Get a second phone number without buying a whole new line

Many of us only have one phone number, and understandably, we're hesitant to share it widely. A temporary second number is incredibly useful for situations like one-off Craigslist posts, initial online dating interactions, or even for separating personal and business communications. If you want a secondary line without the hefty monthly fees, several apps and services offer affordable solutions.

Burner: Temporary Numbers on Demand

For situations where you want to avoid spam and harassment, disposable numbers are invaluable. Burner (iOS and Android) lets you choose a number from any area code, forward calls to your main phone, and even offers features like robocall blocking, Dropbox voicemail saving, and custom auto-replies.

While not entirely free, Burner's cost is significantly less than a traditional second line. A 7-day free trial is available, followed by a $4.99 monthly fee for one line or $14.99 for three (with annual discounts). These plans include unlimited calls and texts, with one number swap per month. Prepaid options are also available.

A privacy-focused alternative is Hushed, offering similar services for $3.99 per month, including self-destructing encrypted messages.

Google Voice: A Permanent, Feature-Rich Option

For a more permanent secondary number, Google Voice is an excellent free choice. Available at voice.google.com, it allows you to select a number, link it to your Google account, and forward calls and texts to your existing phone(s). The Google Voice app (iOS and Android) enables convenient calling and texting. Additional features include affordable international calls, call screening, recording, and customizable call routing rules. You can even port your existing number to Google Voice. A business-oriented version is available through G-Suite, starting at $10 per month. Line2 offers a comparable business-focused alternative at a similar price.

FreedomPop: A Low-Cost (or Free) Second Line

If you need a second phone and SIM card, FreedomPop (an AT&T-based carrier) offers a free service tier (with a small initial setup cost). You receive 200 minutes, 500 texts, and 200MB of data monthly. Calls are VoIP (using data, like Skype), requiring the FreedomPop app. These calls don't consume your data allowance but do use your minutes and texts. You can also use Google Voice with FreedomPop for free Wi-Fi calls.

The initial setup involves a $0.01 LTE SIM card. Crucially, you must manually downgrade from two included 30-day trials to the free plan after receiving the SIM card. This requires adding a minimum of $10 to your account. FreedomPop will charge for exceeding your limits, so setting data limits on your phone is recommended (Android: Settings > Network & Internet > Data Usage > Data Warning & Limit; iPhone: Settings > General > Restrictions). While requiring some initial setup, FreedomPop's free tier is hard to beat. A detailed guide is available online to assist with the setup process.

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