SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Remember 2009 when “The Mentalist” and “Bones” were on TV; the “Twilight Saga” and “Avatar” were hot at the box office; and “Empire State of Mind” (JayZ and Alicia Keyes) and “I Got a Feelin’” (Black Eye Peas) topped the charts? That was the same year Pinger launched TextFree, the first app to give users unlimited free texting. Over the ensuing 15 years, TextFree by Pinger was downloaded more than 130 million times and today remains the free texting and voice app of choice by millions of users.


“Back in 2009, most people paid for texting,” said Greg Woock, co-founder and CEO of Pinger, the parent company of TextFree. “We created the first, free texting app, TextFree, for people who needed a phone number on their mobile devices. This is before there was WhatsApp, Google Voice, Telegram, or the others that followed. TextFree was free then, and it’s still free now—but with even more features like unlimited calling. The 15th anniversary of the original free texting app, TextFree, is something truly to celebrate.”

TextFree Makes History

TextFree was a top app in the early days of the Apple App Store—across all available apps—and became a favorite with parents of texting teens and younger people trying to lower their monthly expenses while staying connected.

Woock added, “Many Gen Zers and Millennials used TextFree as their first phone number for their device and now many of them use it as their second phone number.”

About TextFree

The basic TextFree texting and voice service costs nothing because it is supported by advertising. Users can pay for an ad-free version with enhanced features called TextFree Plus.

Basic TextFree features include:

  • Unlimited calls and text
  • Photos, videos, and GIF messages
  • Audio messages, emojis and PDFs
  • Group text messages
  • Auto-reply to calls and texts
  • Custom ring and text tones
  • Custom wallpapers
  • 24/7 customer support

About Pinger, Inc.

Pinger, Inc. started the communication app revolution in 2005 by enabling smartphones to send free texts. Today, Pinger apps power billions of conversations that connect consumers, solopreneurs, and small businesses. Pinger’s products—TextFree, Sideline, and Index—have been downloaded over 160 million times and have sent and received more than 200 billion texts.

Pinger has been ranked #4 in Fortune Magazine’s Best Small Workplaces 2024. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California, with remote staff throughout the United States and Europe.

Learn more about Pinger and its apps at www.pinger.com. Follow TextFree by Pinger on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok.

Contacts

Media Contacts:

Harry Pforzheimer

Press@Pinger.com
1-408-271-5700

Information Arts:

Andrea Grindeland

Pinger@InfoArts.com
1-650-416-1509