Throwaway phones can be beneficial in different day-to-day scenarios; they aren’t just for shady thieves or spies. You might decide not to offer strangers your actual phone number when they request it, for instance.
Now, while disposable phones are useful in such instances, they might be expensive and rather wasteful, so you could just get by with a disposable number instead, which is significantly less expensive and wasteful.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to take advantage of app technology to disguise your phone number and keep unwanted people from finding out your actual one. If you need this kind of information for whatever reason, then pay attention to the tips we’ve provided in this guide.
How Can I Make Calls Without Disclosing My Phone Number?
For a very low cost, you can hide your phone number when making calls by using several available smartphone apps. Self-destructing messages and the capacity to manage multiple numbers are just a couple of the incredibly helpful things that some of these applications have and offer people who decide to use them.
Below, in no particular order, are the Android and iPhone smartphone apps that we found to be the best for temporary phone numbers:
- Burner
Ad Hoc Labs’ Burner app has been in existence for a while. The software is only accessible in the US and Canada, but it has a fairly simple UI and lets you make calls and send texts from any new private number you choose. Burner numbers will typically use minutes from your regular carrier plan but has a separate voicemail box.
The best feature that Burner possesses is that you can “burn” your number so that you can quickly discard it and acquire a new one. Burner is available for a brief 7-day trial period. There are no regular plans available; instead, credit packs, which may be used to purchase a burner number for one week, two weeks, one month, etc. with various calling/texting allotments, are available for purchase starting at $1.99. These packs can be extended with more credits, or you can purchase unlimited use for $4.99 per new number per month.
Additionally, Burner enables you to link your phone number to services like Slack, Evernote, SoundCloud, and Dropbox, which creates a wealth of creative and administrative opportunities. Burner is only useful for adding a layer of privacy between yourself and other people; it cannot be used to remain completely anonymous. Also, keep in mind that they do maintain data backups and cooperate with law enforcement when required.
You can install the Burner app using one of the links below:
Download and Install the Burner App (iPhone)
Download and Install the Burner App (Android)
- Hushed
Hushed, created by AffinityClick, offers area codes from over 40 different nations and has a stunning, simple design. There are no exorbitant long-distance service fees because it uses your internet or Wi-Fi network to make the calls. A different voicemail box from your primary one is also available.
This app gives you a free 3-day trial, after which you can either sign up for a real plan or purchase a private number with reasonably low ingoing/outgoing per-minute prices. The $4.99/month for every new number for unlimited use seems to be the best deal and is pretty great if used frequently. Keep in mind that you’ll have to start afresh with a new number and new plan if you choose to delete the current one.
Although the function is currently only accessible to users in the US, Canada, and the UK, Hushed also supports messaging. Hushed also has you covered if you prefer that messages self-destruct after being opened; all you need to do is enable the inbuilt Private Messaging feature (which necessitates that both parties use Hushed) and you’re good to go.
You can install the app from one of the links provided below:
Download and Install the Hushed App (iPhone)
Download and Install the Hushed App (Android)
- Sideline
If you’re looking for a cost-effective calling app, try Sideline. Since Sideline uses your carrier’s network, just like Burner, calls received or made using Sideline will appear on your carrier’s bill. There are a couple of other ways to keep your voicemail separate from your actual phone number. In addition, you can transfer phone numbers from other services to Sideline if you don’t want to let them go. Note that Sideline is only available in the US and Canada.
The best thing about Sideline is that, for the most part, it is completely free and sponsored by advertisements. But if you pay the $2.99 monthly fee for the Pro subscription, you may turn off commercials and switch between Wi-Fi and mobile calls. Overall, the app is quite basic but considerably less expensive, so give it a try if you don’t think you’ll need the extra features that other apps provide.
You can install the Sideline app from one of the links below:
Download and Install Sideline (iPhone)
Download and Install Sideline (Android)
Other apps you could try for the same purposes include TextMe Up and Line2. Everything depends on how you intend to use your throwaway number(s), as each of these programs offers unique advantages.
Burner can be the best option if all you need is a temporary phone number that you won’t use again. If you need a lot of numbers for various purposes, TextMe Up can be a fantastic option. If you want to avoid using all of the minutes on your mobile plan, the best choices are TextMe Up, Line2, or Hushed.
In summary, there’s really no need to give out your true phone number if you’d rather not. Simply install one of the apps we’ve suggested on your device, and you’ll be good to make calls without any worries about disclosing your real phone number.
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