If you're having troubles with your TextNow app or service, a good first step is to clear out the TextNow app's cache and data. Don't worry - your messages and call history are backed up to the TextNow Servers, so you won't lose any messages or call logs by trying this troubleshooting step.
The easiest way to clear your cache and data is to
1. Uninstall TextNow.
2. Reboot your device.
3. Reinstall TextNow from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS)
You won't lose any of your messages or call history or lose your number if you uninstall/reinstall, as that's all backed up to our servers. It's important to reboot the phone between steps, as the reboot is what clears the cache/data from the app.
You can also clear the cache and data manually:
Android 6.0 and before:
1. Open your main Settings app.
2. Scroll down the Settings page and tap on Apps (sometimes listed as Application Manager on Samsung devices).
3. At the top of the Apps page you'll see the heading Downloaded. Swipe left on that page until you're under the heading All. (Note: Newer versions of Android have changed this page somewhat. To see all your apps on Marshmallow and Nougat, make sure the drop-down menu in the top left-hand corner is set to All Apps.)
4. You'll see a long, alphabetically-sorted list of all the apps on your device. Scroll down towards the bottom of the list and tap on TextNow.
5. This is the TextNow App page. From here, tap on (in this order): Clear Cache, the Clear Data, and finally Force Stop.
6. And finally, click on Uninstall Updates to revert the TextNow app back to the factory-installed version.
Once it's cleared and rolled back to the factory-installed version, install the latest update to the TextNow app. Click here for our Support page article on how to update your TextNow app.
Later versions of Android:
Depending on your particular manufacturer, the Clear Data and Clear Cache buttons may be slighter deeper in the settings menu. Go to Settings > Apps > TextNow > Storage to find the Clear Cache and Data buttons.
Can I try this on my iOS device?
iOS devices don't have the ability to clear the cache or data from a specific app. You can, however, achieve the same result by following these steps:
- Uninstall your TextNow app.
- Reboot your device.
- Reinstall the app with a fresh copy from the App Store (not from a local backup copy).