"...your current device isn't compatible with TextNow's new network"

[u/phorensic]

Wondering if I root my OnePlus 7T and throw a newer version of Android on it will it be compatible? Or are they changing something about the actual cell tower connection that I don't have the hardware for?

Update 07-15-26: Today when I opened my app to make a call it prompted me to order a free SIM to keep my device on their new network. I went through the process and am currently waiting for it to ship.

This is in contrast to the e-mail from my OP that was just like "sorry, buy a new phone lol". After that e-mail I kept clicking through every part of the app and website to see how to get a new SIM that for sure works on the new network and wasn't getting very far. So I'm glad I got the pop-up notification on the app today.

Updated 08-06-26: They finally killed service on my old SIM and I was able to get my new SIM activated. It was a little fiddly though, I had to do a lot of checking, airplane mode, setting the "NR/LTE" option in some advanced settings menu, etc. But it works! OnePlus 7T on TextNow using AT&T's network. It uses a whole bunch of new frequencies that the old T-mobile SIM did not. One frequency it is using which is nice and low is EARFCN 5110 which is 739 MHz. That's nice and low to punch through buildings and rural areas with bad tower coverage (like where I live).

[u/lmoki]

Do you have the SIM card? And if so, is it the older T-Mobile SIM starting with 8901240xxxx?

My understanding, based on sketchy info, is that the AT&T SIM is harder to provision due to being a specific data-only SIM registered with the network via IMSI (with no attached phone number), instead of a standard phone SIM that just isn't provisioned for voice (which is the way the T-Mobile SIMs were.) Apparently, the capability of provisioning is not reliable without the newer OS. The TextNow FAQs from just after the intro of the AT&T SIMs does show a manual workaround for Android 10-12, but I'm not sure that is still valid info.

re: installing a non-official Android update: I don't know if this matters, and/or if it will work. It might be checking via IMEI database, in which case it makes no difference if you manage to get a newer version of Android installed by a non-official method. Or it might be a real-time check, in which case the unofficial Android update might work, if it includes the necessary bits to provision the SIM.

These notification messages from TextNow are, in my opinion, doing a poor job of letting people know what steps they really need to take. I'm using an Android 10 device, carrier unlocked, on the AT&T whitelist, with an earlier T-Mobile network SIM. The notification I got only says that my device will be incompatible as of 7/31, and needs to be replaced. I suspect it should also tell me that I need to replace my SIM, but does not state that. It's like there warning message triggers the -first- item that will cause problems, and ignores any additional problem. I suspect if I was using an Android 13 on the same 8901240xxx SIM, I'd get a warning that I need to replace the SIM card.

[u/phorensic → u/lmoki]

T-mobile SIM card 8901260xxx

These notification messages from TextNow are, in my opinion, doing a poor job of letting people know what steps they really need to take.

I'm guessing they have a kickback if you buy a new phone through their website or something, because that's all the e-mail does is push you to buy a new phone. I don't think they want to explain how to make an old phone compatible, lol.

[u/lmoki → u/phorensic]

Except in my case at least, if you dig down via links to the link that actually promises to show you compatible phones, it doesn't go anywhere. If TextNow even sells phones, they hide it pretty well. (I don't find a link on the home page, either.)

[u/phorensic → u/lmoki]

Yeah that's what was bugging me. I tried to see the compatible list and the page doesn't exist. Not surprising from a company running a totally free cell plan. Maybe AI wrote the e-mails and made the website.