Privacy
A second number for sign-ups, verification codes and the marketing that follows
Every app wants your phone number for a code and keeps it for ever. A second number receives the codes, absorbs the follow-up texts, and keeps your personal number off the list.
Sign up for almost anything today and step two is "enter your mobile number". A code arrives, you type it in, and that is the last time the exchange is useful to you. The number, however, stays in the account, in the marketing system, and in whatever the company shares or loses. Months later the texts start.
Using a second number for sign-ups keeps that whole layer away from your personal line.
What to use it for
- Retail accounts, loyalty schemes and delivery apps.
- Competitions, event registrations and newsletter sign-ups that insist on a number.
- Trials and services you expect to cancel.
- Anything where the number is a formality rather than a way you want to be contacted.
Keep your real number for your bank, your doctor, your employer and the people in your life. Those are the places where being reachable at a permanent number matters.
Choosing the right number for codes
Codes arrive by SMS, so the number needs SMS capability. When you choose a number in Second Phone, each country shows what its numbers support: Calls, SMS, MMS. An SMS-capable number receives codes; a voice-only one cannot. If you want the same number for calls as well, choose one with both.
Receiving SMS is free, so a number used only for codes does not run down your coin balance with each message. Outgoing texts, if you ever reply, are charged at the rate the in-app Pricing calculator shows.
A realistic note on what services accept
Some services check the type of number you enter and reject ranges they consider virtual, and policies change without notice. Most everyday sign-ups accept a mobile number without fuss; a few high-security services, and some large messaging platforms, are stricter. Second Phone cannot promise that any particular service will accept any particular number, so for anything important, test the sign-up before you depend on it, and keep your real number for the accounts that protect your money and identity.
Keeping it tidy
Codes and marketing texts pile up. Because each Second Phone number has its own conversation list, the sign-up number's clutter stays on that number and never mixes with the conversations on your work or personal lines. Swipe left to delete a thread when you are done with it.
If a number attracts too much noise, retire it: deactivate it, or let it lapse and take a fresh one. Extra numbers can be bought for a week, a month, three months or a year, so a "sign-up number" can be as temporary or as permanent as you like. See Add another number with coins.
Frequently asked questions
Do codes arrive instantly on a second number?
They arrive as any SMS does, usually within seconds, and appear as a notification and in the number's Messages list.
Can I use the same second number for codes and for calls?
Yes, if the number supports both calls and SMS. Many people use one extra number as a general "public" number for sign-ups, deliveries and marketplaces together.
What if I lose the second number? Do I lose the accounts?
Change the phone number on those accounts while the number is still active, as you would with any number change. If you rely on a second number for account recovery, keep it renewed; auto-renew from your coin balance avoids surprises.