--- title: "Best Second Phone Number Apps: 4 Types Compared | SMS Hallo" description: "Best second phone number apps compared by type: VoIP apps, one-time activation services, rented real mobile numbers and eSIM plans, with honest trade-offs." canonical: https://smshallo.com/guides/best-second-phone-number-apps language: en last_updated: 2026-09-28 --- # Best Second Phone Number Apps: 4 Types Compared Published 2026-10-01 · Updated 2026-10-01 · 11 min read **The best second phone number app depends on what you need the number for. VoIP apps such as Google Voice, TextNow, Hushed and Burner suit everyday calling and texting in the countries they cover; one-time activation services suit throwaway sign-ups; rented real mobile numbers suit accounts you want to keep verifying; and eSIM plans suit people who mainly need mobile data or a local line on their phone.** ## The four types of second number at a glance When people search for the best second phone number app, they usually find a mix of very different products listed side by side. Some are calling apps, some sell a single verification code, some rent you a real mobile number, and some are mobile plans you install on your phone. Comparing them as if they were the same thing leads to poor choices. This guide groups the options into four categories and explains what each one is good at, where it falls short and what to check before paying. It names a few well-known apps as examples of the VoIP category, using only what those apps say on their own websites and help pages. 1. VoIP second-number apps: internet numbers inside an app, used for calls and texts over Wi-Fi or mobile data. 2. One-time activation services: a number lent to you for one verification code, then released. 3. Rented real mobile numbers: a non-VoIP mobile number you rent for months or years and manage online. SMS Hallo, which publishes this page, offers this type. 4. eSIM plans: a digital SIM profile on your phone, often focused on data, sometimes with a number. ## VoIP second-number apps VoIP apps give you a number that works over the internet. You install an app, choose a number and make calls or send texts over Wi-Fi or mobile data. They are popular for keeping a personal number private when selling online, dating, renting out a room or separating work from home life. Google Voice: Google's help center says the Basic Google Voice plan for personal use is free and available in the US only, and that paid standalone plans also exist. Its setup steps include texting a code to a phone you already have, so you need a working number to start. TextNow: TextNow says you can get a free number with calling and texting in its app, supported by ads. Its help center says the service is available to download and use in North America, that free numbers can be recycled if they are not used, that an outgoing call or text keeps a free number active, and that a paid option can lock the number to your account. Hushed: Hushed describes itself as a provider of second phone numbers for calling and texting over Wi-Fi or mobile data. Its pricing page lists subscription, prepaid and pay-as-you-go plans and offers numbers from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Burner: Burner calls itself a second phone number app focused on privacy. Its FAQ mentions a 3-day free trial for eligible new users, paid plans after that, and that deleting a Burner number is permanent. The same FAQ says some websites reject app-based numbers when you sign up, and that Burner sells a separate subscription for a number it says behaves more like a traditional mobile one. The common trade-off is acceptance for verification. Apps can look up a number's line type before sending a code, and some sign-up forms decline internet numbers. VoIP apps also tend to cover a small set of countries. If you mainly want to talk and text in those countries, that may not matter at all. ## One-time activation services Activation services sell a single code. You choose the app and country, receive one verification SMS on a number from a shared pool, and the number is released afterward. They are usually priced per code. This model fits disposable needs: testing a sign-up flow, or opening an account you will never log in to again. It does not fit accounts you plan to keep. Many apps send a fresh code when you change phones, reset a password or trigger a security check, and by then the number may belong to someone else. Activation services also rarely support outgoing messages or calls, so you cannot use the number as a real second line. Before using one, ask yourself whether losing access to the account later would cause a problem. If it would, choose a number you keep. ## Rented real mobile numbers A rented mobile number sits between the two: it is a real mobile number in a country's local mobile format, not an internet number, but you manage it online instead of on a SIM card. It stays assigned to you for as long as you renew. SMS Hallo rents real mobile phone numbers (non-VoIP) in 181 countries. Every number includes unlimited incoming SMS, unlimited incoming calls, 500 outgoing SMS per month and 1,000 outgoing calling minutes per month; allowances reset every 30 days and unused allowance does not roll over. The dashboard has an SMS inbox that detects codes for one-tap copy, a send-SMS screen, a browser dialer, a call log, usage meters, auto-renew, a free replacement button and refund buttons. Sign-up needs only an email and a password: no SIM card, no ID documents and no local address. Prices start from $1.80 per month on the 12-month plan ($21.60 billed yearly), the same in every country, with no setup fees. Payment is in USDT or USDC on Tron, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base or Solana. You keep the number by renewing for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months at a time or with auto-renew; after expiry a number may be given to someone else. Every rental comes with three guarantees: a 7-day free replacement (swap for another available number in the same country, free, up to 3 times, keeping the plan and expiry date), works or 100% refund (if the number does not work with the app it was rented for, request within 7 days and get 100% of what you paid), and a 7-day money-back guarantee (full refund within 7 days, no questions asked, if no call or SMS has been made or received on the number). The trade-offs: it costs more than a free VoIP app, payment is in stablecoins only, and no provider can promise that every app will accept every number. SMS Hallo must not be used to get past identity (KYC) or security checks, to return to a service after a ban, or to create fake or bulk accounts. ## eSIM plans An eSIM is a digital SIM profile you download to a compatible phone. Travel eSIMs are mainly sold for mobile data abroad, and many are data-only with no phone number at all. Plans that include a number vary widely by provider and country: some numbers last only as long as the plan, and some countries require registration with ID or an address. An eSIM makes sense when you want a second line on the phone itself, with normal calling where the plan supports it, or when your main goal is affordable data while traveling. It makes less sense if you need a number in a country where you do not live, if your phone does not support eSIM, or if you need the same number to keep receiving codes after the plan ends. Read the plan's own description before buying and look for the words phone number, SMS and calls, not just gigabytes. ## Which type fits your situation You want a free number for calling and texting in the US: a VoIP app such as Google Voice or TextNow may be enough, as long as you meet their availability and activity rules. You want a separate number for dating, selling or renting out a room in the US, Canada or UK: a privacy-focused VoIP app like Hushed or Burner is designed for this, with features such as deleting numbers. You need a code for an account you will never use again: a one-time activation service is the cheapest fit, with the understanding that the number will not come back. You need a number for WhatsApp, Telegram, Google, a marketplace or a work tool that you want to keep for years, or you need a number in one of many countries: a rented real mobile number is usually the better match. You need data abroad, or a local line on your own phone: an eSIM plan, checked carefully for whether it includes a number. Many people combine two types, for example a VoIP app for casual calls and a rented mobile number for account verification. ## How we compared This page was researched and written on 2026-10-01. Disclosure: SMS Hallo publishes this page and sells rented real mobile numbers, one of the four categories described here. We have tried to describe every category fairly, including the cases where another type is the better choice. We compared categories rather than ranking individual apps. For each category we looked at the same questions: what the number is, which countries it covers, whether it can receive verification codes, whether you can keep it long term, whether it supports outgoing calls and texts, how it is priced and what you need to sign up. Facts about Google Voice, TextNow, Hushed and Burner come only from their own websites and help pages, checked on 2026-10-01 and listed in the sources. Where a detail was not clearly stated, we left it out or kept it general. We did not run our own acceptance tests, invent scores or assign ratings. Facts about SMS Hallo come from its own published product information. Apps change their plans, prices and availability. Always check each provider's current pages before you pay. ## Sources - [Google Voice Help, Identify Google Voice subscription types](https://support.google.com/voice/answer/9249103) - [Google Voice Help, Set up Google Voice](https://support.google.com/voice/answer/115061) - [TextNow homepage](https://www.textnow.com/) - [TextNow Help, Is TextNow available in my country?](https://help.textnow.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042529194-Is-TextNow-available-in-my-country) - [TextNow Help, Help! My phone number was recycled, how can I get it back?](https://help.textnow.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043106673-Help-My-Phone-Number-was-recycled-how-can-I-get-it-back) - [Hushed homepage](https://hushed.com/) - [Hushed pricing](https://hushed.com/pricing/) - [Burner homepage](https://www.burnerapp.com/) - [Burner FAQ](https://www.burnerapp.com/faq) - [Twilio Docs, Lookup Line Type Intelligence](https://www.twilio.com/docs/lookup/v2-api/line-type-intelligence) ## Frequently asked questions **What is the best second phone number app?** There is no single best app for everyone. VoIP apps like Google Voice, TextNow, Hushed and Burner suit calling and texting in the countries they cover. One-time activation services suit throwaway sign-ups. Rented real mobile numbers suit accounts you want to keep verifying. eSIM plans suit people who need data or a line on the phone itself. **Is Google Voice available outside the US?** Google's help center says the Basic Google Voice plan for personal use is available in the US only. Its setup steps also include texting a code to a phone you already have. If you live elsewhere or need a number in another country, check the other categories in this guide. **Why do some apps reject second-number apps?** Many sign-up forms check a number's line type before sending a code, and some decline internet (VoIP) numbers for new accounts. Burner's own FAQ notes that some websites reject app-based numbers. A real mobile number is the type sign-up checks usually expect, though no provider can promise acceptance by every app. **Can I keep a free second number forever?** It depends on the provider's rules. TextNow's help center, for example, says free numbers can be recycled if they are not used and that a paid option can lock the number. With a rented SMS Hallo number, you keep it as long as you renew, for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months at a time or with auto-renew. **Is a one-time activation number enough for WhatsApp?** It can receive the first code, but WhatsApp and other apps may ask you to verify again, for example when you change phones. If the activation number has gone to someone else by then, you cannot receive that code. For accounts you want to keep, a number you rent and renew is the safer choice. **How much does an SMS Hallo number cost?** Prices start from $1.80 per month on the 12-month plan ($21.60 billed yearly), the same in every country, with no setup fees. Prices for 1-, 3- and 6-month plans are shown when you choose a number. Payment is in USDT or USDC on Tron, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base or Solana. **Is it legal to use a second phone number?** Having a second number for privacy or for separating work and personal life is common and generally legal, but rules differ by country and each app sets its own terms. Second numbers must not be used for fraud, to get past identity checks, to return to a service after a ban or to create fake or bulk accounts. **Does a second number make me anonymous?** No. A second number keeps your personal number private from the people and services you share it with, but providers, apps and authorities may still be able to identify account holders in other ways. Treat a second number as a privacy tool, not as anonymity. ## Related - [compare/best-virtual-number-providers](https://smshallo.com/compare/best-virtual-number-providers) - [alternatives/google-voice-alternative](https://smshallo.com/alternatives/google-voice-alternative) - [alternatives/textnow-alternative](https://smshallo.com/alternatives/textnow-alternative) - [alternatives/hushed-alternative](https://smshallo.com/alternatives/hushed-alternative) - [alternatives/burner-alternative](https://smshallo.com/alternatives/burner-alternative) - [compare/voip-vs-non-voip-numbers](https://smshallo.com/compare/voip-vs-non-voip-numbers) - [compare/one-time-activation-vs-number-rental](https://smshallo.com/compare/one-time-activation-vs-number-rental) ## Related reading [### Virtual Number vs Second SIM vs eSIM: Which Fits You?Virtual number vs second SIM vs eSIM: compare cost, phone needs, ID rules, travel, SMS and calls, and keeping the number, to pick the right second number.](https://smshallo.com/guides/virtual-number-vs-second-sim-vs-esim) [### Is a Private Phone Number Anonymous? What It HidesAn honest look at what a private second number protects, what it can't hide (payments, IP addresses, app data, legal requests) and practical steps for better privacy.](https://smshallo.com/guides/is-a-private-phone-number-anonymous) [### Why You Need a Second Phone Number for Privacy and How to Get OneYour phone number links your identity across apps. Learn when to use a second number, what it protects you from, and how to set one up in a few minutes.](https://smshallo.com/guides/second-phone-number-for-privacy) ## More guides [### Google Voice Not Available in My Country: What Now?Google Voice not available in your country? See where Google says Voice works, why personal accounts are US-only, and honest options like a rented number.](https://smshallo.com/guides/google-voice-not-available-in-my-country) [### OTP Not Received? General Fixes That Work for Any AppOTP not received? Check the number format, wait out resend timers, try a call, look for blocked senders and carrier filtering, then know when to switch.](https://smshallo.com/guides/otp-not-received-general-fixes) [### Receive SMS From Banks and Payment Apps: Honest LimitsReceive SMS from banks and payment apps on a second number? Why many banks refuse it, what our rules say, and safer options like authenticator apps.](https://smshallo.com/guides/receive-sms-from-banks-and-payment-apps) Last updated 2026-10-01 · SMS Hallo --- ## Key facts (SMS Hallo) - Real mobile numbers in 181 countries, rented online — no SIM card, no ID documents - Price: from $1.80 per month on the 12-month plan ($21.60 billed yearly), same in every country - Every number: unlimited incoming SMS and calls, 500 outgoing SMS and 1,000 calling minutes per month - Guarantees: Every number is covered three ways: a 7-day free replacement guarantee, a 100% refund if it doesn't work with your app, and a 7-day no-questions money-back guarantee if you haven't used it. - Payment: USDT or USDC on Tron, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base or Solana - Support: support@smshallo.com (replies usually within a few hours) · SMSHallo Inc., 650 N Highway 414, Mountain View, WY 82939, United States