About Text Free: Second Phone Number
I first heard about this app from a Reddit thread about people dodging spam calls on their real numbers. So I figured, why not, it’s free to download. I’ve been using it for almost eight months on my OnePlus 11, mostly for signing up to stuff that I know will sell my info, like coupon sites and old classifieds. You get a real US number that you can text with, and that’s it. It’s not for serious calls—the voice quality is shaky. But for receiving verification codes or having a quick text chat with a buyer on Facebook Marketplace, it’s been totally fine. I live in Chicago, and I needed a number to list a couch last Thursday night; this app got me a local area code in under five minutes.
Features & Highlights
The big selling point here is that you get a second phone number without a second SIM card. It works over Wi-Fi or your data plan. You can pick a number from a decent selection of area codes, which is handy if you want a specific location. The app supports both SMS and MMS, so pictures and group texts do come through, though sometimes they load slowly. There’s also a built-in voicemail that actually records messages, and you can set a custom greeting without paying. But the feature that kept me from uninstalling is the ability to temporarily pause your number when you’re done with a transaction—I signed up for a trial on a grocery delivery app, got my discount, then paused the number so they’d stop sending me “come back” texts.
User Experience
The interface looks a little outdated, like something from 2017, but I don’t care about looks if it works. Setting up took me maybe four minutes, no real identity verification. You pick a number, create a username, and you’re in. The keyboard lagged a couple times when I was typing fast, and the app crashed once while I was trying to open a picture from a group chat, but that only happened that one time. On my OnePlus 11, notifications through the default messaging app were inconsistent; sometimes I’d get a text hours late. The fix was to force the app to stay open in my phone’s battery settings. Call quality is terrible—grainy and sometimes drops after three minutes. Honestly, I never make calls with it. I stick to texts, and for that, it’s perfectly usable.
Pricing
This is where my budget-conscious brain kicks in. The app is free to download, and they give you a number with a small amount of “credits” to start. Those credits run out fast if you make calls or send international texts. To keep your number active, you have to do a simple activity every so often—like send a text or open the app—which is annoying but completely free. The catch is they push their subscription hard. It’s $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year for unlimited talk and text plus no ads. I refused to pay. I just make sure to use it at least once every thirty days, and I ignore the ads that pop up at the bottom of the screen. You don’t need to spend a dime if you only want basic texting and a number that doesn’t expire.
Updates & Support
I’ve never contacted support because the app worked well enough for my needs. Based on what I’ve read in the Play Store reviews, a lot of people complain that support is slow or gives copy-paste answers. The app does get updates every few months, but they’re not huge improvements. The last update I noticed was about fixing a crash when sending pictures, and it did help. But I haven’t seen any new features since I downloaded it. So if you hit a major bug, you might be stuck waiting for a patch. For me, the core texting function has stayed stable, so I haven’t needed to reach out.
Security & Privacy
This is a big “depends on your risk tolerance.” You’re essentially giving Pinger your data. They know your real IP address because you’re using it over your data. They also show targeted ads based on what you do in the app. That said, your real phone number stays hidden from whoever you text or call through the app, which is the whole point. I wouldn’t use this for anything sensitive like two-factor authentication on my bank account, because you don’t control the number—Pinger does. If they shut down or change their policy, you lose that number. But for spammy signups and quick sales, the trade-off is worth it to me. Don’t text anything you wouldn’t want a stranger to read.
How long does it take to set up a new number with Text Free?
Setup is quick—most users can pick a local area code and start texting within about five minutes. The app lets you choose your own number instead of getting a random one, which is convenient for remembering your second line.
Does Text Free offer voicemail transcription?
Yes, Text Free includes voicemail transcription, and it performed well in testing, even accurately transcribing an uncommon name. This feature can be helpful for quickly scanning messages without listening to full recordings.
Why are there full-screen video ads in the middle of conversations?
Text Free shows full-screen video ads every few texts to encourage earning free calling minutes, but they can interrupt your messaging flow. To avoid this, consider using the app for occasional texts only, as there is no paid ad-free tier currently available.
Why did my call drop and still subtract my free minutes?
This is a known issue where the app may deduct full minutes even if a call drops early. The support team typically responds with a canned reply, so for reliable calls, it's best to use your regular phone line instead of relying on Text Free's free minutes.
How does Text Free compare to using a burner phone for a second number?
Text Free is a free alternative to buying a burner phone, offering a second number for texts and calls without hardware costs. However, it suffers from lag, intrusive ads, and unreliable call minutes, so for professional use, a paid service like Google Voice may provide faster performance and fewer interruptions.
