Non-VoIP numbers: real mobile numbers, explained
A non-VoIP number is a phone number from a country's mobile number range, the same kind of number a person gets with a mobile phone plan. SMS Hallo rents real non-VoIP mobile numbers in 181 countries, in each country's local mobile format, which is why they are often a better fit for SMS verification than VoIP or disposable numbers.
VoIP versus non-VoIP
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. A VoIP number is issued for internet calling services and is often taken from ranges set aside for landlines, nomadic or internet telephony, rather than from the mobile range.
A non-VoIP number, in the sense used here, is a mobile number: it sits in the range that a country's numbering plan assigns to mobile services and is written in that country's local mobile format. To a service checking the number, it looks like the number of an ordinary mobile subscriber.
Why the difference matters for verification
Many apps and websites look at the type of number before they send a code. Some limit or refuse numbers they classify as VoIP, landline or internet-only, because such numbers are easy to create in bulk. Mobile numbers are generally treated as the standard case.
That is why a real mobile number is usually more reliable for sign-up and login codes than a VoIP number. Still, each service makes its own decisions, and no provider can promise that every app will accept every number. SMS Hallo backs this with guarantees, described below.
What you get with an SMS Hallo number
Each rental is a real mobile number that is yours alone for the rental period. It includes unlimited incoming SMS, unlimited incoming calls, 500 outgoing SMS and 1,000 outgoing calling minutes per month, with allowances resetting every 30 days.
Unlike free public receive-SMS websites, your inbox is private and never published. Unlike disposable numbers, you can keep the number as long as you renew it, for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months at a time, or with auto-renew. Numbers cost from $1.80 per month on the 12-month plan, the same in every country.
How to check a number's format
Every country has its own mobile format: a country calling code, then a mobile prefix and a fixed number of digits. When you choose a number in the SMS Hallo dashboard, you see it in that local mobile format, and you can enter it in apps in international format, starting with + and the country calling code.
If a service still refuses the number
Within 7 days you can swap the number for another available one in the same country, free, up to 3 times; the new number keeps your plan and expiry date. If the number does not work with the app you rented it for, you can request a 100% refund within 7 days. And if no call or SMS has been made or received, a full refund is available within 7 days with no questions asked.
Frequently asked questions
Are SMS Hallo numbers VoIP?
No. They are real mobile numbers in each country's mobile range and local mobile format.
Is a non-VoIP number the same as a SIM card?
It is the same kind of number, but you do not need a physical SIM card. You use it online through your SMS Hallo dashboard.
Will every app accept a non-VoIP number?
No provider can promise that. Real mobile numbers work with most apps that verify by SMS or call, and the 7-day replacement and refund guarantees cover the cases where they do not.
Can I keep a non-VoIP number long term?
Yes. Renew for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months at a time or turn on auto-renew. After expiry a number may be given to someone else.
How much does a non-VoIP number cost?
From $1.80 per month on the 12-month plan, the same in all 181 countries, with no setup fees.