Key Takeaways
- There are various reasons why you’d need a second number but the 3 main reasons are: for business, online shopping and protecting your privacy
- The best way to obtain a second phone number for free is through apps that provide second phone numbers
- Some of these options however may not be suitable for longer term use e.g. for business
- Business users may want to consider investing in a cost-effective solution like Devyce to get a second phone number
Need a second phone number but don’t want to purchase another phone, or sim card, or sign up for another phone contract? In this article, we’ll guide you through how you can get a second phone number for free…
Why you might need a second phone number
There are 3 main reasons why you might need a second phone number:
- For business purposes – This is the most common reason for getting a second number. Business owners often find themselves having to hand out their personal phone numbers when starting their business. This isn’t ideal for security reasons, especially as the business grows. Therefore business owners may look into getting a second phone number to use for business communications only. A second phone number will also help to maintain professionalism for your business and provide you better work-life balance.
- For online shopping – Vendors usually need a phone number for delivery updates e.g. if a courier needs to contact you regarding the delivery status. However, this data is often stored and used for marketing purposes later (you’ll often sign up for this when you tick that little t&c box at checkout). If you wish to avoid this, it’s helpful to get a second phone number to use for your online shopping.
- For protecting your privacy – Any time you sign up for anything whether it be an app or an event, the vendors have the right to collect and store your data. There’s usually no malicious intent behind this and it’s mostly for marketing purposes. However, occasionally companies experience data breaches, resulting in personal information stored by the organisation being leaked to the public. This means your data could end up in the wrong hands and you could be faced with continuous spam calls and elaborate scams. Using a second phone number can help to safeguard your personal information and prevent this from happening to you, should there be a data breach with any company you’ve worked with in the past.
Methods to obtain a free second phone number
The best way to get a second phone number for free is to use apps that provide virtual phone numbers. There are quite a few apps available on the market so we picked out the top 3:
- Google Voice has both an app and a web interface that you can use. However, do bear in mind the web interface doesn’t allow outbound calling. You can only send and receive texts and listen to voicemails on the web interface. Through the app, you’ll be able to make and receive calls. It’s free to use without any ads and it will be tied to your Google account (if you already have one). However, the limitations of Google Voice are that it hasn’t been updated by Google for a long time. This means that they may choose to scrap Google Voice at any point, making it potentially an unstable option for long-term use such as for business.
- Sideline is a great option that uses your phone carrier’s signal. This means as long as your phone has a connection, you can use Sideline to make and receive calls/texts. Sideline uses your existing carrier’s minutes and text allowances. This can be a downside if you are on a plan with limited minutes and texts however, this provides you with certainty of coverage so you know the service will always work. The limitations to Sideline are that it’s only a free service for 7 days. After your trial ends, you’ll start paying. Currently there is not information revealed about how much you’ll have to pay so Sideline is a good option if you only need a second phone number temporarily.
- Burner – This is as the name suggests. A ‘burner phone’ application allowing you to get second phone numbers and delete (burn) them as you please! What we like about this app is that you can integrate it with other applications such as Slack, Google, and Evernote. This makes it a good tool for business use as it helps to streamline communications processes. The app also has a ‘lock’ function where you can prevent unwanted access to the app. Burner, however, like many others only offers a 7-day free trial. Furthermore, many users have noted that there are a series of user guides that are loaded into the app as notifications that pop up every now and then. Some users may find this inconvenient.
Considerations and limitations of free second phone numbers
As you may have already noticed, free second phone numbers are for the most part not free forever. However, if you begin using a second phone number service and decide you like it, it can be worth investing in using it for the long term.
We do advise however to thoroughly research while you are in the free trial period. This is because often vendors have hidden charges such as charges per text or call that may not be revealed. You should also check the contract conditions should you stay using the service past the free trial period. Many consumers get locked into a lengthy contracts with high exit fee implications. If this is something you might not be able to financially commit to, be sure to thoroughly check the terms and conditions of the service beforehand.
Second phone number apps are often designed for shorter-term usage. Therefore it’s best to evaluate your usage needs beforehand. For example if you are starting a business, you’ll need a number to use for the long term as it can create an unprofessional to customers if you are constantly changing the business phone number. Currently we’ve found that most free options for second numbers are not designed for business use.
Get a second phone number for business
As a business user, it may be worth investing in an affordable and reliable virtual phone number provider like Devyce. They are a virtual business phone system provider with plans tailored to business users from freelancers to SME companies.
How Devyce works is, it uses a WiFi or data connection to facilitate calls and texts (VoIP for those who are familiar, if not then think along the lines of WhatsApp)! Your second phone number is also provided through an app. The great thing about Devyce for business users is its ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature. At the switch of a button, you’ll get work-life balance as all your Devyce notifications will be turned off until your business hours resume. This removes the anxiety of still receiving business notifications after hours as Devyce operates on your personal phone.
Devyce also comes with a variety of advanced calling features to enhance the professionalism and productivity of your business communications. For example, you can set up call forwarding which allows all incoming calls to be directed to the next available line, ensuring customers don’t have to wait or call back later. These advanced calling features are great for businesses that are growing.
The service is a no-contract, subscription-based service. You’ll only ever pay monthly (unless you opt for the annual plan) and you’re welcome to leave the service at any time, without having to pay exit fees. Pricing is also fixed and transparent so you don’t have to worry about hidden charges.
Devyce is the perfect business phone solution for business owners to keep their work and personal communications separate. While saving money and taking advantage of advanced technology to enhance business operations.
Get in touch with our team and take advantage of our cutting-edge technology to grow your business today.
