Google Voice is completely free to keep a U.S. number as long as you make at least one call or text every 90 days; TextNow is free with ads but requires usage at least once a day, or you can pay a weekly or annual fee to lock the number permanently.
The keep phone number myth
Most people set up a tablet, make a few calls, then stop using the app for months. When they later try to make a phone call from their tablet, they find their number has been recycled to someone else. Neither Google Voice nor TextNow charges a fee for inactivity, but both enforce strict usage windows. If you miss those windows, your number is returned to the pool, and warning emails may not save it if you fail to act. The “free” label applies only to the sign-up cost and basic calling, not to indefinite number ownership without any activity.
Google Voice expiration rules
Google Voice gives you 90 days of inactivity before reclaiming your number. Any outgoing call or text resets the timer. If you fail to get a phone number on your tablet and then ignore it for three months, Google will send multiple notifications to your linked email. After that, the number is gone, but you have 45 days to reclaim it; after that window, you must claim a new one, which may be different. The 90-day clock applies only to outgoing activity; incoming calls or texts do not count. Set a calendar reminder every 80 days to send a quick text to yourself or a friend.
TextNow free vs. lock-in pricing
TextNow’s free tier requires at least one call or text every day. If you let a day pass without activity, the number may be released. The app displays ads to cover costs, but the daily usage rule is strict. To bypass this, TextNow offers a “Lock In Number” subscription. At the time of writing, TextNow charges a recurring weekly fee for this lock-in, with an annual option also available; check the in-app subscription page for the current rate because TextNow sets and adjusts its own prices. Once locked, your number is permanently reserved regardless of activity. You can stop using the app for a year and still find your tablet phone number exactly where you left it. The lock-in fee is the only recurring charge for keeping a number; without it, you must use the service at least once a day.
When you actually have to pay
Google Voice remains free for domestic calls and texts. If you need to make the phone number on this tablet match your existing cell number, you must port it in. Google sets a one-time porting fee; confirm the exact amount on Google Voice’s official help page before you start, because Google updates its pricing directly. International calls are billed per minute at low rates. TextNow charges beyond the lock-in subscription for removing ads or for unlocking features like voicemail transcription; TextNow publishes its ad-free rate inside the app, and that is the only authoritative source. Neither service charges for simply keeping a number on the free tier, provided you meet the activity deadline. The only surprise fee risk comes from forgetting to use the app, not from hidden billing.
Unlike every other guide, this page tells you outright that neither Google Voice nor TextNow will send a guaranteed recovery email before recycling your number, once the inactivity window closes, the number is gone even if you never saw the notifications, and for a broader look at how to make a phone call from my tablet, you can explore the full topic of How To Make A Phone Call From My Tablet.
