.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
A second phone number gives you another functional number to use when you’d rather not share your personal one. That can make it useful for dating apps, online shopping, travel, account sign-ups, and plenty of other everyday situations.
Choosing the right app depends on what you need the number to do. Some services focus on basic calling and texting, while others offer features such as multiple numbers, spam filtering, voicemail transcription, number changes, or additional privacy tools.
Here’s what to compare when choosing a second phone number app:
What Is a Second Phone Number App?
A second phone number app gives you another number for calls and texts without requiring another phone. Depending on the service, that number may also support picture messaging, voicemail, group texts, and other calling features.
When you use a second number, the person you’re communicating with sees that number instead of your personal one. How calls and messages are handled varies by service: some use Wi-Fi or mobile data, others offer cellular or eSIM-based options.
The important part is that these apps aren’t interchangeable. Number availability, supported features, pricing, and privacy tools can vary considerably.
How to Choose the Right Second Phone Number App
Choosing a second phone number app comes down to more than finding one that offers calls and texts. Number flexibility, privacy features, spam management, device support, and how you plan to use the number can all make a difference.
Step 1: Start with How You’ll Use the Number
Someone who needs a temporary number for an online purchase may care about different features than someone who plans to keep a second number for online dating. Before comparing apps, figure out what you actually need the numbers for.
Common uses include:
- Dating apps and new personal connections
- Buying or selling items online
- Online shopping and delivery updates
- Account sign-ups
- Travel
- Keeping certain conversations separate from your personal number
From there, you can narrow down the features that matter. Basic calling and texting may be enough, or you may need separate voicemail, spam filtering, multiple numbers, or the ability to change a number later.
Step 2: Check the Calling and Messaging Features
Not every second phone number gives you the same communication options. If you plan to use the number regularly, check for the features you’ll actually need, like:
- Incoming and outgoing calls
- SMS and picture messaging
- Group texts
- Voicemail
- Wi-Fi or mobile-data calling
- Video messaging, if relevant
Some services focus primarily on basic calling and texting, while others provide a broader set of communication features. It’s also worth checking whether certain features vary by device or subscription. Burner, for example, supports unlimited calls, texts, and picture messaging with its subscription plans, along with separate voicemail for each Burner number.
Step 3: Compare Free and Paid Options
Free second-number apps can work well depending on what you need, but make sure to check what’s included before choosing based on price alone. Free plans may include ads, usage limits, fewer available numbers, or restrictions on how long you can keep a number.
Paid services typically offer different plans based on the number of lines or features included. When you start comparing, check what’s included with the subscription and whether anything you need requires an upgrade or separate purchase.
Step 4: Look at How You Can Manage the Number
Second-number apps differ in how much control you have over a number after you create it. Here are a few things worth comparing when you look:
- How long you can keep the number
- Whether it expires after inactivity
- Whether you can change or replace it
- How many numbers you can have at once
- What happens to calls, texts, and voicemail when you delete a number
At Burner, you can keep a number for as long as you need it or delete it when you’re finished. If you do decide to delete the number, all of the associated texts, calls, and voicemail history are deleted with it.
Step 5: Compare the Privacy Features
A second number keeps your personal number separate, but privacy features vary between apps. Look at what the service offers beyond the number itself, including:
- How it handles your personal information
- Whether voicemail is kept separate
- Caller identification or number lookup tools
- Additional privacy tools included in the service
Burner keeps voicemail for each Burner number separate from your personal voicemail. Burner Premium also includes Personal Info Protection (PIP), which scans data broker sites for your personal information and can initiate removal requests, along with Number Lookup and a built-in VPN.
Step 6: Check How the App Handles Unwanted Calls
Spam filtering and privacy protection may be related, but they do different things. Privacy features help limit how much personal information you share, while spam tools help manage unwanted calls and messages.
No spam filter catches everything, so check what the app gives you to manage unwanted calls when they do come through. Depending on the service, this may include:
- Spam and robocall filtering
- Call blocking
- Do Not Disturb
- Auto-Replies
- Caller Information
- Voicemail Controls
In addition to the features above, Burner includes robocall filtering on new numbers by default and offers Nomorobo Connection for additional spam protection. With more than half of adults receiving spam calls daily, tools for filtering these unwanted calls are increasingly useful.
Step 7: Check Whether You Need the Number for Verification
Not every second number works for account verification. Some websites and apps reject certain types of numbers, particularly VoIP numbers, and acceptance ultimately depends on the service you’re trying to use.
Burner offers Verified Numbers as a separate subscription. These numbers are designed to work with more third-party services than standard Burner numbers, including services that may reject VoIP numbers. Before signing up, you can check which services currently support Burner Verified Numbers.
Step 8: Check Number and Area Code Availability
If having a specific area code is important to you, check availability before choosing an app. Number selection varies by service and location, and your preferred area code may not always be available. Some apps also offer numbers from multiple countries, which may matter if you need a number outside of the U.S.
Step 9: Check Device and Platform Support
Second-number apps may work differently depending on the device or platform you use. Before choosing, confirm that the features and plan you want are available on your specific phone.
Burner is available on both iOS and Android, but some features vary by platform. For example, Burner Dual SIM is currently only available for compatible iPhones and uses an eSIM-based second line through the native Phone and Messages app.
If you regularly switch between your phone and computer, it’s also worth checking whether the service offers web or desktop access.
Which Second Phone Number App Is Right for You?
There isn’t one second phone number app that makes sense for every user. A free option may cover the basics if you only need another number occasionally, while regular use may make features like number flexibility, spam filtering, or additional privacy tools more important.
Start with how you plan to use the number, then compare the options that matter. A few well-chosen features are more useful than a long list of ones you’ll never touch.
Keep Your Primary Number Private with Burner
You don’t need to share your personal number every time someone needs a way to reach you. Burner gives you another number for calls and texts, with the flexibility to keep it for as long as you need it or delete it when you’re done.
Depending on your plan, you can also manage multiple numbers, filter unwanted calls, and access additional privacy features through Burner Premium. Verified Numbers and Burner Dual SIM give you more options when a standard second number doesn’t fit how you plan to use it.
