TextNow
TextNow is a free VoIP and messaging application that provides users with a dedicated US or Canadian phone number for unlimited texting and calling over Wi-Fi or mobile data. Unlike messaging-only apps like WhatsApp or Telegram, TextNow assigns each user an actual phone number, making it function as a secondary line. The service includes features such as voicemail transcription, group messaging, caller ID, picture messaging, and low-cost international calling rates. It is designed to sync seamlessly across multiple devices, allowing conversations to be started on one device and continued on another.
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1 suggestionTextNow is distributed via the Electron framework (indicated by the bundle ID com.textnow.electron) rather than as a native macOS application. This architecture means TextNow runs inside a JavaScript/Chromium wrapper that is itself Intel-only on modern macOS, and there is no indication from the search results that the vendor has shipped or plans to ship a native Apple Silicon build. When Apple removes Rosetta 2 in macOS 28 (September 2028), this Intel-compiled wrapper will stop launching, even if the underlying service continues. Given the current date is May 2026, you have approximately 28 months before the deadline to plan a transition. Contact TextNow directly to confirm whether a native Apple Silicon build is in development. In the meantime, the iOS or Android apps (available from the App Store and Google Play) are native to their respective platforms and will continue to work on any iPhone, iPad, or Android device. If you rely on the macOS client, you may also use the web version at textnow.com in a browser as a temporary workaround until a native desktop build appears or you fully migrate to mobile.
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