textPlus is a communication utility providing U.S. phone numbers for SMS and voice calls over WiFi on iOS and Android.
Product velocity
Maintenance
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#23
▲3Utilities · free
Sentiment
4.3
813k reviews
Nemesis
TextNow: Call + Text Unlimited
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users hire textPlus to obtain secondary phone numbers for privacy or international connectivity without the cost of a traditional mobile carrier plan.
For Users seeking secondary phone numbers for privacy, international travelers, or individuals without traditional mobile carrier plans.
What does it look like?
Key features
Provisioning of a real U.S. or Canadian phone number for SMS and voice calls without a SIM card
Voice and text communication routed over WiFi or mobile data instead of cellular voice networks
How much does it cost?
Freemium model monetizes via ad-inventory on the free tier and granular IAP/subscription gates for number locking and ad removal.
Velocity
Maintenance developmentperformanceUX improvementsShow more...
The app maintains a low-frequency release cadence, averaging approximately 0.15 releases per week over the last three months. Development is currently focused on stability and regional bug fixes rather than new feature expansion. The latest release addresses specific issues for Canadian users, following a pattern of minor updates with no significant feature additions. The development trend is stable at a maintenance level.
Who built it?
textPlus
3 apps tracked · Utilities
Nextplus: Phone # Text + Call
Nextplus: Private Phone NumberUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
The recent review mood reads frustrated. Users appreciate core communication features provide reliable calling and texting utility for international users, but report aggressive account suspension policies trigger permanent bans without clear justification or appeal paths.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Core communication features provide reliable calling and texting utility for international users
- Aggressive account suspension policies trigger permanent bans without clear justification or appeal paths
100 of 173 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Frustrated overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 1 more frustration theme and 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for textPlus: Text Message + Call
How's the Utilities market?
textPlus holds the #65 Free / #99 Grossing position in the US Utilities chart. The Grossing rank lagging Free by 34 spots indicates monetization friction within the free-tier user base.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By TextNow, Inc.
Dominates the free second-number space with massive scale and a high-frequency release cadence that directly challenges our core value proposition.
- Offers a hybrid model with a free ad-supported tier alongside low-cost SIM card activation options.
- Maintains a significantly higher release velocity, shipping five major updates in the last six months.
- Provides integrated nationwide talk and text coverage that extends beyond simple WiFi-only VoIP functionality.
Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for textPlus: Text Message + Call
Where is it heading?
The secondary-number market is consolidating around providers that offer carrier-grade stability, leaving textPlus exposed due to its reliance on VoIP-only infrastructure. Recent technical instability and opaque ban policies suggest a declining trend, so the PM must pivot toward transparency to avoid losing the remaining user base to TextNow.
- Technical instability post-update causes message delivery failures, which compounds the rating drag already visible on Android.
- Aggressive, opaque account suspension policies trigger permanent bans, leading to a decline in long-term user trust.
The SWOT
- Cross-device message synchronization increases user engagement footprint
- Prepaid international credit model captures high-intent calling corridors
- Transparent appeal process for suspended accounts could recover lost users
- B2B partnerships for international travel bundles
Next best moves
Audit account suspension logic because ban complaints are the #1 churn driver → stabilize user retention
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The high volume of account bans is not…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
SIM-based cellular connectivity (available in TextNow but absent here) +1
Since the last report: The app has transitioned into a maintenance-heavy state characterized by declining user trust, aggressive account suspension policies, and a narrowing feature set.
Bottom line
textPlus provides reliable core utility but suffers from aggressive ban policies and monetization friction, so the PM must prioritize support transparency and technical stability to prevent further churn to TextNow.
Unlock 2 critical frictions, 2 market threats, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeReport last updated