(Credit: René Ramos)
Decades ago, people changed their phone numbers all the time. If you moved to a new place, you'd get a new number. But things are different these days. Now, you can take your first cell phone number with you for life, even keeping the area code on a new continent if you're willing to pay for it. That has downsides, though. Having another number associated with you for life, much like your Social Security number or driver's license number, means it's another easy thing for bad actors and Big Brother to use for tracking you. Especially since your mobile phone number is likely associated with just about every digital account you have.
The way to get around that is to never hand out your personal phone number, except to friends and family. There are a lot of good reasons for this. Perhaps you buy or sell items on Facebook Marketplace, manage an Airbnb listing, are hunting for a job, have a career that requires lots of phone calls, or you're online dating. Give all of them a burner number.
Typically, a burner is a no-contract, prepaid mobile phone, usually an ultracheap handset you buy in a store (with cash, for privacy), activate with a call or online, use for a while, and then discard. The throwing away is the "burning" part, but tossing the phone/number is optional, as you can "top off" the minutes on a prepaid phone and keep using it. With a burner, you don't have to block a person (or stalker, shady marketer, or robocaller) from your permanent phone. Nor do you need to get a new number. But the option is there, while your original phone number is intact.
For a second number, you could always get a prepaid SIM card on a cheap carrier if you want to go that route. It might even be handy if you have an extra phone around.
You probably already have an expensive iPhone or Android smartphone, so you don't want another handset. Thankfully, there are still many ways to add an extra, (possibly) temporary phone number that works with your smartphone (or even on your tablet). The numbers can even be used to send and receive texts with photos. Many new unlocked phones support eSIM standards where the SIM card that identifies you with the carrier is fully integrated and only changeable via remote software--and some phones support multiple phone numbers per eSIM.
Even wireless carriers are embracing dual-SIM options. And why wouldn't they, if they can sell an extra line? Verizon's latest plan lets you add a second number to your dual SIM device for just $10 a month (going up to $15 on June 5, 2024).
Having a second line isn't like using *67 or #31# before a call, which shows you as Blocked or Unknown. The services below make a point of displaying a temporary number when you call, so return calls can happen—until you want them to stop. If you just want the numbers to take calls, all the burner services feature things like voicemail and call forwarding.
There are some drawbacks to burner apps and services. The biggest is that you typically can't use them to call 911 for help. Some build that limit into their terms of service because they don't want to get sued. Second, the companies behind some of these solutions have a very limited number of phone numbers to use, meaning you could be on the receiving end of calls from people trying to reach someone who previously had your number.
If you can overlook all that and still need a secondary and potentially temporary number, get ready to access some apps and services that will maintain your privacy by becoming the number you hand out when you aren't sure who to trust.
Burner
7-day trial
Unlimited texts, talk, and pictures: $4.99 per month or $47.88 per year
Burner grabbed the best name for this kind of product. Limited to US and Canadian numbers, the service offers limited-time access to certain digits. If your account or free trial lapses without an upgrade, so does the number. The premium subscription option provides up to three phone numbers with unlimited minutes and texts. It’s best to register a Burner subscription on the web rather than the mobile apps, so Apple or Google don't become part of the transaction. Don't pay the Apple Tax; Burner literally charges you an extra $5 a month if you subscribe via the app. It promises to be 100% ad-free, blocks spammers, and also supports picture messages.
When you make a call via Burner, it’s actually your smartphone calling Burner, which in turn places a relay call to the number you want to reach (so it does eat up your talk plan minutes). The steps are spelled out as you go, so you're not confused. A PIN lock keeps the app secure; it integrates with fingerprint or face scanners on your smartphone.
Hushed
3-day trial
$2.99 for seven days prepaid; pay-as-you-go international plans starting at $6.99
Unlimited calls/texts $4.99 per month per line; 3 lines for $14.99 per month
Hushed (available for iOS and Android) is a lot like Burner, but with service in over 40 countries, and sporting simplicity that makes it worth considering. Don't worry about the minutes left on your actual mobile phone contract, Hushed uses VoIP, so calls are made over Wi-Fi (or using your cellular data). No minutes on your phone voice plan get used (unless you set up something like Call Forwarding or Call Routing). Subscribers can get up to three lines bundled. Text communications between Hushed app users are all free, and auto-delete after being read.
Google Voice
Free
The main purpose of Google Voice is to provide call routing using a single phone number that rings on all your numbers—completely free of charge. That way, if an important call comes in, it can reach your cell, your home number, your office number, and others all at once—you simply pick up the one you want. This is less and less an issue in the one-phone-per-person mobile world, but hey, at least you have a permanent second number that costs nothing.
The Google Voice app also features a dialer so you can call or text out. The recipient will see your Google Voice number for caller ID and if they return the call, you'll receive it at the preset numbers (or get a voicemail with full-text transcription). It's entirely VoIP, so it can use Wi-Fi or your phone data plan, and it works via apps on iOS and Android or even on the web. If you have a personal Google account, you've already got a Google Voice account. So go get a number.
Line2
$15.99 per month or $165 per year with a 30-day money-back guarantee
Line2 is a second line for your phone, with an emphasis on being a full-on, cloud-based business phone service for small teams. Each Line2 account has unlimited SMS and MMS messaging and virtual calling. Upgrade to get up to 99 extensions with each phone number. You can use the apps for iOS or Android, or try Line2 on your desktop with Mac and Windows programs.
Disclosure: Line2 is owned by PCMag's parent company, Ziff Davis.
Dingtone
Free for calls over Wi-Fi or data plan in the US and Canada; also free between Dingtone numbers
500 credits are $9.99; the cost for international calls from the US is 0.9 credits per minute
Dingtone promises free calls and unlimited texts to everyone, over Wi-Fi or your data plan, as long as you're only making calls in and to the US and Canada. You don't have to pay to reserve a number. Multiple numbers are allowed, and there are business features like voicemail, call forwarding, blocking, etc. If you want to call outside the country, you'll have to pay for some credits but because the more you use or check in with Dingtone, the more credits you earn, it's possible you won't have to pay for them. Rates are different per country. The app is available for iOS and Android.
TextNow
Basic use is free with ads
Pay $15.99 per month to go ad-free and get 2GB storage
With TextNow, you sign up for free to get a second phone number in your area code (or another), plus free calling and texting via the iOS and Android apps, as long as your device is on Wi-Fi. It also works on the desktop.
If you need to be more mobile, TextNow is also a mobile virtual network operator (meaning it sells mobile services under its name that come from another provider). It has a $1.99 activation kit that gets you a SIM card for unlimited talk and text anywhere (using T-Mobile's network) for free, with data add-ons (unlimited data costs $0.99 per hour up to $39.99 per month). It offers international use in 230 countries.
Phoner
Subscription price ranges from $4.99-$129.99
Available for iOS and Android, plus as a web-based app in your browser, Phoner offers all you'd expect: private numbers, the ability to hide/mask your caller ID, voicemail, call forwarding, reverse number lookup, and of course texting and calls. You can get started immediately when you grab a new, randomized number, though you can try to get a local number in about 30 countries, including the US. The pricing info on the site is almost non-existent so you won't know what to pay until you get the app and sign on.
2ndLine
Free
$9.99 per month to go ad-free
A totally free (albeit advertising-supported) second phone number can be yours with 2ndLine, but only on Android. Like most, it works as a VoIP line over Wi-Fi (so it also works on a tablet). After you pick a number from the app, you're ready for unlimited texts and calls in the US and Canada. International call rates are available. Options include call blocking, call forwarding, and even transcription of voicemails. If you don't use it, after a while 2ndLine will recycle your number, but it won't do that if you pay to go ad-free.
As Mashable notes, adding a second number may only be a bandage on a bigger problem if you've associated your main phone number with a bunch of accounts, from food orders to banking. The number could even be one of the ways you're expected to authenticate or update credentials. But sometimes a bandage can start the healing, so put your burner number to good use.
Like What You're Reading?
Sign up for Fully Mobilized newsletter to get our top mobile tech stories delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newsletters
