Ever wondered why you should need a good second number app? Having it can come in handy for several reasons. Whether for personal or business use you sometimes might feel the need to have more than one phone number.
The challenge here is that most smartphones in the iPhone and Samsung category make use of one SIM. So, does that mean you are stocked with two phones and the stress that goes with managing two phones? Not necessarily. Let’s explore how a second number App can save you all that stress and let you call privately.
Why do you really need a second phone number?
Hey, common face it! We all have several reasons; business, or personal, for which a second number might just be ideal. First, you have an office number and in most cases, it might not be ideal to give out such numbers to strangers or some personal contacts for non-work related activities.
Do you sometimes buy or sell items on Craigslist and Etsy, Airbnb listing, or visit dating sites occasionally? Then you might want to get a private number tool just to keep your activities discreet and avoid unwanted calls anytime. Besides, wouldn’t it make life a lot less complicated to have two numbers on one phone than carrying two phones around?
For clarity sakes, most second phone number tools serve as your secondary virtual mobile number. It could either be a disposable or semi-permanent number, depending on choice. They function similarly to your main phone number and allow you both to make out and inbound calls. So, here are some of the best tools to call private using second number solutions, but in no particular order.
Keep your personal number private
So, to add a second number to your smartphone and keep your original number private, use any of the following tools. Each one of them uses a different approach, however, all of them work the same in the end and protect your real cell phone number.
Burner App
With the burner app, you can go on leaving without much care in the world about your first numbers’ safety. For friends and associates, give out your real number but for others, the Burner app might just be it. Your second cell number on Burner can redirect calls to your first number but keeps the first number hidden or anonymous from the caller.
The beautiful thing is that you get to call, text, and send picture messages using the app while you remain discreet. It also gives access to robocalls and spam blocking features to all users.
However, the Burner app has an option for permanent phone numbers too. So if you need a service that frees you from carrying two phones about then you could check this out.
Purchase “mini burner” credits and enjoy 20 minutes of voice calls, 60 SMS for two weeks, or subscribe for a month from as low as $4.99 monthly to enjoy an unlimited plan. See the support page for pricing. Other unique features include the Burner Connections at $14, 99 monthly.
Burner Connection works on API systems for sending text messages on Evernote; synchronize with Dropbox to save voicemails and photos. It’s more suitable for the US and Canada only.
Google Voice
Do you know once you have a Google account there are options to make a voice call using Google voice? All you need is to pick a Google phone number and then choose the setting for all calls to your number. Google voice allows you to determine one or more means to receive calls whether your residence or the office.
It functions similarly to the others. You can make in and outbound calls; text messaging, listen to voicemails, and include a do-not-disturb function. Your voicemail messages could be transcribed if you want. And guess what’s up from the old-time phone standby service provider? Google Voice is free! So what would it cost you to give it a shot? But please note it’s limited to the US only.
Hushed App
The Hushed app is another excellent service for helping to remain anonymous. It shares similar functionalities like the Burner app except that it works using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The great news with VoIP is that you spend fewer credits on calls but require more use of internet data.
You enjoy the first three days using a disposable number for free and then on you have to pay every step of the way afterward. It costs $1.99 for a 7-day plan of 20 voice call minutes, 60 text messaging. But for a more permanent line, you can pay $4.99 monthly and enjoy unlimited calls and text messaging.
For just $25 however, you can get a better deal; a lifetime Hushed plan offering 300 SMS and 500 minutes of voice calls annually. However, expect some other extra cost for service charge.
Hushed provides numbers for up to 45 different countries with calls to over 200 countries, so you have a more robust platform here. But their rates vary for North America, U.S, and Canada with higher rates for other regions. Hush to Hush calls and messaging are however free.
Flyp
Using Flyp means access to multiple second numbers for whatever purpose. So if you have all the more reasons for multiple second numbers, you just landed yourself an excellent deal!
With each line you enjoy as many calls as you want; text messaging and voicemail service. It comes with an area code for each number.
You can get up five lines on a phone. However, you would need to pay as much as $7.99 monthly or an annual subscription of $79.99 for each line. The subscription rates also put Flyp in the league of quite pricey second number apps too.
Sidelines
Pinger’s Sideline until recently used to be free, however, it is still one of the leading second number choices around. It offers several unique benefits to include the ability to make international calls or create a team account within the app at an affordable subscription rate. You have the option to use your carrier network (billings go to your carrier) or make use of Wi-Fi service.
Sidelines allow you to port numbers in and out of the app. It used to be one of the cheapest but today is about the most expensive. You, however, do enjoy unlimited text messages and calls but at the rate of $9.99 per month. Other benefits include the voicemail and transcription service, automated text messaging replies. Coming soon is the auto-attendant service, though still over a year coming.
On a final note, please understand that each second number of app services comes with its unique benefits and drawbacks. But it all depends on your needs. Some persons require a one-time or short time second number, others maybe for some more personal, discreet but not illegal function. Whatever your needs; one of the private cell phone number apps above should be your best buddy as long as you want it to last.
Besides, with innovation and rapid technological advancement, the list of second mobile number apps keeps increasing daily. If you have found one that works better than these or want to share your experience kindly leave a comment underneath.
