Temporary Phone Number: When You Need One and How to Get It
5 min read
Not every phone number needs to be forever. Selling a sofa online, renting out a room, meeting someone from a dating app or signing up for yet another website all ask for your number, but none of them need your real one.
That's what a temporary phone number is for. This guide explains what a temp phone number is, when it makes sense, the risks to avoid, and how to get one on your phone in a few minutes.
What is a temporary phone number?
A temporary phone number, often shortened to temp phone number, is a second number you use for a specific purpose or period of time, instead of sharing your personal number. It works like any other phone number: people can call it and text it, and you can call and text from it.
Most temp numbers today are virtual phone numbers. They live in an app on the phone you already own, so you don't need a second SIM card or a second phone. Your personal number stays private, and the temporary one handles everything you'd rather keep at a distance.
When a temp phone number makes sense
A temp phone number is useful any time you need to be reachable without handing over your real number:
• Selling online. Put a temporary number on marketplace listings. Buyers can reach you, and once the item is sold, the calls stop reaching your personal phone.
• Online dating. Share a temp number while you get to know someone. If things don't work out, they never had your real number.
• Renting or letting property. Landlords and short-term renters can give a separate number to tenants and guests.
• Job hunting. Use one number for applications and recruiters, so you can tell at a glance when a call is about a job.
• Short projects and events. Freelance gigs, volunteer events and one-off projects can each get their own number.
• Traveling or living abroad. A number from the country you're in, or the one your contacts are in, makes it easy for people to reach you locally.
• Sign-ups and deliveries. Loyalty programs, delivery apps and contests often ask for a number. A temp number keeps the follow-up calls and texts off your main line.
What not to use a temporary number for
A temp phone number is great for keeping strangers at a distance. It's the wrong choice for a few things:
• Your most important accounts. Banking, your main email and account recovery should stay on your long-term personal number. If you stop using a temporary number later, you could lose access to anything tied to it. • Services that reject virtual numbers. Some banks and apps don't accept internet-based numbers for verification. If a code never arrives, use your main number for that service.
• Anything unlawful. A second number is for privacy, not for harassment, fraud or hiding from legal obligations.
How to get a temp phone number with Second Number
The Second Number app gives you a private second line on your iPhone or Android phone. There's no account to create, so it takes just a few minutes:
- Download Second Number from the App Store or Google Play.
- Pick a country for your temporary number.
- Choose your number from the available options.
- Allow microphone and notifications, so calls and texts reach you.
- Start calling and texting. Your temp phone number comes with unlimited calling and texting, alongside your regular number.
Running a short business campaign or event instead? Second Number for Teams on the web lets admins add numbers by area code and choose who each one rings, so a campaign line goes straight to the right person.
Tips for using a temporary number well
• Label it in your contacts, such as "Marketplace number", so you always know which number you've shared.
• Use one temp number per purpose if you juggle several, so you can tell at a glance what a call is about.
• Move real relationships to your main number. If a buyer becomes a regular customer, or a date becomes something more, share your personal number when you're ready.
Frequently asked questions
Is a temp phone number the same as a burner number? They're very similar. Both are extra numbers that keep your real one private. "Burner" usually suggests a number used once and dropped, while a temporary number can serve a project, a trip or a sale for as long as you need it.
Can I receive verification codes on a temporary number? Often, yes. But some services don't accept virtual numbers, and you shouldn't use a temporary number for important accounts like banking or your main email, since you might stop using it later.
Can I choose which country my temp number is from? Yes. In the Second Number app, you pick the country first, then choose your number.
Do I need a second phone or SIM card? No. Your temp phone number is a virtual number that lives inside the app, on the phone you already have.
Is it legal to use a temporary phone number? Using a second number to protect your privacy is legal in most places. Using any number for fraud, harassment or to break the law is not.
Get your temp phone number today Keep your real number private while you sell, date, travel or sign up. Download Second Number, pick a country and get a temporary number with unlimited calling and texting in minutes.