Roam freely with TextNow

Phone service has become a little too complicated, if you ask me. Sure, every service provider out there will hit you with flashy words like "Most reliable!" "Unlimited!" or my favourite, "for only [insert price here]!". But what happens beyond those words? Is there a contract involved? A minimum plan purchase to take advantage of certain promotions? Quite simply, what does it all actually get you?

When TextNow was first founded in 2009, it meant to address two big problems in the wireless space at the time: cost and limitations. It eliminated the cost altogether by allowing users to call and text for free, and alleviated texting limitations by making it unlimited as well. Fast forward 13 years later, and we're still working on addressing the big problems in the wireless space, which, surprisingly, remain the same: cost and limitations.

Cost: Making phone service free

We believe that something as simple and crucial to every-day life as the ability to stay connected via a phone number should be free. So we made it so. By activating your phone on our free Nationwide Talk & Text service with a one-time purchase of one of our SIM cards ($0.99), you can keep your conversations going wherever you are, with or without WiFi. And if you're wondering how we do that, it's simple: The app is still ad-supported, so that little box with deals you see on the bottom of your conversations screen is really there to pay your bill, not just to entice a click.

Limitations: Allowing free roaming in Canada and Mexico

There are several limitations when it comes to traditional phone service that I won't get into, but one of them that stood out to us is the ability to roam in neighboring countries. Or should I say — the inability to do so. Usually, it entails either paying a daily fee, paying for some sort of weekly rate or plan, or upgrading to a higher plan altogether that will allow unlimited roaming, but of course, at the cost of your monthly budget. As company that started in Canada and spread to the U.S, we've met many people along the way who have family or other roots in one country, be it Canada, U.S, or Mexico, and a whole other life, whether it's personal or professional, in another. And we also know that keeping your phone number connected during that travel can be tricky — and expensive. So we introduced free roaming to Canada and Mexico with our new data add-ons:

So whether you're just using our 1GB add-on to stay up-to-date on emails and other connections on-the-go, or streaming podcasts on your work commutes and posting TikToks along the way on our 5GB add-on, you can turn on roaming in your phone settings when travelling to Canada or Mexico and stay dialed in without paying another dime. And really, shouldn't it always just be as simple as that?

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If you're looking to find out more about our data add-ons and how to activate, check out our TextNow 101: Wireless article for more information.