Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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The verdict on

TalkU

30
User verdict / 100 High confidence In trouble

TalkU, an app for virtual phone numbers and international calls, is currently experiencing significant issues with call and text reliability, credit management, and customer support, despite some users praising its past performance and cost-effectiveness.

⚠ Not updated in 56 months, this app may be abandoned
4.5★ lifetime (22,215) Free + in-app purchases since 2014 by Newtone Communications Inc recent negative 59% 120 reviews across 4 regions
Reliability Credit & Payment Issues Customer Support App Functionality & Bugs Verification & SMS
5★150
4★47
3★27
2★21
1★300
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.5★ lifetime average

TalkU allows users to get virtual phone numbers for calling and texting, often marketed as a cost-effective solution for international communication. However, recent reviews indicate widespread problems with call and text delivery, unexpected credit charges, and unresponsive customer service, leading many long-term users to express disappointment.

What users like

  • Some users report good call quality and ease of use when the app functions correctlyR26R40R123R135
  • Customer support has been helpful for some users in resolving account access issuesR4R141
  • Allows for multiple phone lines under one account at a low cost, beneficial for businessesR71R197
  • Can be a cost-effective alternative to traditional international plans, especially for expatsR109R148

What users complain about

  • Calls and texts frequently fail to send or be received, making the app unreliableR2R11R8R12
  • Users report being charged for calls/texts even with subscriptions or free credits, and credits disappear or are insufficientR6R14R15R17
  • Customer support is often unresponsive, especially for refund requests or technical issuesR11R12R19R137
  • Connectivity issues, app crashes, and lag are common problemsR7R18R33R86
  • Free credits are difficult to earn, quickly depleted, or cannot be used for international calls as expectedR38R41R49R53
  • Some users report fraudulent activity, including unauthorized renewals and fake calls draining creditsR10R16R17R31
  • The app is no longer free, requiring payment for numbers and credits, which contradicts previous offeringsR22R36R52R87

Latest update · v4.7.0

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

1 - Optimized the size of the app to help save more storage of your device. 2 - Fixed an issue that causes the message sent repeatedly when clicking the sending button too fast. 3 - Fixed an occasion issue that gets the app stucked when sending a very large video file in the message. 4 - App performance optimized.

Recurring themes

Reliability negative
Many users report that calls frequently drop, don't connect, or have poor sound quality, and text messages often fail to send or be received. This directly contradicts the developer's claim of 'App performance optimized' in the latest update notes.R2R7R8R11
Credit & Payment Issues negative
A significant number of reviews highlight problems with the credit system, including credits disappearing, being insufficient for calls, being charged unexpectedly even with subscriptions, and difficulty purchasing or renewing credits. Users also feel misled about the 'free' nature of the app, as most features now require payment.R5R6R14R15
Customer Support negative
Many users report extremely slow or non-existent responses from customer service, especially concerning issues like lost numbers, unapplied purchases, or refund requests. While some positive experiences exist, they are outnumbered by negative ones.R4R11R12R19
App Functionality & Bugs negative
Users frequently mention various bugs, such as the app crashing, being laggy, keyboard numbers not working during calls, or issues with sending images. Some specific errors like '420 errors' are also reported. The app's age (last updated 56.1 months ago) is noted as a potential cause for these issues.R2R18R86R130
Verification & SMS negative
A recurring problem is the inability to receive SMS verification codes for other services, which limits the utility of the virtual numbers. Some users also report issues with their numbers disappearing or expiring without clear renewal options.R12R45R129R137

Who it's for

This app is for users who need a secondary phone number for calling and texting, particularly for international communication, and are willing to tolerate significant reliability issues and potential payment discrepancies R109R148. It might appeal to those who have had positive long-term experiences with the app and rely on it for business or personal connections R71R141. However, it is NOT for users who require a consistently reliable service for important calls or texts, expect responsive customer support, or are looking for a truly free solution R2R8R12R17.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew heavily negative, which contrasts with the lifetime 4.5-star rating. This suggests a significant decline in app performance and user satisfaction over time, likely due to the app being abandoned (last updated 56.1 months ago). The developer's release notes are very old and do not address the core issues reported in recent reviews.

Frequently asked

Is TalkU a free app?
No, while it may offer some initial free credits or numbers, recent reviews indicate that TalkU is no longer truly free and requires payment for virtual numbers and credits to make calls and send texts R22R36R52R94.
Does TalkU reliably send and receive calls and texts?
No, many recent reviews report that TalkU frequently fails to connect calls, drops calls, has poor audio quality, and does not reliably send or receive text messages R2R7R8R11.
Can I use TalkU numbers for verification codes?
Users frequently report issues receiving verification codes through TalkU numbers, limiting their use for social media or other platform verifications R12R165.
How is TalkU's customer support?
Customer support is widely criticized for being slow, unresponsive, or unhelpful, especially for issues like lost numbers, unapplied purchases, or refund requests R11R12R19R31.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R26] 5/5 · US Very good: Works very good 👍
  2. [R40] 5/5 · US Very Good Call: Very good
  3. [R123] 5/5 · US Happy with the service now!: Updating review: Was a 1 star but TalkU eventually worked and was clear. The calls I ended up making were clear and usage was easy.
  4. [R135] 5/5 · US Maybe good: I like using this app for texting and calling. it is working with no issues. The thing i hate is the credits.
  5. [R4] 5/5 · US This is great app: I lost my number and account by my own mistake, but the support calmly and attentively guided me and made me able to access the number. This definitely means consumer value for the app manufacturers. I recommend downloading this app because they value you.
  6. [R141] 5/5 · US Excellent App and great customer service: I’ve been using the TalkU app for over 5 years. I can’t really remember exactly how long but it’s been a long time. This app has come in so handy. I’ve made a number of very important calls over this app that I would’ve otherwise been out of luck. Recently, I was logged out of the app and had trouble logging back in and reached out to customer service for
  7. [R71] 5/5 · US Wonderful people exceptional service: I have been using TalkU for over 10 years for my business and couldn’t be happier. I started with 1 line now we have grown to over 10. It is one of the only app/ programs that allows the user to have many phone lines under one roof at a very low cost and no down time. Also it lets other employees to use and function the app from any device. Pretty amazing. My
  8. [R197] 3/5 · US Slow but cheap: It’s cheap but it tried to get you spend more. It’s pretty good, you can have multiple numbers at once if you and it has auto google translate with replace. The main problem is the app is kinda slow so not all msgs get through or gets transmitted. And it also save my daily contact list and calls and txts to a file app which defeats the purpose of privacy.
  9. [R109] 5/5 · US Life saver: I moved to the Philippines when I started to have health problems. I’m a disabled veteran and being on fixed income makes it difficult to manage finances this is the best app I’ve ever had I was using AT&T intentional plan and was costing me a fortune monthly this app makes it possible for me to contact all aspects of my ties still in the United States I now don’t feel disconnected fro
  10. [R148] 5/5 · US Brought new life to old phone!: I absolutely love this app, this is the only VOIP service that still works on my iPhone 4S and it works wonderfully! It is far cheaper than normal phone plans as long as you have an Internet connection (most places do now anyways). Please keep the older versions of the app alive for as long as possible and I will keep paying. I am very satisfied with this service! 1
  11. [R2] 1/5 · US Errors: Keep saying 420 errors and cannot make calls
  12. [R11] 3/5 · US NO LONGER WORKS!: This used to work perfect as I use it in Brazil to call my Family in the USA! It no longer dials out but still received text message. I paid for a whole heep of minutes that I can’t use! I have sent support a few emails wit screenshot to receive no response or refund. I only keep it on , because, it’s tied two two verifications to important infrastructures. As soon as I migrate
  13. [R8] 1/5 · US Doesn’t work: When I try to send a text, the other person does not receive it.
  14. [R12] 1/5 · US Message not receive: Absolutely disgusting scam ! I bought a number on this platform and subscribed for a year. The number has practically never worked since I made the purchase. It doesn't receive any messages. I've tried contacting support several times, but I've never received a response. They just ignore emails. My problem has never been resolved, and I continue to pay for a service that doesn
  15. [R6] 1/5 · US Scam: This app is a scam. I bought unlimited calls plan and after charges it had a limit. Moreover, not even accepting call to call charges I was able to make a single call or text.
  16. [R14] 1/5 · US Do no purchase: You do no have free access to calls. They will charge you additional credits to call even if you have the 1 year sub for that number. This is a scam and there are better VOI out there
  17. [R15] 1/5 · US Lies/scam: Promised free texting. First text u receive they won’t show u the text until you sign up for premium subscription
  18. [R17] 1/5 · US DISHONESTY AROUND EVERY CORNER WITH THIS APP: Nothing’s unlimited, even with a paid subscription. And they seem to think that THEY have the right to renew a CANCELED subscription, then BLOCK YOUR ONLY RECOURSE to get a refund on the money they took from you, without your permission, and still withhold the subscription’s benefits from you! Absolutely ZERO stars for this company and their app! Even
  19. [R19] 1/5 · US Extremely slow Customer Service: Havent been able to use the service with two numbers for months. They keep requesting upload of picture of Passport and write number on a piece of paper…also provided proof of address. Their system takes only low resolution uploads. Literally sent requested documentation 3 times to no avail. All was well the first year - know it is just another unused app on my ph
  20. [R137] 3/5 · US Vanity Number disappeared!: I have the annual vanity number 1 year I paid for it 2024 February But today my vanity number disappeared! I The support doesn’t answer me
  21. [R7] 1/5 · US Issues: Bad connection. Can’t hear. It only rings once for incoming and outgoing calls.
  22. [R18] 2/5 · US Noooooo: I dont like this app too many problems and glitches.
  23. [R33] 1/5 · US DO NOT GET THIS APP: I have gotten this app so I could have a second phone number but there are lots of cons. First it starts you off with like ten or twenty credits so that’s good but they get used up so fast. And then after that you only have like one left so there’s a thing where you could do daily checkin for one free credit. But mind you the calls go from .90 credits to 2.00 credits and somet
  24. [R86] 3/5 · US From good to bad: This app shows call errors every single time and still send notifications. Meanwhile I tried with another app and it went good
  25. [R38] 1/5 · US Swindle: It's said that it's free, but you can't get coins by watching advertisements. You can only buy it, which is simply fraud.
  26. [R41] 3/5 · US Not working: No messages is going through have been sending for over 3months now no messaging is going through and also free credit still don’t know why
  27. [R49] 5/5 · US No more free credit internationally call: I can not call VN with my free credit. I always got:"Call Failed . To prevent fraud activity,free credits be used to call this number. Please tell me why before I will remove this app. Thank youCheck in to get free credits for what? You guys make me feel like betrayed. I have more than 27000 free credits can not call international. I am diamond member. Ple
  28. [R53] 3/5 · US Gets on my nerves: The app it self us easy to use and navigate, but it keeps asking me to get credits and I can only text 5 times. It gets on my nerves because I can't text really anyone
  29. [R10] 1/5 · US Why still charge me even I canceled !: Cheating
  30. [R16] 1/5 · US TALKU ARE SCAMMERS: I subscribed to an annual number April 6th, 2026 tell me why on this day today April 20th 2026 I received a message from TalkU that “The annual service for my number ends now.” Y’ALL ARE SCAMMERSSS
  31. [R31] 1/5 · US Was good until they started scamming: When you buy tokens now, the purchase goes into a “pending” state. This means if you lose cell service, your purchase doesn’t go thru but they still keep your money. Update: Developer reached out a month too late to ask me to provide them screenshots of the issue. I already deleted the app and reported it so no extra data for you.
  32. [R22] 1/5 · US Subscription: Was a free WiFi number, Not free anymore, mandatory subscription fees.
  33. [R36] 1/5 · US It’s clunky and not free: I downloaded a free app. To call people. Not pay 4 bucks just to use it. I’m good
  34. [R52] 1/5 · US NOT FREE: This is not a free app. Do not be catfished into downloading it because the reviews say it is free. You must pay a subscription for a phone number and you obviously cannot make calls without one.
  35. [R87] 4/5 · US Nice but wished it were free: Don’t like paying for it but overall very good app to use for privacy and security concerns if you have any at all high recommend TalkU
  36. [R5] 1/5 · US Renewal issues: I try to add more credits to my account; but I have a limit of 1000 credits in 24 hours. My number expires in less than 12 hours. I need to purchase more credits immediately to keep my number please
  37. [R130] 3/5 · US About call keyboard numbers doesn't work: Keyboard numbers doesn't work in call please fix it
  38. [R45] 1/5 · US Can’t receive message: Can’t receive incoming sms. Outgoing sms also did not arrive on my friend’s phone.
  39. [R129] 3/5 · US Renewal issues: How can I reactivate my number ,it expired and there is no option for renewal
  40. [R94] 4/5 · US Demands more money for credits: I thoughts you can text free after purchasing TalkU number but another deal starts when you purchase the number and you will keep paying for credits before texting and calling just in the US even though it’s US number I’m surprised
  41. [R165] 3/5 · US Verification code😭😭: PLEASE PLEASE make it so we can receive verification codes it only let me receive it once and if anyone could recommend any phones apps that we can receive verification codes please help me

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store