The logging isn’t a big problem with me.
But is it a different number every time with you as well?
My friends are telling me that its a different number that goes up by just one.
I just wanted to confirm this with another person who has it.
I figured someone would have mentioned it on iTunes that your “Unique Pinger account isn’t very unique….
Cause I mean, Pinger says you get a unique textfree account.
(Username@textfree.us)
Which led me to believe it would come from the same account every time you sent a message to someone.
But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
At least with me it’s not.
I really do like this app, I’m just trying to make sure I’m not having an error for some odd reason.
Yes, it’s a different number each time (I have the same thing where each text seems to go up by one one number). So you’re not alone. I could be wrong, but I believe some phones show the recipient that it comes from an email account (username@textfree.us). I just don’t think the iPhone is one of them.
Yea, I’ve been going through many of my friends phones and adding my textfree address under my contact name, and so far only one of them receives it under my textfree address. His provider is Verizon.
But either way, the message does say who it’s from.. so I’m not complaining.
So all in all it beats paying 240-360 dollars a year!!
Thank you for saving me a whole lot a money Ian(and the app advice team)!
I really do appreciate it.
No problem, thanks for the compliment. We’re all just trying to figure out how to do have fun and do awesome things with our iPhones and we gotta help each other out.