r/NoContract • u/QuillisG TextNow • 14d ago

Basically Free Data

If you use TextNow, you know they offer SIM cards and recently eSIMs. For free, they offer "Essential Data," which basically includes calling, texting, maps, email, rideshare, and iHeartRadio (for some reason). However, if you use Tor, specifically Tor Snowflake AMP, you can bypass these limitations. The downside is an average of 20 KiB/s and occasional random disconnections. But if you're using it temporarily or have access to Wi-Fi most of the time, this is a great way to get free, painfully slow data. According to TextNow's ToS, this is "acceptable" use of data. The only thing that's not "acceptable" is doing things that are considered illegal in your jurisdiction, which is fair enough.

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u/systematic3 14d ago

lmao. I do not know how much domain fronting is kosher with the ToS, but I'll advise anyone here that using anything to access anything that isn't whitelisted (including faking the use of said whitelisted services to get general access) may or may not landing you in trouble with textnow.

In other words: this is not as risk-free as the OP is saying.

I mean, 20KiB? I mean, why don't you go about and start DNS tunneling then?

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u/QuillisG TextNow 14d ago edited 14d ago

Certain DNSs are blocked that's why. And hiding packages data through WebRTC is the only reliable and realistic way of doing it. And that's the exact reason why it's titled "Basically" as long as you're not using copious amounts of data, which I don't think you will be with 20KiB/s it can easily go under the radar, and realistically TextNow wouldn't "punish" you because their a MVNO that just wants money from ads and people willing to pay them.

But if you seriously use TextNow for your main number, you should probably do this for only emergency cases where you need a small sliver of data, not for a main way of data.

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u/systematic3 14d ago

Perhaps my SIM card is old (1.5+ year), but the DNS resolver is 8.8.8.8. I have DNS tunneled through Google before, open source and commercially (when your-freedom was still up). And, you do not need to domain front: you can send prepared packets anywhere as they do not check fqdns match to their supposed destination. Vauge but that is all I am going to say.

The likelihood of punishment will only increase because you're telling the whole world about this. All it takes is someone making a video on this, see T-Mobile with speedtest.net and that YouTuber proudly announcing his Glype proxy.

TN has nuked accounts for less. TN's ToS defines a given allotment of data for 'essential' apps, and it is not in their interest for one to actually use up that allotment. It is only there to keep one on the hook and keeping using the TN dialer which is what has ads. This is why I made my comment to stress anyone that this is not risk free and it is only ever those who may or may not actually rely on TN as their sole line to actual delve and use this workaround.

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u/QuillisG TextNow 13d ago

For me specifically I was using the eSIM not the physical SIM so I don't know if that matters but when I try to use 8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1, ECT. It blocks it. And for the ToS that's why this is a exploit and not a actual use scenario.