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Get a second phone number to use for life for just $25 in this deal
"There are times when it’d be nice to have a second phone number. Like when you’re working from home, for example, so you can separate your business from your personal calls. But a second line is usually pretty expensive to set up.
Which is why, if you want a more affordable option, you might consider using Hushed as opposed to your phone company.
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Hushed is a critically acclaimed Android and iOS-compatible app that makes it easy to create virtual phone numbers for any purpose. You just load up the app on your phone or tablet, select your particulars, and boom — you have a new phone number to do with as you please.
You can even choose a different area code if you want, so the possibilities are numerous.
It’s the perfect app to have for a home-based business, for selling things on Craigslist, or for dating. Met someone for the first time and aren’t sure if you want them to have the same number that your closest friends use?
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Then just give them your second number instead until you begin to trust them. From a personal safety point of view, it makes a great deal of sense.
A lifetime subscription includes one phone number and a combination of up to 6,000 SMS or 1,000 phone minutes that you can use on an annual basis. You manage all your communications through the app so you don’t need to purchase a separate device, and you’ll have the option to purchase additional numbers too for other purposes.
But what really sets Hushed apart is the cost savings. A second line purchased through your phone company is likely to cost hundreds of dollars every year.
A phone number set up with Hushed, by contrast, is just $24.99, so it’s a budget-friendly option. And since this is for a lifetime subscription, you’ll never have to pay another cent for it ever again.
Prices subject to change."
Disclosure: This is a StackCommerce deal in partnership with BleepingComputer.com. In order to participate in this deal or giveaway you are required to register an account in our StackCommerce store. To learn more about how StackCommerce handles your registration information please see the StackCommerce Privacy Policy. Furthermore, BleepingComputer.com earns a commission for every sale made through StackCommerce.
Posted: Nov 3, 2022
RELATED CONTENT
"Decades ago, people changed their phone numbers all the time—if you had to move to a new town, you didn't get to keep your number. Now, you can take your first cell phone number with you for life, even keeping the area code on a new continent if you're willing to pay for it. That has downsides. Having another number associated with you for life, much like your Social Security number or driver's license number, means it's another easy thing for bad actors and Big Brother to use for tracking you. Especially since your mobile phone number is likely associated with just about every digital account you have.
The way to get around that is to never hand out your personal phone number, except to friends and family. There are a lot of good reasons for this. Perhaps you buy or sell items on Facebook Marketplace, manage an Airbnb listing, are hunting for a job, have a career that requires lots of phone calls, or you're online dating. Give all of them a burner number.
Typically, a burner is a no-contract, prepaid mobile phone, usually an ultra-cheap handset you buy in a store (with cash, for privacy), activate with a call or online, use for a while, then discard. The throwing away is the "burning" part, but tossing the phone/number is optional, as the owner can "top off" the minutes on a prepaid phone and keep using it. With a burner, you don't have to block a person (or stalker, shady marketer, or robo-caller) from your permanent phone. Nor do you need to get a new number. But the option is there, while your original phone number is intact.
For a second number, you can always get a prepaid SIM card on a cheap carrier if you want to go that route. It might even be handy if you have an extra phone around. Many new unlocked phones support eSIM standards where the SIM card that identifies you with the carrier is fully integrated and only changeable via remote software. But eSIM isn't much of an option for a burner-style number. And swapping physical SIM cards to change phone numbers is a pain, at best.
You probably already have a iPhone or Android smartphone that can't handle two numbers, so you don't want another handset. Thankfully, there are still many ways to get an extra, (possibly) temporary phone number that works with your smartphone (or even on your tablet). The numbers can even be used to send and receive texts with photos.
This isn't like using *67 or #31# before a call, which shows you as Blocked or Unknown. The services below make a point of displaying a temporary number when you call, so return calls can happen—until you want them to stop. If you just want the numbers to take calls, all the burner services feature things like voicemail and call forwarding.
There are some drawbacks to these burner apps and services. The biggest is that you typically can't use them to call 911 for help. Some build that limit into their terms of service—they don't want to get sued. Second, the companies behind some of these solutions have a very limited number of phone numbers to use. Research from 2014 found(Opens in a new window) that some companies recycle numbers quickly, meaning you could be on the receiving end of calls from people trying to reach someone who previously had your number.
If you can overlook all that and still need a secondary number, get ready to access some apps and services that will maintain your privacy by becoming the number you hand out when you aren't sure who to trust...
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Hushed
3-day trial
$1.99 for seven days prepaid, or $3.99 per month with unlimited calls/texts, with pay-as-you-go international plans starting at $4.99.
Lifetime second number is currently on sale for $25 in US, UK, or Canada.
Hushed(Opens in a new window) (available for iOS and Android) is a lot like Burner, but available in over 40 countries, and with a simplicity that makes it worth considering. Don't worry about the minutes left on your actual mobile phone contract, Hushed uses VoIP, so calls are made over Wi-Fi (or using your cellular data). No minutes on your phone voice plan get used (unless you set up something like Call Forwarding or Call Routing(Opens in a new window)). Subscribers can get up to three lines bundled. Text communications between Hushed app users are all free, and auto-delete after being read.
Hushed
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