Short answer: Free TextNow numbers are use-it-or-lose-it. A number you just picked and never use can be released within the first 24 hours, and after that keeping it means using it at least once a day. There's no fixed later cutoff — TextNow says it warns you first — but once a number's gone you can't get it back. A paid Lock In Number subscription keeps yours regardless of use, for as long as the subscription stays active.
How long you have on TextNow
TextNow runs a "use it or lose it" model on free numbers, and it works very differently from a prepaid SIM. Two things catch people out. First, a number you just chose but never text or call from can be released within roughly the first 24 hours. Second, keeping a free number after that isn't a monthly thing — TextNow's rule is to use it (a call or text) at least once a day to keep it active.
There's no published fixed cutoff for later inactivity, and TextNow says it will send a warning before recycling a number — but the safe rule is the daily one: use it at least once a day, or expect to lose it. A number showing in the app doesn't mean it's still reserved for you — like a prepaid SIM, it's tied to activity, not to whether the app is installed. (Same idea, on a much slower clock: what happens when you stop using a prepaid SIM.)
Can you get your TextNow number back?
Usually not. Once a number has been released, TextNow doesn't restore previously lost numbers — you'll have to choose a new number for the account. That's the difference from a carrier, where you can often reactivate within a grace period: on TextNow's free tier, gone means gone.
What counts as keeping it active — and the paid way out
Keeping it is simple but frequent: send a text or make a call to any US or Canada number — it doesn't have to be another TextNow user — and do it at least once a day. If keeping that up isn't realistic, TextNow's Lock In Number subscription keeps your number regardless of activity for as long as the subscription is active — the paid way to stop worrying about it.
Comparing your options? A Google Voice number is far more forgiving — see Google Voice: how long before you lose your number?
Track a TextNow number on your own cadence
Because a free TextNow number has no fixed deadline and needs daily use, KeepSim can't warn you at a set date the way it does for a prepaid SIM. What it can do: hold this line in your list with a recurring reminder you set, nudging you to send a quick text on a cadence you choose. For a number you truly can't afford to lose, TextNow's own Lock In Number removes the inactivity risk while that subscription is active. Local-first, no account.
Get KeepSim on the App StoreCommon questions
How long before TextNow recycles your number?
Free TextNow numbers are use-it-or-lose-it. A newly chosen number you never use can be released within the first 24 hours. After that, keeping a free number active means using it at least once a day. TextNow doesn't publish a fixed cutoff for later inactivity and says it will warn you before recycling — so treat "at least once a day" as the safe rule.
Can you get a lost TextNow number back?
Generally no. Once a number is released, TextNow does not restore it — you have to pick a new number for your account.
How do you keep a TextNow number from expiring?
Use it at least once a day: send a text or make a call to any US or Canada number (it doesn't have to be another TextNow user). Or subscribe to Lock In Number, which keeps your number regardless of how much you use it, for as long as that subscription stays active.
Last verified July 2026 against TextNow Support (recycled-number and Lock In Number help articles), which state that a newly chosen number can be released within the first 24 hours, that keeping a free number active means using it at least once a day, that there is no fixed cutoff for later inactivity but TextNow will warn you first, and that released numbers can't be recovered. TextNow does not publish a single fixed later-inactivity window, so treat the at-least-daily rule as the safe guide and confirm the current policy with TextNow before relying on it. KeepSim is a personal reminder tool; it does not provide phone service or keep numbers active on your behalf.