If you use your main phone number when signing up on Craigslist or Airbnb or when applying for a credit card, the number may eventually find its way to these telemarketing companies. Luckily, you can add a second phone number to your current phone that you can use anytime you don’t want to share your main number.
There are a few different types of apps that you can find on the market. They can be classified into two categories: free and paid. The free apps usually have more features and are less expensive than the paid options. The most popular app in this category is probably WhatsApp. It’s free to use and has over 1 billion active users. Other popular free apps include Signal, Viber, and Line. Paid apps usually have more features and are more expensive than the free options. They can be classified into two categories: premium and budget. The premium options usually have more features and are generally more expensive than the budget options. The most popular premium app in this category is probably Instagram. It’s a paid app with over 100 million active users. Other popular premium apps include Facebook, Snapchat, and LinkedIn.
Second Number Apps
There are basically only five recommendations I have for apps: Google Hangouts, Sideline, Burner, Skype and Line 2. In terms of cost, Google Hangouts is free, Sideline is $3 a month, Burner is $5 a month, Line 2 is $10 a month and Skype varies depending on the number.
I think it’s important to start with free services and work your way up. If you’re not running a business, then Hangouts will probably be more than enough for most people.
Google Voice/Hangouts
Google Voice is a VoIP service that lets you make and receive calls and send SMS messages using your regular phone number. To get started, first connect your Google Voice account to your regular phone number. Then, in Settings, click on the gear icon and choose Settings. ..
To access your voicemail, dial *67 from your phone. Next to the number for your voicemail, you will see a link to get a Google Voice number. Click on that link and follow the instructions. ..
If you want to keep your current number, choose Use my current number. ..
On the next screen, you can get a new phone number by area, zip code or city. You can also enter a word or phrase or number if you want something specific. Keep going until you have your new number setup. ..
If you want to have calls forwarded to your main number but still use Google Hangouts, you can go into the settings page on Google Voice and turn off “Use Hangouts for calls.” Then, any call that comes in will ring on your phone like a normal call. ..
Google Voice is a VoIP service that lets you make and receive calls, send and receive text messages, and participate in conference calls. You can also record your own voicemail greeting and your name. ..
The great thing about Hangouts is that it works on several platforms, including iOS, Android, and Chrome. If you go to https://hangouts.google.com/, you can send text messages and make audio and video calls from the web.
Google Voice is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family even when you’re not using Hangouts.
The main downside to using a second number for authentication is that sometimes the number is not accepted on certain websites. However, this issue isn’t just limited to Hangouts. All second number apps have this issue.
Hangouts is an app that uses your carrier network to make and receive calls, thereby reducing data usage.
Sideline
Sideline is a cheaper alternative to Google Hangouts with fewer features. You can only create a custom voicemail greeting, and by default, the app has ads. To remove the ads and enable WiFi calling, you have to spend $3 a month. ..
Google Hangouts is a great app for making calls, but it doesn’t offer the same features as Google Talk. For example, when receiving a call to your new second number, it shows some generic number in Sunnyvale, CA rather than the number of the actual person calling. You have to open the Sideline app to see the actual number of the caller.
Texting is a great way to stay connected with friends and family. It’s free and there doesn’t seem to be any limit on how many calls you can make at a time. If your cell phone plan allows you to call anyone at any time, then you can use your Sideline number similarly. You’ll also be able to port your number out eventually with the $3 a month plan.
The iTunes App Store is a store for apps that allow users to purchase and download applications. It is available on Apple devices, such as the iPhone and iPad, as well as on other platforms. The store has a variety of apps that can be used for various purposes, including music, movies, books, and more.
Google Play Store is a store where you can buy, download, and use apps. It’s a great place to find new apps and games.
Burner
The Burner app is different than all the other apps mentioned here because it’s supposed to help you burn away your calories. You can get a premium line, which is the $5 monthly fee I mentioned above, with unlimited texts, pictures and minutes.
The Mini Burner is a great option for people who want to burn a lot of text messages, no pictures, and minutes of talk in a short amount of time. You can check out all the different types of burners here.
The app Burner allows users to purchase credits which can be used to purchase items inside the app. The cost of a credit is $2, 8 for $5, 15 for $8 and 25 for $11. This is a great app if you need new numbers often. If you just want a single number for a long period of time, get the Premium line for $5 a month. ..
Burner is a great app that lets you connect to other apps. For example, you can connect to Evernote and create a SMS auto-reply bot. This is really cool and could be very useful for some people. In addition, you can log text messages to Google Sheets or save voicemail to Dropbox.
The app is not very popular, but it works well. You can create your own voicemail greeting for each burner number.
The popular iTunes App Store burner app has been updated with new features and bug fixes. The app allows users to easily erase all of their data from the App Store, making it a great tool for cleaning up your device. ..
Google Play Store is a store where you can buy, download, and use apps. It’s a great place to find new apps and games.
Line 2
Line 2 is a great platform for freelancers and business owners. They have a personal version for $10 a month and a business version for $15 a month. You can see the difference between the two services right on the home page. ..
The auto-attendant, toll-free number, multiple lines and after hours call features are a big plus for a real business. Obviously, it’s more expensive and not something I would recommend unless you are trying to run a business out of your home.
I recorded a professional-sounding business greeting and then enabled the auto-attendant feature. This made a big difference in perception when my clients called in. It was way better than me picking up the phone and saying “Hello?”
The Line 2 app and web dashboard offer a variety of features for businesses, such as managing calls, voicemails, forwarding rules, and more. It can be expensive to have all these features, but the Line 2 app and web dashboard offers a great value for the money.
Skype Number
If you’re not already using Skype, it may be a good idea to check out getting a Skype Number. With Skype, you can get international numbers as well as U.S. and Canada numbers. The cost for a number in the US is around $6 a month.
Skype is a VoIP service that offers many features like video calls, group video calls, SMS messaging, screen sharing and file sharing. You can buy credits to use for international calls, international SMS and more. ..
It’s really easy to get a second or third number for your phone without much work. There are a lot of options out there and the best one for you will depend on your usage scenario. The great thing is that you can cancel all of these services whenever you want if you’re not satisfied. If you have any questions, feel free to comment. Enjoy!
