How to Get a Second Phone Number: 5 Ways Compared

The quickest way to get a second phone number is a second phone number app or an eSIM on the phone you already have. Which one is right depends on what the number is for: calls and texts with people, a separate work line, or verification codes from apps that refuse VoIP numbers.

Here are five ways to get a second phone number, what each costs and what each can do.

5 ways to get a second phone number

1. A second SIM or eSIM

Most recent phones can hold two numbers at once. Apple says “Dual SIM enables you to have two active phone numbers or SIMs to make and receive calls and text messages,” and “iPhone 13 models and later also support Dual SIM with two eSIMs, in addition to a physical SIM and an eSIM.” On Android, Google says: “If you have a Pixel 3a or later Pixel phone, you can use two SIMs: one physical SIM card and one eSIM.”

You buy a second plan from a carrier, so this is the most expensive option. It’s also the most widely accepted, because the second number is a real mobile line.

2. A second number from your carrier

Some carriers sell a second number on your existing line. Verizon’s version, for example: “With Second Number, you keep your one phone, but can add a new number.” Ask your carrier what it offers and whether the number can receive verification texts.

3. Google Voice

Google Voice “gives you a phone number for calls, texts, and voicemails,” and “If you’re in the US, you can choose your own number.” Google adds that “almost all Google Voice calls to the US and Canada are free” when you call from the US.

The catch is verification. OpenAI lists “Google Voice numbers” among the numbers it doesn’t support, and Snapchat recommends against signing up with “a temporary or disposable phone number (i.e. Google Voice, TextNow)”. See our guide to a temporary phone number for Google Voice.

4. A second phone number app

Apps such as TextNow, Hushed and Burner give you a second number for calls and texts over Wi-Fi or data. Some are free, and others charge a subscription. They’re good for calls and texts with people, but codes are hit and miss:

• TextNow says “Some services do not support TextNow numbers for verification or for setting up Two-Factor Authentication,” and that you’ll “receive most verification codes by activating a TextNow SIM card or purchasing one of the following recurring subscriptions”.
• Hushed says its numbers “are NOT guaranteed to work with third-party verification due to blocks implemented by certain services”, and tells you to check with each service “to confirm if a VoIP number can be used”.
• Burner says “Most verification systems accept Burner numbers without issue,” and it sells “a separate Verified Number subscription, which is compatible with more third-party services.”

Free app numbers have one more risk: TextNow says “we recycle inactive numbers tied to our free Wi-Fi service,” so an unused free number can go to someone else.

5. A rented number for verification codes

If what you need is a number for sign-up and verification codes, rent a real mobile number instead. PVADeals rents non-VoIP US and UK numbers per website: 20 minutes from $0.09, or 3 to 30 days from $0.70, renewable. Texts appear on your PVADeals dashboard, so you don’t need a second phone or SIM. The numbers receive SMS only, not calls.

Which second number should you choose?

• To call and text people, use a second phone number app or an eSIM.
• To keep work and personal life apart, use an eSIM or your carrier’s second-number service. Both are full phone lines.
• For sign-up and verification codes, use a mobile number: an eSIM, or a rented non-VoIP number. Many apps refuse VoIP numbers. WhatsApp, for example, lists VoIP among “Unsupported phone numbers”, and OpenAI says “Landlines, VoIP numbers, Google Voice numbers, and premium numbers aren’t supported”. See the full list in our guide to virtual phone numbers.
• To give out a number once and drop it, see our guide to burner numbers.

How to get a second phone number on iPhone and Android

• iPhone: get an eSIM plan from a carrier, then add it in Settings, under Cellular (Mobile Data on some models). Dual SIM then lets you choose which number to call, text or use for data.
• Android: on phones that support Dual SIM, add the second SIM or eSIM in your network settings. Google notes that on a Pixel “You can choose which SIM to use for which action, like messaging or calling.”
• Either phone: install a second phone number app. It runs alongside your main number, with no new SIM.

Get a second number for verification codes

1. Create a free PVADeals account and add credits: crypto from $3, or a card through Stripe from $5.
2. Choose the website you want to verify, and the country: the United States or the United Kingdom.
3. Pick a rental. Short-term lasts 20 minutes, from $0.09. Long-term lasts 3, 7, 14 or 30 days, from $0.70, with auto-renew. An All services number works on any website for a month: $12.99 in the US, $6.99 in the UK.
4. Enter the number on the website and ask for the code by text message.
5. Copy the code from your dashboard, where it appears as soon as it arrives.

A long-term rental keeps the same number, so the app can text you again when you log in. If an eligible number receives no SMS during the rental, its cost comes back to your balance automatically as store credit.

See our US phone numbers and UK phone numbers, or read how to get a temporary phone number for verification.