Which VPN Can You Use for TextNow? What Our Tests Found

A VPN can get TextNow onto a computer outside North America, but it can’t create an account. In our October tests from Europe, NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN made the TextNow app available in the Microsoft Store on their standard settings. Every sign-up attempt then failed.

Google sign-up on the three VPNs, and email sign-up in the app and in a browser, which showed an “unexpected error” with the VPN on and off. TextNow also states that it doesn’t support VPN connections. For a US number from abroad, TextPlus worked in Europe without a VPN.

TextNow VPNs Compared

Our October results from Europe, with US download speeds measured on a 190.36 Mbps connection:

Does TextNow Work With a VPN?

Only for downloading the app. TextNow is available only in North America. Its help center says the service doesn’t work outside the region or through a VPN, and accounts that break its terms can be disabled. Our results from a Windows 11 PC in Europe:

• Google Play: TextNow is missing from the European store on Android.
• Microsoft Store: TextNow showed as unavailable until we connected to a US server. Installing it then required setting Windows’ region to the United States.
• Google sign-up: failed on NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN.
• Email sign-up: failed in the app and in a browser, whether the VPN was connected or not.
• Logging in: we had no existing account to test. TextNow says VPN users can’t log in.

When a VPN Helps With TextNow

A VPN is useful for people who already use TextNow in the US or Canada:

• Public Wi-Fi: it encrypts calls and texts on hotel, airport, and café networks.
• Restrictive networks: schools and offices sometimes block TextNow, and obfuscation disguises the VPN traffic.
• Travel: a US server or a Canadian IP address keeps your location in North America, but TextNow says VPN logins aren’t supported, so a blocked login or a disabled account is possible.

Best VPNs for TextNow

1. NordVPN: Best VPN for TextNow Overall

NordVPN’s US server recorded 180.41 Mbps in our October speed tests on a 190.36 Mbps connection, the fastest US result of the three. It made TextNow available in the Microsoft Store on its standard settings. For networks that block VPN traffic, obfuscated servers and the NordWhisper protocol disguise it.

The kill switch cuts the internet connection if the VPN drops. On our Windows 11 PC, NordVPN sometimes failed to connect while another VPN was installed and idle. The Basic plan costs under $3.50 a month on a 27-month subscription, payable by card, PayPal, or crypto, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Our NordVPN review covers the rest.

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2. Proton VPN: Best for Privacy

Proton VPN’s US server recorded 177.23 Mbps, and TextNow became available in the Microsoft Store with its default settings. The Stealth protocol disguises VPN traffic on filtered networks, and Secure Core sends traffic through Switzerland, Iceland, or Sweden before the US server.

The free plan is less useful for TextNow, because it assigns the country: in our TextPlus test, it gave us the Netherlands. VPN Plus costs under $3 a month on a two-year plan. Refunds within 30 days are pro rata, after the account is downgraded to the free plan. Our CyberGhost vs Proton VPN comparison measures it against a cheaper VPN.

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3. ExpressVPN: Best for Restrictive Networks

ExpressVPN obfuscates every server automatically, so there’s nothing to configure on an office or campus network that blocks VPNs. Its US server recorded 175.33 Mbps, and the Microsoft Store listed TextNow with no setting changes. It’s also among the fastest VPNs for the UK, at 184.88 Mbps in our tests, and our guide to VPNs for China explains where its obfuscation matters most.

Lightway Turbo mode disables split tunneling. A browser extension for Chrome and Firefox controls the app, and refunds within 30 days are handled over live chat.

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Can You Use a Free VPN for TextNow?

Not to create an account. A free VPN runs into the same sign-up block, and TextNow detects VPN connections regardless of price. For existing users on public Wi-Fi, two free VPNs let you choose a US server on iPhone and Android:

• Windscribe: 10 GB a month after confirming an email address, with US and Canadian servers.
• PrivadoVPN: 10 GB a month, renewed by hand, with US servers.

Proton VPN’s free plan assigns the country, so it can’t guarantee a US IP address. Hotspot Shield‘s free plan offers one US location and shows ads.

TextPlus Works Abroad Without a VPN

TextPlus is an alternative that worked from Europe. The app is listed on the European Google Play store, and we signed up with no VPN connected. It provides a US or Canadian number, free texts to both countries, free incoming calls, and paid outgoing calls to 200+ countries. TextPlus also worked on the free US servers of Windscribe and PrivadoVPN, while Proton VPN’s free plan assigned us the Netherlands.

Since TextPlus doesn’t require a VPN, one is only worth using for privacy on public Wi-Fi. For contacts who use it, WhatsApp calls cost nothing either.

TextNow Not Working With a VPN?

• “Unexpected error” at sign-up: account creation is blocked outside North America, and a VPN didn’t change that in our tests.
• App unavailable in the Microsoft Store: connect to a US server and set Windows’ region to the United States.
• Blocked login: TextNow’s help center tells VPN users to disconnect and log in again.
• Disabled account: only TextNow support can review it, and a VPN won’t restore access.
• Blocked on a school or office network: use NordVPN’s obfuscated servers or ExpressVPN, which obfuscates by default.

Where Is TextNow Available?

TextNow is available only in North America, and accounts can’t be registered from other regions through the app or the website. US lines can roam: Mexico is included on every TextNow wireless plan with an active SIM card, including the Free plan, and Canada is included on the Plus and Unlimited plans.

Conclusion

No VPN in our tests created a TextNow account from abroad. NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN made the app available in the Microsoft Store, and each one protects existing US and Canadian users on public Wi-Fi and restrictive networks. NordVPN recorded the fastest US server of the three, so it’s our pick for TextNow.

For a US number from outside North America, install TextPlus, since it worked in Europe without a VPN. Our Surfshark review covers a cheaper VPN with unlimited devices, and our best VPN rankings compare more VPNs.

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