If you want to use a disposable phone number to receive SMS verification codes for online services and apps, you can use Burner – an app that lets you have access to multiple virtual phone numbers, or something like Tardigrada, a website that provides free disposable SMS numbers all over the world.
Having a temporary phone number is a useful tactic for users who want to get into today’s digital world without having to use their personal phone number to create an account and share private information.
Getting a temporary number
Disposable number will be the ideal solution for those who want to stay anonymous and avoid being distracted by annoying calls. If you use temporary number you will never fall victim of identity theft, unauthorised access or spam calls as your information won’t be visible at all. Mostly it’s legal to have a fake number in every country as long as it’s not used for illegal activity.
Many services have emerged that offer a temporary number online for SMS verification. Not only can you make a call, but you will also receive a text message with a code for verification. And special advantage is that such service will work from any device, not necessarily from the one which the app was downloaded from. Moreover, such number is really anonymous, and that number will never be used again which is a great advantage for those who feel uncomfortable about their work.
The numbers are useful to Internet websites and mobile apps that require a phone number for an account creation, or for verification of the account holder’s identity. Many people don’t want to give out their real numbers, but they need to verify an account. They’re also much cheaper, generally, than using a paid phone number, and can be immediately closed when their purposes are fulfilled. When used with online dating or Craiglist, or any other service that would prevent spoofing or spamming, they can be very helpful.
Getting a free number
A free number is a must have if you do the least part of your online purchases or activities. Many times websites require a user to sign up using your phone number that you provide so that the website can send a verification code, for example, when you signup you register on the website using both your phone number and email ID, after which the websites sends a verification code on your phone number, so when you signup another time you put the received code in the box that asks for the verification code, when you have a free number with Textr you will keep your personal phone number safe and you will also and at the same time safely use a free number that SMS will be sent to your phone, so you can verify the required online services.
After registering, you get handed a disposable phone number for the purpose of SMS, which long outlasts a certain time or is manually removed, based on your instructions. This way, no spammer will get his dirty hands on those numbers, as they’re unable to save or sell them to a third party for commercial purposes.
It’s free, and the service adds new numbers every day, so you’ll always have a fresh burner number at your disposal. You can opt for almost any country-code, too, so your temp number should be invisible even on sites that can see what’s going back to you through its systems.
Getting a paid number
One of the reasons for this is the fact that many websites and services require users to enter their phone number to complete the verification procedure. By using a phone number dedicated to this purpose, you are ensuring your privacy. In this way, you can take advantage of a number of pros and negate one of the main cons. This registration phone number suns for a time that you, as the owner of this number, can set. You can also opt to use an app designed for this purpose. What you do here is rather simple: before accessing a required service or website, you dial a certain number, provided by the security app you use, to your phone. After that, the necessary code is sent to the above mentioned number and you input that code as proof of your identity. An alternative is to simply have the verification code sent to the temporary registration number. There is a variety of ways in which you can spoof the account registration and save yourself the unnecessary trouble that arises from type 2 errors. Phone numbers can be rented for a specified time frame, which allows you to take the safety of your data into your hands while providing a very cheap or even free security solution. Such a number, unlike other forms of anonymisation, also leaves you with the possibility to receive phone calls. It’s not overly difficult to create – just set up an account on a site offering this kind of service and enjoy the full benefits of using a throwaway registration phone number.
If you want to sell an item on Craigslist, attract a date with one of the many online dating services or test a mobile app, you need a temporary number. Prepaid for periods of time from a day to a year with specific uses (a number for receiving verification codes, or SMS messages), or special discounts that helps you own a number once and for all with credits that renew each year, these services can offer a variety of ways to protect your privacy.
Getting a number for a specific purpose
Maybe you don’t want to list your personal phone number online. Or perhaps you just need a number for a single occasion – like account verification or buying from online merchants. Or you just want to test out an app without using your smartphone. Here are a few of the more reliable disposable number options, which create a disposable number that then expires after a set period of time or number of uses. These numbers are handy if you ever get trapped in one of life’s most dreaded moments: when someone you don’t know asks for your phone number. Or if you’re selling an item on Craiglist. Or online dating.
And these numbers are sometimes known as: burner phones, disposables, fake numbers… more commonly, they’re just US phone numbers that you buy for a month, or you get for free. The app Textr, for instance, lets you keep a separate phone number for business than your personal one, making sure your details are secure when you register for a new app. There are other benefits – this approach smooths out verifications, and removes the risk of your private details falling into the wrong hands. There’s even the chance of assuaging confirmation bias in verisimilitude (similar to Mark Z Danielewski’s novel Only Revolutions, which can only be read from front or back, or Shena Mackay’s short story ‘Stop That Girl’, which has different endings depending on where you read to). It will be immensely useful for people in business who field incoming calls from customers.