TextNow: How to activate new "Black" AT&T SIM on Android <=12 phones

 If you use Android 12 and below, follow these steps:

1. Insert SIM card, set APN textnow.static
2. Restart the phone (just in case, most likely you do not need it)
3. Force LTE only mode by dialing from Android dialer (not TextNow app) *#*#4636#*#* and select LTE only.
If this shortcode does not work, use
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.xsquarestudio.forcelte
4. Install TextNow app if not installed and login to your account
5. Using other phone, send text message to your textnow number using wi-fi with only one line
textnow://activate_sim
Do not try to send from TextNow app to yourself, you must send from other phone.
6. Click on the link
7. Wait a minute or two and the SIM will be activated
8. Disable Wi-Fi
9. Check if you have active internet connection (for example, load https://google.com)
10. If failed to load outlook.com, go to network settings and manually search for network. Select TextNow (it is an alias for AT&T) or AT&T, whatever you see on available network screen/

https://www.howardforums.com/threads/textnow-changing-carrier.1931448/page-9#post-17307759

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