What Is a Burner Number? How It Works and How to Get One

A burner number is a phone number you use for a specific purpose and expect to throw away. People use one when they would rather not hand their real number to a stranger, a website, or a person they have just met.

The name comes from burner phones, the cheap prepaid handsets people buy, use, and discard. The idea is the same, but the way you get one today is very different.

Burner number vs burner phone

Searching "what is a burner phone" and "what is a burner number" gets you two related things. They solve similar problems in different ways.

	Burner phone	Burner number
What it is	A separate prepaid handset with its own SIM	An extra number on a phone you already have
How you get it	Buy a phone and prepaid service in a store or online	Install an app and pick a number
Cost	Handset plus airtime	App subscription or one-time purchase, depending on the app
Setup time	Store trip or shipping, then activation	Usually minutes
Dropping it	Throw away or stop topping up the phone	Delete or replace the number in the app
Carrying it	A second device	Nothing extra

For most everyday privacy uses, such as a sale or a signup, a burner number is the simpler choice. A separate phone still makes sense if you want a second device altogether, for example for travel.

If you are new to the underlying technology, our explainer on what a virtual phone number is covers how these numbers work over an internet connection.

Why people use a burner number

The most common reasons are ordinary:

• Online dating. Share a number for the first few conversations, and keep your main number out of it until you trust the person.
• Selling things locally. Buyers on marketplaces often ask to text. A separate line keeps those messages in one place. See using a second number on Facebook Marketplace.
• Signups and coupons. Stores and websites that ask for a number for a discount code can end up texting you for years.
• Rental and apartment inquiries. Landlords and agents may call back repeatedly, and you may not want those calls on your personal line.
• Short-term work. A one-off freelance job, a school project, or a trip can use a number that you drop when it ends. Our guide to a temporary number for one day covers short-term use.

How to get a burner number

There are three main routes.

1. A second-number app

This is the most common route. The general steps are:

1. Install the app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone.
2. Choose a number, often with a specific area code.
3. Start the plan or trial.
4. Use the number inside the app for calls and texts.
5. Delete or replace the number when you are done. Deleting a number does not cancel the subscription, so cancel that separately in your Apple or Google account settings if you no longer need the app.

Calls and texts run over Wi-Fi or mobile data, so you do not need a second SIM. Our guide to texting from a different number shows what the other person sees.

2. Google Voice

Google Voice gives you a number tied to your Google account. Google's page lists a basic plan at no cost, and its setup guide says it texts a code to your phone to verify signup, so you need a working phone to begin. Google also says new numbers need identity verification with a government-issued ID before you can call or text, which does not suit a number you plan to throw away. Our TextNow vs Google Voice comparison covers the free options in more detail.

3. A prepaid SIM

A prepaid SIM in a spare phone gives you a real carrier number. It costs more and takes longer, but some services accept mobile numbers more readily.

What does "free" really mean?

You will see "burner number free" a lot, and the claim needs a closer look. In practice free usually means one of these:

• A free trial. You get a number for a few days, but it needs a payment method and turns into a paid plan unless you cancel.
• An ad-supported app. You get a number at no charge, but you see ads, and the app may take the number back if you stop using it.
• A free Google Voice basic plan. Free to use once you are set up, but you need another phone number and ID verification to sign up.
• A public "receive SMS" website. The number is free and shared. Anyone can read the messages sent to it, so never use one for anything you care about.

No option gives you a private, permanent number with no catch.

Burner number apps compared

Here is what each service showed on October 25, 2026. Prices and trials change, and Android terms can differ.

Service	Starting price (US)	Trial	Notes
Burner	Standard $7.99 a month or $47.99 a year on its website	App Store listing says a 3-day trial with limited usage; the pricing page lists none	Listing says you can delete or replace a number any time
Hushed	From $6.99 a month for an unlimited plan on its website	App Store lists a 3-day trial; the pricing page lists none	Choose a US, Canada, or UK number
Google Voice	Basic plan at no cost; paid Workspace plans from $10 per user a month	Not applicable	Setup sends a code to your phone, and new numbers need ID verification
HashPhone	$2.99 a week, $6.99 a month, or $24.99 a year	See the current offer below	US or Canadian number; change the number in Settings

Burner's listing also notes that its service is not compatible with emergency calls to 911. That is a good reminder to keep your regular phone for emergencies, whichever app you use.

HashPhone is one of the most affordable paid options in the table. Its monthly price matches Hushed's starting price, and its yearly plan costs about half of Burner's, or about $2 a month. It is a personal second number for one-to-one calling and texting on iPhone, iPad, and Android, with unlimited talk and text and no ads.

That makes it a good fit for burner use. You pick a US area code, and you can replace the number any time from Settings, then Change Number. Each change is a one-time purchase ($2.99 in the US, checked October 21, 2026). The new number is usually ready within seconds, and the old one is deleted. It is free to download.

Can a burner number get verification codes?

It can receive them, since a number from an app gets regular SMS. Whether a specific code arrives is up to the service that sends it, and some services do not accept internet-based numbers. Our guides on VoIP numbers and verification codes and using a second number with WhatsApp go into the details.

One tip: use a number you plan to drop only for accounts you do not need to keep. A bank or email account is better tied to a number you will hold on to, because you may need it to sign back in later.

Is a burner number legal?

In general, yes. Having a second number for privacy is ordinary and legal in the US. What matters is what you do with it. Using any phone number to harass someone, commit fraud, or break the law is not made legal because the number is temporary. This is general information, not legal advice, and rules can differ by state and country.

Using a number to dodge a platform's rules or to create accounts you are not allowed to have is also a bad idea, and it can get an account closed.

Is a burner number safe?

It can reduce clutter and keep your main number out of places you do not trust. It does not make you anonymous or untraceable.

• App providers keep account and billing records under their privacy policies.
• Subscriptions bought in an app store are billed through your Apple or Google account.
• The carriers that handle calls and texts may keep their own records.
• Under US law, providers can be required to hand basic subscriber records, such as name, address, and payment source, to the government through legal process like a subpoena or court order. The statute is 18 U.S.C. 2703.

A burner number keeps your real number away from strangers and websites. It does not protect you from legal process, and it does not replace passwords or two-factor protection on your accounts.

Meet strangers in public, keep payment inside the platform you are using, and block anyone who pressures you.

Can people tell it is a burner?

Sometimes. Phone-number lookup services can report a line type, and internet-based numbers may show as VoIP rather than mobile. Twilio's lookup documentation, for example, lists line types such as fixed VoIP and non-fixed VoIP, along with the carrier name. A person you text will not see that on their screen, but a website that runs a lookup might.

Before you commit to any app, check the renewal price and what happens to the number when you cancel.

FAQ

What is a burner number?

A burner number is a second phone number you use for one purpose and then drop. Most are app-based and run on the phone you already own, though a prepaid SIM in a spare phone works too.

What is the difference between a burner phone and a burner number?

A burner phone is a separate prepaid handset. A burner number is an extra number on your existing phone, set up through an app.

Is there a free burner number?

Some apps offer a free trial or a free ad-supported number, and Google Voice has a basic plan at no cost. Each has limits, such as a trial that renews, ads, or a number that can be taken back.

Are burner numbers untraceable?

No. App providers and carriers keep records, and law enforcement can obtain subscriber information through legal process.

Can a burner number receive texts from any service?

It receives regular SMS, but some services refuse numbers they classify as internet-based. Acceptance is up to the sender.

Can I use a burner number for WhatsApp?

WhatsApp often rejects VoIP numbers, though HashPhone numbers sometimes work with it. Our WhatsApp guide covers what to expect.