Overview
I want to get your full attention, because you don’t want to miss this amazing tidbit. How would you like to send and receive text messages using your GoogleVoice number? What if I told you that those text messages would not count against your messaging plan or that you don’t even need a messaging plan? What if I also told you those text messages would be unlimited and free? Well, you can have of that and a little bit more if you check out Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! by Ting Interactive. I have to admit, I’m not a texting guru but I couldn’t wait to play around with Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free!. It is actually pretty cool, it was developed so well that it could have been baked in as a part of the iPhone and iPod Touch platform and no one would have been the wiser. Without a doubt, anyone who has ever sent a text message would be interested in Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free!. But, college students on tight budgets would really benefit from Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free!. What could be more economical than paying a one time app purchase price $4.99 for unlimited texting? I bet you are thinking, “Turra, all of that that sounds great but tell me more about the Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! “ Alrighty then, let’s take it for a test drive.
Features
Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! is a full featured unlimited text messaging app. You use Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! instead of the text messaging functionality delivered with the iPhone UI. What’s also great about Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! is it brings texting to the iPod Touch because it works on Wi-Fi as well. So, yes iPod Touch users can get in on the texting action as well.
If you can send a text message you can use Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! without a problem.
Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! features:
- The ability to set tones for a specific conversation
- Customizable tones for texting contacts
- Emoticons
- Texting backgrounds
- UI Themes
- Google Voice integration
- Uses either 3G and Wi-Fi
- Uses iPhone/iPod Touch contacts
The Breakdown
No app is perfect. I like to look at the breakdown of the good and the bad as away of telling you what makes an app like Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! worth the money, time, and effort. Now, let’s get into it and breakdown Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free!.
The Good
What’s not good about getting unlimited texting and kicking your carriers messaging plan to the curb. If you get the giggles from sticking it to the man, then you’ll giggle 24/7 using Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free!. I know GoogleVoice some how has AT&T and Apple kicking themselves, so the ability to send texts from your GooogleVoice number adds a little happy dance to my giggles. The instructions for integrating Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! with GoogleVoice is on the developer’s website. Also, as a woman I dig the ability to integrate with GoogleVoice because I can text without giving out my real mobile number.
The Bad
You need to be aware that you cannot send photos or MMS messages with Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free!, it is strictly a SMS based messaging. I know a lot of you really like the fact that we finally have the ability to send MMS messages on the iPhone now, I know I do. So, if you really need MMS messaging you won’t be able to dump your carriers plan.
I don’t think this is really a bad thing but you need to understand that your information goes through their servers. That’s how you get unlimited texting for the cost of Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free!. So you need to be aware that if you are texting the CIA some state secrets you depend on Textnow’s security just like you depend on AT&T’s or T Mobile’s security. I used to have a huge hangup about security in this area until I realized that most of my text messages were about where to meet friends for drinks.
This isn’t really a bad either but you also have to remember to always remember to start Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! to send a text rather than starting up the delivered functionality. Oh, and your texting buddies will have to always reply to the messages you send from your Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! account, other than that it is seamless to your texting partners.
Comparison
There are quite a few texting apps out there and they usually vary a little in cost and whether they can be used over 3G or not, because there are some that are Wi-Fi only. So, as always read the descriptions in the App Store before you buy. But, if you have your eye on Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! you don’t have to worry because it uses both 3G and Wi-Fi. Beyond that you’ll find what distinguishes texting apps from each other the most is UI. Some of them may have more themes, different emoticons, more backgrounds and the ability to download backgrounds and stuff like that. Aside from that the things you’ll want to consider while you are comparing other apps to Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! are 3G vs Wi-Fi connectivity, usability, and footprint along with cost.
The Verdict
If you want an unlimited texting without the high priced carrier based texting plans, then Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! is the app for you. It is that plain and simple. I had a lot of fun using Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free!, it has features that I wished Apple baked into their delivered texting functionality. Plus, if you are a GoogleVoice user you’ll want Textnow Unlimited SMS – send unlimited texts free! even if you keep your carriers plan because of GoogleVoice integration because it will get you one step closer to the all-in-one number solution.
Our Rating
Textnow Unlimited SMS - send unlimited texts free!
- Developer: Enflick, Inc.
- Category: Social Networking
- Released: 2009-08-21
(currently 3.3.3)
(currently 0.99)
I’ve been using TextPlus. It’s FREE and UNLIMITED. They have recently released an update based on user feedback that make it even BETTER! It’s the #1 text app in my book.
Cool. Thanks Steve. I’m gonna take a look @ that one myself just to check it out.
From what I can tell there are slight differences. With TextPlus your partner has to be using TextPlus as well. In my case not all my friends have iPhones or iPod Touches so I would get charged for incoming messages. So in that case I couldn’t drop my carriers plan.
It just depends on what you like and what your needs are.
So, it is cool that you found an app that works for you.
Peace.
With textPlus, you can talk to anyone who has a cell phone, doesn’t matter what device they’re on. iPhone to iPhone or iPhone to Touch, etc definitely works much like Ping! or WhatsApp, but we allow you to text for free to anyone with SMS capabilities.
It requires Google Voice? So why not say so, or are you not aware that only Americans can get a Google Voice number? Or is this site only for Americans?
I don’t think I said it requires Google Voice. It has Google Voice integration…. Which is really cool and sweet if you have Google Voice.
I don’t think I said it requires Google Voice. It has Google Voice integration…. Which is really cool and sweet if you have Google Voice.
If you don’t that is fine to. You don’t need it.
Let’s not get hostile.
It does not require Google Voice. Lets not get ahead of ourselves here. I was using it before having a google voice number.
Nicholas, lets not get into the “Arrogant Americans” path here. Its just a typo. Buy the app. Its worth it. go to the Enflick blog and look at the new screen shots. The texting looks better than Apples.
Correction: Its not a typo, you read it wrong. Integration does not mean “mandatory”.
Thanks Reza. I didn’t say anything about GoogleVoice being mandatory.
My apologies, I misunderstood. I thought the line about Google Voice was explaining that it ran using that program, otherwise I was wondering how it worked.
Essentially it is the same as Ping! except you can use it to message ANYONE who has a mobile phone number in the world, is that correct?
I wasn’t implying Americans are arrogant, I was just moaning about stuff that always seems to be exclusive to America, or cheaper in America. The number of products that cost the same in pounds sterling as they do in US dollars is amazing…
Anyway, keep up the good work, this is an excellent site and I visit it every day.
OK, this has kind of proved my point.
The app is not available in the UK iTunes store (or the Singaporean one).
Please, please, please could you include this information about regional availability with every review in the future? If something is not available worldwide, maybe you could say when it is likely to be released for everyone.
It’s really frustrating getting all excited about an app and then finding out you can’t buy it or even find out when or if you will ever be able to buy it.
It would be nice if Apple could do this as well in the appstore, instead of just telling you the app doesn’t exist!
I’ll ask about that. I understand where you are coming from.
So far it has been hit and miss for me finding out that information because a lot of times the developers have it submitted but they don’t know if they have been approved for international sales.
Like Slingplayer mobile, they submitted that for international release way back in August with the US version and they haven’t heard anything from Apple about international availability.
U can also set gv to email SMS messages to u, then have mail notifier to notify u the instant u get an SMS. Or u can just get ire email pushed to u every 5 mins.
No offense but if u count the amount of times u said free, I’ll see why this article seemed gimmicky
Or u could set up gv voice to email u SMS and have mailnotifier (free in app store) notify u when u get an SMS instantly. Or just have ure email pushed to u every 5 mins.
No offense but if u count the amount of times u said free, I’ll see why this artle seemed very gimmicky to me
Or u could set up gv voice to email u SMS and have mailnotifier (free in app store) notify u when u get an SMS instantly. Or just have ure email pushed to u every 5 mins.
The reason I decided not to go with things like this (or using only aim to send txts, is bc some people got weirded out by it being an address, not a number, and would txt me at my reg number anyway (and I’d get charged). Gv is awesome fuze it is a phone number and most people won’t know the difference, I can just give out that number from now on.
No offense but if u count the amount of times u said free, I’ll see why this artle seemed very gimmicky to me
Thanks for your input Sam. Just so you know, the name Free is in the name of the app. That is why you see it so many times.
Peace
I really enjoyed this review. I once had to learn about the benefits of TextNow the hard way. I had already payed for Textfree unlimited and was just messing around looking at different apps and stumbled upon TextNow, at first I wasn’t really impressed until I read the summary and it said that there were no yearly fees. Looking back at Textfree’s summary I realized I had payed $6 for an app I’d have to pay again once a year was up vs. An app that gave me unlimited no matter what…and was better looking. Anyway, thanks for the review. Best texting app!
Does texting charge to my friends with their regular cell phones, against their messaging plans?
That is a good question. I think however that it does count against their plan but not yours.
This app is awsome, ive been useing it for a while now. I have a ipod touch and ive used alot of SMS apps but this one seems to be the best. It’s fast and reliable.
Great review.
Thanks
This is a good app because of this app I can text everyone right here in the united states for free. The only thing I paid for is the app. It is a cool app. To get it click on this link:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/textnow-unlimited-free-texting/id314716233?mt=8
This is awesome. But can i send text from Mexico to USA and still be free?
After a month of using text now it does not work it won’t send a text message.
I think their servers are on the blink. I’m contacting the developer.
T
I’ve been using this app for a day now and it hardly works.
Seems there is an issue with their servers. I’ll contact the developer.
T
I contacted the developer and apparently their user population has increased over the holidays. They are aware of the issue and they are trying to fix it.
How do you send a new text message from a non-TextNow phone to an IPhone using TextNow so it goes through TextNow and not the IPhone cell’s service? Thanks
You need to first send a sms to your friend via text now. Then that friend has to respond to that message you sent, that will get it to go through text now. your friend will always need to respond to one of your text now messages. I think your friend needs to add the text now information to your contact info on their phone also. so when they send or instate a message it uses your text now information.
t
My son has the IPhone with TextNow (he just got it for Christmas). I don’t use an IPhone (I use a Moto Razor – bummer) and we do not have texting as part of our AT&T plan. So if I want to initiate a text to his IPhone from my regular cell without having to send the text to his actual cell number, how can that be done? To use TextNow and avoid charges, will he always have to initiate the messaging from his IPhone? Hope this makes sense.
…or, do I need to keep a text message from his IPhone (sent to me through TextNow) on my phone and always “respond” to that message? Just thought of that
Thanks for the help. I’m an old guy that’s pretty new to texting.
You will need to look at the text message he sent you from his TextNow account and find his TextNow “number” and save it to your address book as his sms. That may mean that you have 2 contacts for your son in your address book one for phone number and one for sms only.
Hope that makes sense.
There was a 10 digit number (all 1’s and 0’s). I created a new text message, sent it to that number, and it worked great. As you suggested, I now have that number saved in my address book for my son’s IPhone text number.
Nice app. It’s working well for my son, so far.
Thanks for the help.
I do not own a cell phone, but I do own an Itouch. Will this app. work for me even though i do not have a cellphone plan?
Yes, it will work with an iPod Touch. You need to be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi though.
T
How reliable is this app? Right now i’m using text plus, and my main issue with it is that it is very inconsistent when sending and recieving texts. A good amount of texts I send with that app never reach the target, and a good amount of texts sent to me never reach me. Is this a problem with this app? I want to know if it will he an improvement before I spend money on it.
I’ve been using textnow for a while with various other ipod only users. It is by far the most reliable of most. I’ve tried 3 or 4 and this far and away has been the best and most reliable b/w app as well as sms.
San B
hey the app has been really reliable so far. There were minor high traffic issues over the Christmas holiday.
Inwas wondering how to get the program to tell you your messages even when you are not in the app on an iPod touch
Is it secure, or could a person hack or view your your texts?
Okay I’m debating on if I should get a iPod Touch, the only reason I want one is so I can text my friends. So is this TextNow thing as reliable as a regular phone and its texting abiliites or is the server still full due to Christmas?
Well, its definitaly not free. I paid 99cents on itunes then $7.99 for lifetime usage. Or they have a yearly “hidden” fee. The bummer thing is that it doesnt seem to work very well. Big lag time when it does work.
i have an ipod touch with this app. I have wireless internet hooked up at my house.. and it works great! like it really does.. i cant really believe it but when im at home in the network it works but not if i go outside the wifi area. soo it is good so you can text at home but remember the itouch is not always connected to the internet like the iphone so it wont work all the time no matter where you go.
but its still sweet to text my friends from my house and not have to pay for it. works for me. buy it. iff you have wireless internet.
just wondering does it go against you if you receive texts, b-cuz it says that TEXTnow -send unlimited texts free?????
My friend and I both got this app for our iphones. This week we both got extra charges on our ATT bills stating that it is due to the new subscription for texting that we had purchased. Can someone tell me the reason for this? We had no idea that this would occur and now are afraid to use the app. Please help with answers if possible.
Thank you
I will check with the developer
Can you give more detail? like how much was the charge, what did the line item say? etc.
I think the latest version costs a little extra to use… $4 for a year or $8 for lifetime. But, of course, the app is only $1 now, instead of $5 like it used to be. :p
My daughter has been using this application on her ipod touch for about a week now and it works great! She sends most of her texts to a friend who has a mobile phone, but her friend’s mother is concerned that my daughter’s texts will be counted differently than the unlimited texts she has on her phone because my daughter’s texts are coming from an email account rather than another phone number. Does anyone know how this works?
can you reply to this because i really want to know the answer to this.
This app looks really promising… I just had a question before I buy it.
How do the texts look to the people who receive them? Like, who do they see as the sender? I’ve been using textPlus up to this point, and a lot of people got confused since my texts come from a number that is not mine.
If this app does it differently, then I’ll buy it.
Thanks for the help. ^_^
How can I delete my contacts in text now?????
i know you can send unlimited texts for free, but how much does it cost for my friends who are not using textnow to text me or receive texts from me? does it cost a lot extra if your the person not using textnow? I’m afraid all my friends phone bills will be rediculously high all because of me. let me know.
I purchased textnow and it’s not working I would like a reimbursment..
Why the heck did my texting address just magicly change on me over night?? Well what happened was I went bed and it was working, and then I woke up to use it and it wouldn’t update, so I check the options and its showing my texing address as “w…@textnow.me” and that’s certainly not my texting address. Why would it just change on me like that? And how do I fix it, I want to change it back to my texting address. If anyone could help me out I would really appreciate it, thank you. And I forgot, I don’t know of it matters but I do have the paid for version, the one for .99 cents, and I have only had it for maybe a month tops and it’s supposed to be good for 3 months. Other that that it has been working beautifully! Although I do have to be logged in to get notified that I have new message, but that’s not a big deal. If you do have a solution for that too it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you…
I heard it was pretty cool
I was wondering if there is a way to block this app? Ive been gettin to many txts and I want it to stop
how do I respond to a message I got to my phone from this application? a friend sent me a message but I deleted it does anyone know the rest of the address example (username@txtnow.me….??) if u know it please email me the rest @ redeemer19@yahoo.com