{"id":11284,"date":"2022-12-14T08:58:54","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T07:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.recharge.com\/blog?p=11284"},"modified":"2023-03-16T14:21:08","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T13:21:08","slug":"what-is-a-burner-phone-and-how-to-get-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.recharge.com\/blog\/en-gb\/ie\/what-is-a-burner-phone-and-how-to-get-one","title":{"rendered":"What is a burner phone number, how to get one, and why?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Burner phones. You might recognize them from television series or movies. Disposable cell phones that aren\u2019t linked to your personal identity. Sim cards bought at the local kiosk every once in a while.<\/span><\/p>\n

All of that is a bit old fashioned. Although you can certainly still buy disposable sim cards at your local kiosk or supermarket. There are now also apps with which you can make virtual burner sim cards with their own burner phone number. Yes, even in this case, there\u2019s an app for that.<\/p>\n

But what are burner phones exactly? And why would or should you use one? Find out all you need to know in the guide below. Whether you\u2019re just curious. Or looking to compare the best apps to get a burner phone number.<\/p>\n

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Why do you need a burner phone number?<\/span><\/h2>\n

So what is a burner phone exactly? Basically it\u2019s a phone with only the most basic features. No apps or online browsing. This essentially means that it\u2019s not connected to our many accounts. Accounts that can be used to track our behaviour in various ways for marketing purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n

A burner phone number is the number associated with a burner phone. It\u2019s usually connected to a burner sim that you can buy at your local kiosk. Taken together, a burner phone and it\u2019s sim offer a lot of privacy at the cost of many of the features smart phones have. If you\u2019re looking to find out more about what burner phones are and how they differ from other phones, check out this guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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What is a virtual burner phone?<\/span><\/h2>\n

So do you still need to go around the corner to a local store and physically buy a burner phone? No. Like we\u2019ve said above that is a thing of the past. These days there is an app for that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Burner phone apps offer a virtual burner phone number. All from your own smartphone. They usually do this by connecting to your burner phone number not by a normal phone connection, but through Wi-Fi. This means the calls are not connected to your phone carrier. That way you can call and text in relative anonymity and privacy by protecting your main phone number. We\u2019ll discuss some of the best burner phone apps (both free and paid) further below.<\/p>\n

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Why do you need a burner phone number?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Burner phones get a bad reputation because of how they\u2019re represented in television and movies. But there are plenty of good reasons to use one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most people use a burner phone number for the privacy and anonymity it offers. For instance, it can be important for journalists or dissidents to protect their primary phone number and their identity linked to that phone number. Not all examples have to be so dramatic however. You might want to sign up to a service, but avoid unsolicited marketing calls. Give them your burner phone number and they\u2019ll never reach you unless you want them too. Using a burner phone number when dating also means you can keep creepy dates and would-be stalkers at bay since they don\u2019t have your real number or know who you really are.<\/p>\n

Privacy might be the biggest reason why people use burner phones, but it\u2019s absolutely not the only one. They also offer a relatively cheap way to call from abroad. The sim card in your phone is connected to a provider in one specific country. If you\u2019re travelling a lot that means you might rack up extra costs for calling from abroad. Having multiple burner sims, one for each country you visit often, means you can skip those extra costs.<\/p>\n

The last reason why people use burner phones is that they are cheap. Hikers use them for instance. If the burner phone gets lost or is stolen it can be easily replaced without costing you an arm and a leg.<\/p>\n

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Ways to get a (free) burner phone number<\/span><\/h2>\n

What\u2019s the best way to get a burner phone number? It depends on what you want to use it for. The two main ways of getting a burner phone number are buying a physical burner phone or using a burner phone app. Which one should you use? Let\u2019s find out!<\/span><\/p>\n

Physical vs virtual burner phone number: which is right for you<\/span><\/h4>\n

Virtual burner phone numbers are great when your main use is protecting your primary phone number. The greatest advantage of using an app is that you don\u2019t even need a burner phone to use a burner phone number. You can use it straight on your smartphone. When you get a call on your burner phone number it gets routed through the app to your personal phone. When you switch to a new burner phone number, or stop using the app, those who have that number won\u2019t be able to reach you anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n

This can also be the greatest disadvantage if you’re using a burner phone to prevent high costs. Not all burner apps can be used abroad for instance. But even more critically, you\u2019re still using a smartphone. If you\u2019re hiking and your phone gets stolen, you still have to replace an expensive smartphone. If you\u2019re using a physical burner phone it\u2019s cheap to replace.<\/p>\n

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Best burner phone number apps (paid and free)<\/span><\/h2>\n

So what are the best apps to get a burner phone number with? Below will discuss our three picks, both paid and free.<\/span><\/p>\n