Virtual Number for WhatsApp: Use a Real US or UK Number

A virtual number for WhatsApp works as long as it’s a real mobile number. WhatsApp refuses VoIP and landline numbers, but a non-VoIP number from PVADeals is a real US or UK mobile line, so it receives WhatsApp’s registration code by SMS and your personal number stays out of it.

There’s one catch: on WhatsApp, the number is the account. Here’s which numbers work, how to register, and how to keep the account afterwards.

Can you use WhatsApp without a phone number?

No. WhatsApp’s help center says “All WhatsApp accounts are tied to mobile phone numbers,” and “Verifying your phone number with a registration code is the only way you can activate your account.” The 6-digit code comes by SMS, and WhatsApp offers a phone call if the text doesn’t arrive.

What you can avoid is using your own number. Two features help:

• Usernames. WhatsApp is rolling out usernames gradually. With one, “your phone number will not be visible when you message or call anyone who doesn’t already have it saved in their contacts.” They don’t replace the number, though: “A phone number is still required for your WhatsApp account.”
• Linked devices. You can use WhatsApp on a computer or tablet, but “You’ll still need your primary phone to register your WhatsApp account and link new devices.”

So to use WhatsApp without your phone number, register a second number that you control. Our guide to using WhatsApp without a phone number covers linked devices, usernames and the other options.

Which numbers does WhatsApp accept?

WhatsApp is specific about what it won’t register: “Unsupported phone numbers include: VoIP, toll-free numbers, paid premium numbers, universal access numbers (UAN), and landlines (landlines are only supported on the WhatsApp Business app).”

Two more requirements matter for a virtual number:

• It has to be a number you own. WhatsApp’s first registration requirement is “You can only register a phone number you own.” With a rented number, that means one that stays yours (see below).
• It has to receive the code. WhatsApp says you “must be able to receive phone calls and SMS” on the number. PVADeals numbers receive SMS only, which covers WhatsApp’s normal text-message code, but not the voice-call or missed-call options.

A non-VoIP number is a real mobile number from a carrier, so WhatsApp sees an ordinary phone (see VoIP vs non-VoIP numbers).

Is there a free US number for WhatsApp?

There are free US numbers, but none is a safe choice for WhatsApp. They come from two places:

• Free calling apps such as TextNow, TextFree and Google Voice give you an app number, which is VoIP, and WhatsApp doesn’t register VoIP numbers. TextFree says so itself: “Certain services like WhatsApp may also prevent the delivery of verification codes to VoIP numbers like ours.” TextNow also works only in North America, and Google Voice only in the US (see our TextNow alternatives).
• Free receive-SMS websites show every code on a public page. Anyone who reads yours can register the number on their own phone, and WhatsApp then logs you out. That includes our own free non-VoIP number.

The number that works is a real mobile number that stays yours: a PVADeals US or UK number, rented long-term and renewed.

How to get a US or UK number for WhatsApp

1. Create a free PVADeals account and add credits: crypto from $3, or a card through Stripe from $5.
2. Choose WhatsApp and the country: the United States or the United Kingdom.
3. Pick a long-term rental (3, 7, 14 or 30 days) and turn on auto-renew, or choose an All services plan. A short-term number (20 minutes) costs less, but see below.
4. Open WhatsApp and enter the number in full international format: +1 for a US number, +44 for a UK one.
5. Wait for the SMS instead of asking for a call, because PVADeals numbers receive SMS only. Copy the 6-digit code from your PVADeals dashboard, where it appears as soon as it arrives.
6. Secure the account straight away with two-step verification and an email address (next section).

Keep the number, keep the account

On WhatsApp, losing the number can mean losing the account. WhatsApp says “an active SIM card or eSIM with your registered phone number is required to maintain access to your WhatsApp account.” You don’t hold a SIM for a rented number, so what matters is that the number stays yours.

Numbers also change hands: WhatsApp notes that “it’s common for phone numbers to be recycled by mobile providers,” and when a number is registered on a new phone, the previous user is logged out.

Protect the account while you still have the number:

• Turn on two-step verification in Settings > Account > Two-step verification and create a password. Anyone who gets the number later then has to wait a few days before resetting access.
• Add an email address in Settings > Account > Email address. An email lets you “recover your account without needing a connection for SMS or a phone call.”
• Keep the rental active. A long-term number on auto-renew, or an All services plan, keeps the same number while it’s active.

If you plan to stop renting, move WhatsApp to a number you’ll keep first, in Settings > Account > Change number. WhatsApp says you have to use this feature “in order to maintain access to your account.”

Short-term, long-term or All services?

• Short-term (20 minutes) receives the registration code, but the number is gone afterwards and reuse isn’t guaranteed. WhatsApp can ask for a new SMS code later, for example on a new phone, so it’s the wrong tool for an account you want to keep.
• Long-term (3, 7, 14 or 30 days) keeps the same number and renews automatically if you turn on auto-renew.
• All services gives you one number that works on any website for the full term. It suits you if you’ll verify WhatsApp and other apps on the same number.

See the prices below, or our US and UK phone numbers.

A second number for WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp allows two accounts on one phone: its “multiple account feature allows you to have two different accounts on a single mobile device.” Each account needs its own number, and so do the two apps: “If you want to use both WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp, you’ll need to use a unique phone number for each app.”

A second number keeps a side business, or a number you give to strangers, separate from your personal WhatsApp.

If the WhatsApp verification code doesn’t arrive

• Check the format. WhatsApp asks you to “enter your phone number in full international format”, without leading zeros.
• Wait for the timer. “The wait time can vary, but usually takes a few minutes.”
• Don’t guess. “Don’t guess the registration code, or you’ll be locked out for a period of time.”
• Stay with SMS. The call and missed-call options can’t reach a PVADeals number.
• Asked for a two-step PIN you never set? A previous owner of the number may have turned it on. In that case, WhatsApp says “you’ll need to wait a few days before resetting access to your account.”
• No SMS at all? If an eligible PVADeals number receives no SMS during the rental, its cost comes back to your balance automatically as store credit.

Use WhatsApp without your personal number

A real non-VoIP number keeps your own number off WhatsApp. Need a number for other apps too? See our guides for Telegram and Instagram, or read how to get a temporary phone number for verification.