You’ll agree that carrying two smartphones, one for business calls and one for personal use, is not convenient at all. Luckily, the modern world has taken everything and turned it into an app. Now you don’t even need to buy a second SIM card to make calls to your colleagues. What you need is a special second phone number app that gives you a second line for local and international calls. In this article, we’ll check out the best second phone number apps for Android and iPhone, and compare their main features and pricing.
Why You Need a Second Phone Number App?
There several reasons why people use second phone number apps. First of all, the second phone line lets you manage your personal and business calls and use different phone numbers for family and work. This is very helpful when you don’t want to share your private number with business partners and colleagues or receive business calls in your free time. What’s more, the second mobile number is helpful when you’re asked to sign up for a service and to verify your identity.
Younger people will also find second phone number apps useful, especially when it comes to dating. Many apps provide you a burner number that is temporal so you can be sure that your real number won’t get into the wrong hands. What’s more, using a second phone line may save you a lot of money when you travel abroad since you can text and talk overseas without ridiculous charges. Finally, second phone number apps can help you prepare for unforeseen events and provide you with a backup phone number. So if you lose your primary phone number, your colleagues and family will easily reach you.
Things You Should Know Before Buying a Second Phone Number App
Although there are a lot of second phone number solutions, it's hard to choose one that will meet your needs.
Without further ado, let’s look through the 10 best second phone number apps for Android and iPhone.
#1 Burner - Second Phone Number App for iOS and Android
When it comes to staying safe and anonymous, Burner is the best second phone number app by far. The app gives you a second line for texting, calling, and sending media files from a temporal phone number. Featured in TechCrunch, New York Times, and WIRED, Burner is one of the most reliable second line solutions on the App Store and Google Play.
Pros:
- you can create multiple phone numbers for various purposes;
- both longterm and burner second phone numbers;
- lets you burn your number anytime;
- offers a 7-day free trial number.
Cons:
- doesn’t work with emergency services;
- is available in Canada and the US only.
Platforms: for Android and iOS.
#2 Sideline - Second Number for a Business Line
With Sideline, you can easily divide your communications into private and business ones. The app is designed for business purposes allowing you to connect with your customers and manage your communications easily. The application is designed with employers in mind and offers some helpful features for your workflow, like an auto-reply feature, a teamwork number shared across multiple devices, and business texting.
Pros:
- reliable carriers;
- voicemail;
- an online dashboard for employers to manage phone numbers of your team members;
- unlimited calling plans.
Cons:
- the number can’t be burned, it is permanent;
- prices increase frequently and you’re charged extra.
Platforms: for Android and iPhone.
#3 Hushed - 2nd Phone Number
With Hushed, you can select a second phone number from over 300 area codes in the USA, UK, and Canada. The app is risk-free and keeps your calls entirely private since signing up doesn’t require any verification. It allows you to burn your phone number anytime if you don’t need it.
Pros:
- managing multiple lines in one app;
- auto-reply text messages;
- voicemail greetings;
- call routing;
- flexible pay-as-you-go and prepaid plans for your calls.
Cons:
- may not work with verification texts;
- can’t be used for emergency services calls.
Platforms: iOS and Android.
#4 Free Tone
Free Tone is another good second phone number app that provides another number for texting and calling. The app is free but contains ads. It gives you a real mobile number that you can use to call anybody in the US and Canada. With this app, you will enjoy free voicemail, group texting, location sharing, and more.
Pros:
- free of charge;
- wide range of stickers for texting with friends;
- allows media files sharing with a few clicks;
- gives you free 500 minutes for incoming calls.
Cons:
- doesn’t work in some states like Alaska and Hawaii;
- contains many ads.
Platform: iPhone, iPod, and iPad.
#5 Second Phone Number
One more utility for iOS users to keep your personal phone number private. Unlike other second phone number apps, it is suitable for all situations you can imagine like business calls, dating, applying for a job, buying on e-commerce platforms, etc. What’s more, it lets you make calls within 25 countries with low charges.
Pros:
- lets you sync all your contacts with the app;
- provides international calling;
- you can burn your number anytime;
- texting history is saved in the app.
Cons:
- inconvenient pricing (credits for extra calls);
- there’s no clear way to cancel your subscription.
Platforms: iPhone.
#6 2nd Line - Second phone number App
As the name suggests, the app helps you get a second mobile number without changing your SIM card. In the app, you can select an American or Canadian phone number and use it for calling local and international numbers and texting. This is a great app when you want to separate your business and personal calls and keep your data safe.
Pros:
- easy-to-use app;
- allows international calls to Japan, China, etc;
- you can select up to 3 numbers;
- offers voicemail.
Cons:
- the prices are high;
- you need to pay extra for long conversations.
Platforms: iPhone.
#7 OpenPhone
OpenPhone is one more app for Android that makes the list of the best second mobile number apps. Designed for business purposes, it gives you a local or a toll-free number with advanced features for your calling needs. Unlike other apps, OpenPhone offers full-time customer support. The app has a free trial period that you can use to check all the features.
Pros:
- greeting messages;
- voicemail;
- unlimited talks and texts for 10 USD per month;
- online chat and phone support.
Cons:
- the customers complain that the last version has bugs;
- the app may not answer calls properly.
Platforms: Android.
#8 SmartLine
The SmartLine app is also helpful when it comes to keeping your personal number private. The second line provided by the app lets you answer your business calls without sharing the number you use for family talks. The app offers a 7-day free trial to test its major features. All calls are of professional quality since they use your cellular connection instead of VOIP. The utility protects you from spam calls redirecting them to the voicemail and transcribes voicemail to text.
Pros:
- you can choose your business hours to receive calls;
- keeps you notified when you miss an important call;
- access your conversation history with a particular contact in one place;
- spam blocking.
Cons:
- the app is available in the US only.
Platforms: Android.
#9 Phoner 2nd Phone Number + Texting & Calling App
This app gives you multiple second phone numbers for your business, social, and family needs. You can download and use the app for free to send messages and make calls. Additionally, the utility supports call recording for both incoming and outgoing calls. When you need to give out your phone number to somebody you hardly know, this app is a perfect solution to stay private.
Pros:
- any area code;
- you can burn your phone number anytime;
- management of all your numbers in one app;
- anonymous callers detection.
Cons:
- customers complain that the support is poor;
- the app doesn’t give you a 100% guarantee that your burner number will accept calls.
Platforms: Android.
#10 Text Me: Text Free, Call Free
Text Me is a great solution for free texting and calling across the US and Canada. It provides you with a real phone line for free for anonymous calls. The additional features include free voicemail, call forwarding, and burner numbers. International calls are also possible. Besides, the app helps you take part in group chats and send MMS messages.
Pros:
- call filtering;
- reminder on unread messages;
- GPS sharing;
- text messages preview on a locked screen.
Cons:
- some customers have bugs with registration;
- Google or Facebook signup.
Platforms: Android.
To Sum Up
Hope that this list of the best second phone number apps will help you stay private when giving out your phone number to people you hardly know. When you select a second phone number app, it’s recommended to check the user reviews first and to make sure that the app is reliable.
Note that some apps have strict terms of use and can block your number if they detect spam in your account. It’s also helpful to check what numbers you can call with the app since some utilities allow you to call only local numbers. What’s more important, before you subscribe, check the pricing accurately and ensure that you won’t be charged extra.