Ultimate cheapest phone service (free)

[ekjr]

The TextNow app offers a SIM card for five dollars and you can use the app with out WIFI.
https://www.textnow.com/wireless

• The service uses T-mobile towers.
• The app officially has adds but if your not connected to WIFI then there's no adds!
• There is no way to transfer you number out of TextNow (as far as I know).

I use it on a cat s22 flip phone (which can be found for 50 dollars!)as backup phone and has no problems!

[Yo ssi]

How long will this last?

[aygart]

What are ads like

[DaasTora]

How long will this last?

Been going on for some time already. I had it last year for a few months
.

What are ads like

Most of the ads I had were from TextNow to promote their paid premium service.
One downside I had but it might’ve changed, was that you can only call and text through their app.

[Yo ssi]

One downside I had but it might’ve changed, was that you can only call and text through their app.

I use it on a cat s22 flip phone (which can be found for 50 dollars!)as backup phone and has no problems!

Conflicting stories. @ekjr can you confirm if it works with a flip?

Definitely used to be different

Textnow is fine.  It's not 2-3 days for calls, but more like 30 days, to keep your same number and keep it active.  You can actually "subscribe" for $5 a YEAR to keep number active without calls.
TextNow uses only their app to do texting or calling, which seems indeed to be "unlimited."  With their SIM in a smart phone, you can use their app (and their app only) on the TMobile network and it works for SMS, phone calls, etc.  On Android, you also get "alerts/notifications" for other apps on your phone, but  you cannot use them, without WiFi or upgrading to a data plan.
The SIM does work on an old Android phone I have, and works well.
Ads are not in calls, or via text, but inline with texts in the app, but easy to look over.  There are banner ads in the app, and inline with your texts.  I haven't found them a bother.
Don't expect any support.  While they do have chat support available until around 2:30 EST each day, I've never been able to access it, and from Reddit, those that do seem to rarely get anything more than their very most basic queries answered.
I have one line which works fine.  The 2nd line, I left expire, and now, even with a new number and SIM, I can't seem to get it to work, but from what I've read, I'm just frustrating myself.
App gets updated on Android all the time, so they must be doing something!
I don't work for or get paid to shill for them.  Just letting you know my real-world experience over the last 3-6 months or so.

[ekjr]

You can use it on the cat s22 flip because you can download regular apps from the play store and true it only works through the app.
Incase you're wondering I used google parental controls to block all other apps and as far as the adds they don't show unless connected to wifi (except for adds from TextNow that say to upgrade).
Also it's supposed to say 5 dollars for a sim card (I'm not sure how to modify it).

[AsherO]

One downside I had but it might’ve changed, was that you can only call and text through their app.

That makes it sound like a data only sim that uses the app for voip-based web calling and sms