TextPlus goes beyond free texting, boosts communities
When I bought my iPhone 3GS, one of the helpful Apple retail guys told me to give textPlus a try for sending text messages, as I'd bought into the cheapest texting plan AT&T offers. I've since graduated to unlimited texting, and had left textPlus by the wayside until I found out it had a blossoming community angle to the service. While you can still send free texts until your fingers fall off, the latest version of textPlus (an ad-supported app, although there's a paid version as well) allows you to create, participate and join in Communities, which are much like topical group chat rooms seen on AIM back in the early days of the service.
Once you've set up a basic account using not much more than your name, zip code and birthdate, textPlus looks a lot like a big chat application. You have access to your own Address Book and can send a simple text to anyone with a mobile number and the ability to receive texts. They can text you right back, and it'll appear in your Conversations panel.
This is an easy way to see basic conversations, and if you're texting from a "dumb" phone you can still use the service as a simple conduit. This works one-on-one and in groups, although there are various commands for simple text input that'll allow you to traverse group conversations and name yourself, etc.
Read on for more...
Group chats, or "Communities" have had a boost in 2.5 of the app, primarily with a search feature. TextPlus has a list of recommended communities, but the search is quite good provided your group is named something sensible. As with any amorphous blob of users, there's a plethora of communities that have little to no activity, or are ephemeral at best, but there are also some solid foundations out there. I found a group of budding magicians, and found several entertainment communities worth chatting in. We added a TUAW community as well if you'd like to ask your favorite bloggers questions once in a while...
For free texts textPlus is a solid recommendation, but with communities and now a powerful search feature, there's very little reason to not try the free TextPlus app and see if it's your cup of tea. It's available for iPad (and looks great) and iPhone/iPod touch.
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When I bought my iPhone 3GS, one of the helpful Apple retail guys told me to give textPlus a try for sending text messages, as I'd bought...
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Works ok between my friends android and my iPhone. Maybe a little lag, hard tellin. But when neither of us has a decent cell signal but we both have wi-fi, we can at least chat.
October 25 2010 at 10:57 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHi, I've heard you can send txts from a regular mobile number to a textplus username (I'm in aussie where the cellphones dont support incoming textplus but I can receive them on the app... but the messages are being sent from a USA phone).
How do we do this?
Thanks!
My TextPlus does not receive my friends messages when they send a text message longer than 160 charters.
Is there a reason for this?
Thank you for the review, we're working super hard to create a place for people to come and chat while they're out and about.
The comparisons to old school AOL are true, the folks that used to chat it up get it, and the folks who never experienced that format love it.
I put this on my iPad and had sms right away ( not sure why apple didn't include the sms app from the iphone). You just sign up and use it.
Great app.
I prefer TextFree (free on appstore) because it actually gives you a local(ish) phone number that people send and receive texts from. Plus they claim free voip calling is coming soon.
Check it out... and no, I'm not affiliated with them in any way... ;)
Ever since Google Voice cut off international SMS, I've been looking for a reliable and seamless way to send and receive international SMS on my iPhone. Anybody have any ideas? The only thing I could think of is Skype. I've tried a few SMS apps for the iPhone, and none of them really worked.
July 27 2010 at 4:57 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWe'd love to hear more about what you want/need out of a perfect texting app, hop over to GetSatisfaction! and tell us. We listen :)
http://support.gogii.com
oh, and they have it for android too.
July 27 2010 at 4:52 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replytextplus has been working perfectly all year on my iphone and now on my ipad. real sms, with push. utterly free.
July 27 2010 at 4:20 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyit works great. it's real sms, to anyone not just textplus users (but they have to accept your first one, and you need to keep the convos saved or they have to accept again). i've used it all year on iphone and and on ipad when i got it. it's by far better than textfree (paid or free version) or *any* other texting app on appstore. right now i don't have a carrier and textfree is how i communicate. it works over wifi and also 3g. i'm amazed its not the number 1 app in teh appstore, frankly.
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