In this guide
Before you start.
- Work out which family your subscription belongs to. TextNow states that Ad-Free+, Ad Free Lite and Lock Your Number are the in-app purchases, billed by Apple or Google, and directs Wireless and Data Plans to a separate article. The two are cancelled in completely different places.
- Understand what you lose if the number matters to you. TextNow states that a Lock In Number subscription allows you to keep your number no matter how much you use it and that you will not lose it due to inactivity. Cancelling removes that protection.
- TextNow states there is no hard-and-fast rule as to how long a number can stay inactive before it is revoked, that several factors go into it and each customer is weighted differently by usage, and that it sends a warning message before the number is revoked.
- There is no way back from a released number. TextNow states it does not have the ability to assign or restore specific phone numbers or area codes, and that if your number has been released for any reason you would need to choose a new one.
- TextNow states that if you call or text at least once a day from your free number, it will keep the number active indefinitely, which is the free alternative to a paid lock.
- Ad-Free+ carries features worth checking before you drop it. TextNow lists locking in your number, receiving verification codes, unlimited photo and video history for past messages, caller information, call forwarding and voicemail transcription. Losing verification code support matters if the number is attached to two-factor logins.
- Watch for paying twice. TextNow states that if you switch from Ad-Free+ to a Plus wireless plan and auto-renew stays on, you would end up paying for both subscriptions at the same time, and that it cannot cancel the Ad-Free+ one for you.
- Ad Free Lite does not travel. TextNow states it does not support cross platform use, so a purchase made on iOS only works on iOS.
- Deleting the account is not cancelling. TextNow states you immediately lose access to the account including voicemails, text messages and your phone number, that you should complete any port-out before submitting a deletion request, and that you will not be able to make a new account with the same email address.
FOLLOW THE RIGHT BILLING ROUTE
Cancel TextNow, step by step.
Cancel Ad-Free+ or Lock Your Number on Android
Google bills these in-app purchases. TextNow states plainly that it cannot cancel them for you.
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Click your Account Icon on the right side of the search bar.
- Select Payments and subscriptions.
- Select Subscriptions.
- Locate and click on your TextNow Subscription.
- At the bottom of the screen, tap Cancel Subscription.
TextNow also describes reaching this from the app: open the menu, tap Ad-Free+ at the top with a checkmark next to it, then tap Manage Subscription to cancel or modify.
Cancel Ad-Free+ or Lock Your Number on iPhone
Apple bills these purchases and holds the cancellation. These are TextNow's own published steps.
- Open the App Store.
- Tap the Account Icon in the upper right.
- Tap Subscriptions.
- Select your TextNow Subscription.
- Scroll down and tap Cancel Subscription.
TextNow also describes the iOS route for switching plans as Settings, then tapping your name, then Subscriptions, then TextNow, and turning off auto-renew there. Either reaches the same subscription.
Cancel a TextNow wireless or data plan
These are the plans TextNow bills itself, including the Plus weekly and monthly plans and data passes. TextNow states you can cancel anytime from My Plan.
- Open the TextNow app or your account on the web.
- Go to My Plan.
- Cancel the plan there: TextNow states you can cancel anytime from My Plan.
- Note the renewal cadence before you act: TextNow states the weekly and monthly Plus plans renew automatically until you cancel.
- If you also want to stop using the SIM, TextNow states you need to cancel your plan before you can deactivate the SIM.
To deactivate the SIM afterwards, TextNow describes opening your My Account page on the web or through the app's main menu and, under the Number and Device section, clicking Deactivate TextNow SIM Card.
Switch from Ad-Free+ to a Plus plan without paying twice
TextNow documents this as its own trap: without turning off the store subscription first, both charges run together, and TextNow cannot stop the store one.
- Turn off auto-renew for Ad-Free+ in the store first. On iPhone: Settings, tap your name, Subscriptions, TextNow. On Android: Google Play Store, profile icon, Payments and subscriptions, Subscriptions, TextNow, then Cancel subscription.
- Head back to the TextNow app and tap Check again.
- If the app says you cannot switch yet, TextNow states the Ad-Free+ change can take a little while to come through: wait a few minutes and tap Check again.
- Only then complete the switch to the Plus plan.
- Confirm afterwards that the store subscription shows an expiry date rather than a renewal date.
TextNow states that if auto-renew stays on you would end up paying for both subscriptions at the same time, and that because Ad-Free+ is billed through Apple or Google it cannot cancel it for you.
What happens next?
- Your number stops being protected. TextNow states that Lock In Number and Ad-Free+ keep the number locked to your account for as long as you have the subscription, and describes numbers being revoked after inactivity otherwise.
- TextNow states there is no hard-and-fast rule for how long a number can stay inactive before revocation, that it weighs customers differently by usage, and that it sends a warning message first.
- TextNow states that if you call or text at least once a day from your free number it will keep it active indefinitely, which is the way to hold a number without paying.
- The Ad-Free+ features stop: TextNow lists locking in your number, receiving verification codes, unlimited photo and video history for past messages, caller information, call forwarding and voicemail transcription.
- Ads return, which is what Ad-Free+ was removing.
- TextNow states that a number you release manually is gone permanently and that it is not able to reassign it to an account.
- Refunds for in-app purchases are not TextNow's to give. It states that for refunds to in-app purchases you need to contact the App Store or Google Play Store depending on your device, and publishes no refund policy for wireless plans.
WHEN IT DOES NOT WORK
If you get stuck.
I lost my TextNow number after cancelling
That is the documented consequence rather than a fault. TextNow states that Lock In Number and Ad-Free+ keep the number locked to your account for as long as you hold the subscription, and that without one a number can be revoked for inactivity, with no fixed timetable and a warning message sent first. It also states it does not have the ability to assign or restore specific numbers, so a released number is gone. The free way to hold one is to call or text from it at least once a day.
I am being charged twice by TextNow
TextNow documents this exact case. It states that if you switch from Ad-Free+ to a Plus wireless plan and auto-renew stays on, you would end up paying for both at the same time, and that because Ad-Free+ is billed through Apple or Google it cannot cancel that one for you. Turn off auto-renew in the store, then tap Check again in the app, then complete the switch.
I cannot deactivate my SIM
TextNow states that if you have a data subscription you need to cancel your plan before you can deactivate the SIM. Cancel from My Plan first, then open My Account and, under the Number and Device section, click Deactivate TextNow SIM Card.
I want to keep my number and leave TextNow
Port it out before you do anything else. TextNow states that if you are eligible to port out your number and want to keep using it with a new provider, you need to complete the porting process before submitting a deletion request, because deletion takes the number with it immediately. Its support chat runs 10am to 5:30pm Eastern, every day, which is worth planning around.
My verification codes stopped arriving
TextNow lists receiving verification codes among the Ad-Free+ features, and describes the Lock In Number subscription as providing support for receiving verification codes. If the number is attached to two-factor logins, cancelling can lock you out of them, which is worth checking before the subscription lapses rather than after.
GOOD TO KNOW
Questions, answered.
How do I cancel my TextNow subscription?
It depends which one. TextNow states that Ad-Free+, Ad Free Lite and Lock Your Number are billed through Apple or Google and cancelled in that store's subscription settings, and that it cannot cancel them for you. Wireless and data plans are billed by TextNow and cancelled in the app from My Plan.
Will I lose my TextNow number if I cancel?
Possibly. TextNow states that Lock In Number and Ad-Free+ keep the number locked to your account while the subscription lasts, and that a number can otherwise be revoked for inactivity with no fixed timetable. It states that calling or texting at least once a day keeps a free number active indefinitely, and that it cannot restore a released number.
Can I get a refund from TextNow?
Not for an in-app purchase. TextNow states that for refunds to in-app purchases you need to contact the App Store or Google Play Store depending on your device. It publishes no refund policy for its wireless plans.
Does deleting my TextNow account cancel my subscription?
No, and it costs you more. TextNow states you immediately lose access to the account including voicemails, text messages and your phone number, and that you cannot make a new account with the same email address. A store subscription keeps billing regardless, so cancel it in the store first.
Does Ad Free Lite work on my other phone?
No. TextNow states that Ad Free Lite does not support cross platform use, giving the example that a purchase made on iOS will only work on iOS.
Provider resources
- TextNow: canceling in-app purchases
- TextNow: switching from Ad-Free to a Plus plan
- TextNow: what is Ad-Free
- TextNow: my phone number was recycled, how can I get it back
- TextNow: how can I lock in my number
- TextNow: deactivating your SIM card and canceling your service
- TextNow: deleting your account and data
- Apple: view, change, or cancel subscriptions
Instructions reviewed .
Subex is independent of TextNow. Availability and cancellation terms can vary by plan, billing provider and country.
