Best free texting app

[Gaidin43]

So I pay 20$ a month to att for unlimited texting. Most of my texts go through iMessage now and the other < 300 texts I send a month are sent via my carrier.

My question is what is the best text app that will make it so I don't have to pay for texting at all? I want to drop my 20$ unlimited texting plan and use a third party app that still uses my real phone number. However when I search for apps and such they all look like scams or something alone those lines.

Any suggestions?

 

[Neebee]

Heywire is very reliable.

 

[Muppetsliveon]

I would say pinger/textfree. Thats what I have always had to text. I text pretty much everyday. From when I get up until I go to bed.

 

[Gaidin43]

Does this still use my normal phone number to text from?

 

[Neebee]

Wow, pinger is almost 29 mb in size. And I though heywire with 19 mb was bad! I think I need a 32 GB iphone, lol

 

[Neebee]

Pinger claims to allow texting to over 35 countries but doesn't list them?

 

[Gaidin43]

Do these apps show your text from your phone number?

 

[Neebee]

That's a good question. I don't like how Pinger wants to know your cell number and then verifies the call with you. Perhaps it works like Whatsapp but WhatsApp doesnt' send text messages. Some Android users claimed to have been dinged text charges when using Pinger. Heywire does not need your phone number.

 

[Gaidin43]

Does heywire send texts to other people as if they are coming from your phone number?

 

[Gaidin43]

Anyone know?

 

[Vizin]

.

 

[Neebee]

heywire ASSIGNS you a US number so your actual cell number is not compromised (eg sent via your cell number via your carrier). With Heywire, you can use via wifi only so you actually don't need a cell phone ie. use it via iPad withOUT 3G.

pinger supplied me with a listing of countries they currently are serving for (free) but as of July, they removed MANY countries. Just like ICQ from many many years ago, I have no doubt pinger will be very restrictive in what countries they serve:
http://pinger.zendesk.com/entries/21778606-international-texting

 

[Gaidin43]

This is unfortunate I wish there was a way to send all texts via data and not be charged for them. Or even send and receive all texts via iMessage.

The all or nothing unlimited texting plan for AT&T is ridiculous. It's .20 cents per texts otherwise.

 

[Neebee]

This is unfortunate I wish there was a way to send all texts via data and not be charged for them. Or even send and receive all texts via iMessage.

The all or nothing unlimited texting plan for AT&T is ridiculous. It's .20 cents per texts otherwise.

Heywire does all that. It just assigns a different number to you. Is this not what you want?

 

[Gaidin43]

No I want things to how as coming from my number and going from my number using data instead of SMS through the cell company. Very similar to what iMessage does but I want to be able todo it to none iPhone phones.

 

[sk1wbw]

Why don't you just use a free Twitter client and send direct messages? You can do that all day long for free plus you can pictures as well.

 

[Gaidin43]

Can people send you texts to your normal number that way?

 

[Gaidin43]

How does the Twitter app allow you to send a text message from your phone to another phone using your phone number? How does it allow you to receive text messages sent to your phone number to appear in the app?

 

[sk1wbw]

How does the Twitter app allow you to send a text message from your phone to another phone using your phone number? How does it allow you to receive text messages sent to your phone number to appear in the app?

It doesn't, it's self-contained. I actually use Twitter all day long and sms very rarely. If you want private chats, you can use Direct Messages. You can upload pics and videos to services like Twitter, Twitpic, Twitvid, Moby, what have you. Plus, it's free.