How TextNow helped me break up with my costly mobile carrier. Free unlimited talk, text, and essential data, affordable add-on data, and zero contract. Could TextNow be for real? I took it for a spin.

That need inspired Derek Ting to start TextNow, the only free phone service provider in America. “Our mission is to democratize phone service, to make it accessible for everyone,” Ting says.

TextNow lets you text message and make phone calls at no cost using a wireless connection. It also provides the benefit of being able to call and text your contacts using the app's communication ...