Best ways to get a second phone number in 2026 (compared)

What to look for in a second number

• Line type: is it a mobile number, or VoIP? Many apps and banks look this up and block VoIP.
• Country: do you need a number in the country where you live, or somewhere else?
• Privacy: is the number private to you, and what personal details do you have to hand over to get it?
• Device: does it need a second phone, a dual-SIM slot or eSIM support?
• Longevity: can you keep it for years, so account recovery codes keep reaching you?
• Cost level: one-off, monthly, or free with hidden trade-offs.

Option 1: A second SIM or dual-SIM phone

The classic route: buy a prepaid or contract SIM from a local mobile carrier and put it in a second phone, or in the second slot of a dual-SIM phone. You get a genuine mobile line with calls, SMS and usually data.

• How it works: a physical SIM from a carrier in your country, used in a spare phone or a dual-SIM slot.
• Cost level: low to moderate — a SIM plus a plan or regular top-ups; some prepaid SIMs expire if unused.
• Privacy: in many countries buying a SIM requires ID registration, so the number is tied to your name.
• Works for verification: yes — it is a real mobile line, widely accepted by WhatsApp, banks and apps.
• Keep long-term: yes, as long as you keep the plan active or top up often enough to avoid expiry.
• Best if: you live in that country, have a dual-SIM phone and don't mind registering with ID.

Option 2: An eSIM plan

An eSIM is a SIM profile downloaded to your phone instead of a plastic card. Most recent phones can hold an eSIM alongside a physical SIM, which makes a second line convenient without a second device.

• How it works: you buy a plan from a carrier and scan a QR code or activate it in your phone's settings.
• Cost level: moderate — similar to a regular mobile plan in that country.
• Privacy: carrier plans are usually subject to the same ID rules as physical SIMs.
• Works for verification: yes when it is a carrier plan with a local mobile number. Note that many travel eSIMs are data-only and come with no phone number at all.
• Keep long-term: yes while the plan is active; your phone must support eSIM.
• Best if: your phone supports eSIM and you want a local second line in the country where you live.

Option 3: VoIP calling apps (so-called virtual numbers)

VoIP calling apps give you a number that runs over the internet: calls and texts go through the app rather than a mobile network. They are often marketed as online or second-line numbers, and they are quick to set up.

The weakness is line type. VoIP numbers usually come from ranges that lookup databases label as VoIP, and many services — WhatsApp, banks, payment apps, marketplaces — check that label and refuse to send codes to it. You may not find out until the moment you need the code.

• How it works: install an app, pick a number, and use it over Wi-Fi or data.
• Cost level: low — often free with ads or a small subscription.
• Privacy: moderate; typically no ID, but tied to the app account and its data practices.
• Works for verification: unreliable — frequently rejected by WhatsApp and banks because of the VoIP line type.
• Keep long-term: varies; free numbers can be reclaimed after inactivity.
• Best if: you mainly want cheap calls or a number to hand out to contacts, not verification.

Option 4: Free public SMS-receive sites

These websites list phone numbers and show every SMS those numbers receive on a public page. There is no sign-up and no cost, which is why they are popular — and why they are the weakest option for anything you care about.

• How it works: pick a listed number, use it for a sign-up, and read the code on the public page.
• Cost level: free.
• Privacy: none — anyone can read the messages, including codes for your account.
• Works for verification: rarely; the numbers are shared by thousands of people and most popular apps have already blocked them.
• Keep long-term: no — you cannot control the number, so you cannot recover an account tied to it.
• Best if: a throwaway test where nothing is at stake.

Option 5: A real mobile number online (SMSCreation)

A real mobile number online is a mobile number in a country's official mobile format that you manage from a web dashboard instead of a SIM. SMSCreation offers these in 181 countries — for example +44 7 numbers in the UK — so you can have a number in a country you don't live in, with no second phone.

Because they are real mobile numbers, not VoIP, they work with WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Google, Instagram and other services that verify by SMS or call — backed by a 7-day replacement guarantee: if the number doesn't work with them, you get a free replacement in the same country within 7 days of activation, or a 100% refund if you prefer.

• How it works: choose a country and a number, pay in crypto, and the number appears in your dashboard with an SMS inbox, sending and browser calls.
• Cost level: low to moderate — from $1.80 a month on the yearly plan, the same in every country.
• Privacy: high — no KYC, email-only sign-up, data never sold, and the number is private to your account.
• Works for verification: yes, guaranteed by the 7-day replacement guarantee.
• Keep long-term: yes, the number stays yours while it is renewed, with auto-renew from your wallet balance.
• Trade-offs: you read SMS and place calls in a browser rather than your phone's native dialer, and payment is crypto only.

Quick verdict by use case

• You live in the country and have a dual-SIM phone: a second SIM or eSIM plan is the simplest choice.
• You need a number in another country — for example a US or UK number while living elsewhere: a real mobile number online.
• You want to keep your personal number private without handing over ID: a real mobile number online.
• You don't have a second phone or a spare SIM slot: a real mobile number online, or an eSIM if your phone supports it.
• Second number for WhatsApp: a real mobile line — SIM, carrier eSIM or a real mobile number online. Avoid VoIP apps and public sites.
• Bank or payment app codes: a real mobile line; VoIP is often refused.
• Cheap calling to contacts only: a VoIP calling app is fine.
• One-off test with nothing at stake: a free public site, never for an account you want to keep.

How to get a second number with SMSCreation

1. 01Sign up with an email address — no ID and no existing phone number needed.
2. 02Choose a country, then a number. Numbers are listed with the first two and last two digits shown as XX; those digits are assigned at activation.
3. 03Pay in USDT or USDC on Tron, Polygon, BNB Smart Chain, Base or Solana — per order or from a wallet top-up.
4. 04Your number appears in the web dashboard. Incoming SMS show up there instantly.
5. 05Run the verification you need right away, within the 7-day guarantee window.
6. 06Keep wallet balance available so the number auto-renews and stays yours.

Why it works with WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram & Google

Apps check more than the digits: they look up the line type, the country format and whether the number can actually receive their code. Every SMSCreation number is a real mobile number in its country's official format — not a VoIP line — so it passes those checks the same way a SIM in your pocket does.

And we stand behind it with a 7-day replacement guarantee: if your number doesn't work with WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Google or any app you need, we replace it free with a new number in the same country — or refund 100% if you prefer.

• Non-VoIP, real mobile line type — line-type checks see an ordinary SIM number, not a VoIP line
• Official country format with the right country code, prefix and digit count
• Unlimited incoming SMS and calls — codes arrive by text or through the “call me” option
• Private to you — never listed on public SMS sites, so it isn't flagged or rate-limited
• Yours for as long as you want — re-verification and account recovery keep working

Price, ownership and the 7-day guarantee

Every SMSCreation number costs from $1.80 a month on the yearly plan ($21.60 billed yearly), the same in all 181 countries. It includes unlimited incoming SMS and calls, 500 outgoing SMS and 1,000 outgoing call minutes a month. The number stays yours as long as you keep it renewed. If it doesn't work with WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Google or other apps, you get a free replacement in the same country within 7 days of activation — or a 100% refund — and an unused number can be refunded within 7 days, no questions asked.