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Phones aren’t just for phone calls anymore. Your cell phone is basically a computer, a camera, a messaging system, a gaming device, and a telephone all in one. But it might also be the only line of connection between your business and your customers.
Having the same cell phone number for personal use and your company can blur the lines between work-life balance — increasing your stress and decreasing your productivity. That’s why many people have a separate business phone just for business calls and texts.
However, no one wants to buy a new phone and have to carry it around with them. The good news is that there are options for getting a second phone line without needing to change your phone number.
Using the Burner App
Perhaps the simplest and most effective way to get a second phone number that routes to your personal number is through the Burner app. Burner lets you get a second phone number on your iPhone or Android without affecting your primary number.
You can use your new number as the business number that you give to your clients, keeping your personal phone number private. They’ll call or text that separate phone number, and it will still give you notifications on your personal phone. The only difference is that your work phone number protects your privacy by keeping your primary number hidden.
This phone service also gives you full control over whether you want to send the incoming call through with caller ID and call forwarding.
Plus, it works both ways: The recipient will only see your Burner number if you make an outgoing call or text.
The Burner app also comes with a Do Not Disturb feature, which allows you to silence incoming notifications and send them to your personalized voicemail greeting. That way, you’re not getting bogged down by your business line when you’re home and relaxing.
With that said, your valuable customers can still leave voicemail messages and send SMS text messages that you can come back to later. Having different numbers is an easy way to enhance your work-life balance, and it’s way easier than navigating dual-SIM phones. It’s functionality and freedom all in one app.
You can keep your Burner number for as long as you want before “burning” it and swapping it out for a different one. You can even choose your own area code for your second line, like if you set up your small business in Santa Rosa and want to get a 707 area code for your mobile number to match.
You can download the Burner mobile app on your Apple iOS device or Android from the App Store. To stay anonymous while enhancing your safety, get started here.
Using a VoIP Service
Another option is to use a VoIP service, which stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. This is a technology that allows you to make voice calls over an internet connection like Wi-Fi or a data plan instead of a landline.
This is common practice for companies and businesses, mainly because VoIP phones are less expensive than landlines, especially for international calls to Canada or Europe. These also let you set up different phone numbers that all route to the same device, no fancy SIM card required.
Popular VoIP services include Nextiva or RingCentral. One of the benefits is that these can allow you to set up multiple conference phones within the same space to all ring at the same time when there’s an incoming call. What’s even better is that these come with a smartphone app that lets you answer and make calls from the same number on your mobile device.
The only downside of these services is that you must be connected to the internet to use them. If there is ever an internet outage — or if you’re trying to use your mobile phone in an area without internet data — you will not be able to stay in touch with others.
Additionally, if your VoIP number is assigned to a city like Los Angeles but you’re trying to make calls from New York, that number might be subject to charges and roaming fees.
Benefits of Having Multiple Phone Numbers
If you've been considering getting a second phone number but you’re not quite ready to hop on the wagon, there are a few benefits to keep in mind that might help sway the decision.
Convenience
One of the major benefits of having multiple phone lines on one phone is that it eliminates the need for you to physically purchase and carry around other devices. It consolidates everything you need in one place, making it easy for you to stay organized, stay connected, and stay on top of everything.
It can also save you some money. Most services and smartphone apps that let you get a second number are much more inexpensive than true phone plans. Plus, you don’t need to drop tons of money on an entirely new iPhone or Android device.
Privacy
If you’re using your personal cell for work calls, having a second number can also protect your primary number from people you aren’t very close with. Hackers and scammers can learn a lot of information about you from your phone number alone. A secondary number can act as a shield or a barrier between your primary number so that they never gain access to your personal info.
In Conclusion
Getting multiple phone numbers on your personal cell has a number of different benefits, especially if you want to use a separate number for business-related calls. Plus, getting multiple numbers on your phone is easy.
Burner lets you get a second number on your smartphone that protects your primary number from ingoing and outgoing calls or texts. It also lets you use a Do Not Disturb feature so you can keep your work calls separate from your personal life.
Otherwise, you can get a VoIP phone number that’s connected to the internet. The only drawback is that you can’t use this number when you’re not connected to the internet, and it’s subject to tolls if you try to use the number from too far outside the given area code.
Sources:
Achieving Work-Life Balance: The Ultimate Guide | Maryville University
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) | Federal Communications Commission
