TextNow adds an eSIM option for unlimited instant access to phone data

Text now It built a business based on free calls and texts, as long as you’re okay with using its app over Wi-Fi, showing ads and letting TextNow decide which data is free and which data you’ll need to pay for.

If you want to communicate away from Wi-Fi, you can subscribe for free or paid Data planHowever, this requires purchasing a physical SIM card and waiting for it to be delivered.

Now, customers can circumvent the wait and cost ($4 per card, but still) with TextNow’s new eSIM option, set up from within the TextNow app. The eSIM is currently available for iOS and will soon be available for Android, according to the company.

Once people decide to sign up for cellular data, they want it right away, said Derek Ting, CEO and founder of TextNow, noting that an eSIM reduces the friction of a physical SIM card. “They can download a fully functional phone plan to their phone without spending a nickel,” he said.

When activated, the eSIM defaults to the free basic data plan, which offers unlimited talk, text, and data for “apps like email, maps, ride-sharing, and finance,” according to TextNow. Or customers can subscribe to one of the following unlimited data plans that unlock wireless data for any app: daily pass ($3 per month), weekly pass ($9 per month) or monthly pass ($36 per month).

During setup, FaceTime and messaging can be enabled. However, phone calls still need to be made using the TextNow app. Ting also said that support for using the phone as a mobile hotspot is not yet available, but the company is working on it.

Although this eSIM option should provide a quick way to activate the service on most modern phones, TextNow will still offer a physical SIM option.

TextNow also said that 5G network infrastructure has been improved, but did not point to specific improvements. Ting declined to reveal which network provider TextNow relies on, whether it’s T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, or a combination, as how Mobile USA The three extends.

“It’s not just the eSIM. There are a lot of things we’ve done under the hood,” he said, noting that customers will see improvements in coverage and connectivity.

While TextNow’s free service can get customers in the door, the up to $36 per month increase to use it for all purposes puts it squarely in the same price range as other prepaid carriers like Verizon’s Visible and US Mobile.