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New ZealandA burner number is a second phone number you give out instead of your real one — to buyers, matches, landlords, shops and strangers — and drop once you’re done with it. The name comes from cheap prepaid “burner” phones bought to be thrown away. These days, you don’t need a second phone at all.
This guide explains how burner numbers work, when they’re worth it, what they can’t do, and how to get one in about a minute.
What is a burner number?
A burner number is a real phone number, separate from the one on your SIM card. People can call and text it like any other number, and you answer from a phone, an app or a browser. When the number has done its job — the sale is over, the move is done, the dating app is deleted — you “burn” it: you cancel it, or simply stop renewing it.
Unlike your personal number, it isn’t tied to your bank, your family or years of accounts. If it leaks, attracts spam or falls into the wrong hands, you replace it in minutes and nothing else changes.
The three kinds of burner numbers
| Type | What you need | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepaid SIM in a cheap phone | A second phone and a SIM | Keeping a line fully apart from your smartphone | One more device to carry and charge; many countries require ID to register a SIM |
| Second-number app | An app on your smartphone | Calls and texts from your phone, on its data connection | Phone-only in most apps; some ask for your existing number to sign up |
| Browser-based number | A web browser | Using the number on your phone and your computer, with nothing to install | Calls need an internet connection |
Apps like Burner and Hushed popularized burner numbers in North America. HeyNum takes the browser route: a real mobile number in 19 countries that works in any browser. See how HeyNum compares with the Burner app.
When a burner number is worth it
- Selling online. Put it on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace or eBay listings, and retire it after the sale — see a burner number for Craigslist and Marketplace.
- Online dating. Move chats off the app without handing your real number to someone you’ve never met — see a second number for dating apps.
- Sign-ups and loyalty cards. Keep your personal number off marketing lists and out of data leaks.
- Short projects. A move, a renovation, a rental, an event: one number for everyone involved, switched off when it’s over.
- Travel. A local number for drivers, hosts and restaurants during a trip.
What a burner number can’t do
- Make you untraceable. It keeps your personal number private from the people you contact, but no number is invisible: providers keep the data needed to run the service and respond to valid legal requests.
- Work with every service. Some banks and payment apps only accept numbers from traditional carriers. Keep those accounts on your personal number.
- Protect accounts you’ve abandoned. If an account sends codes to a number you’ve burned, you can lose access to it. Move important accounts to another number first.
- Call emergency services. Like many internet-based phone services, HeyNum doesn’t support emergency numbers such as 911, 112 or 999. Keep a regular mobile line for emergencies.
How to get a burner number in a minute
- Pick a country — usually your own, so the number looks local to the people you give it to.
- Choose your exact number from five suggestions, or ask for new ones.
- Pay with just an email, in Bitcoin, Ethereum or USDT. No ID, no existing phone number — see how paying with crypto works.
- Use it in your browser as soon as your payment is confirmed: calls, texts and verification codes, on your phone and your computer.
A HeyNum number starts at $5.79 a month. Switch it off between uses with the On/Off switch, keep it for months, or let it expire: nothing renews by itself.
Free burner numbers: what’s the catch?
Free burner numbers exist, but you pay in other ways. Ad-funded apps show ads and can reclaim a number you stop using. Public “receive SMS online” websites are worse: anyone can read the messages, including the verification codes for accounts you create with them. For anything you’ll sign in to again, a private number of your own is the safe choice — more in our guide to temporary phone numbers.
Tips for using a burner number safely
- One number per purpose. A number for selling and another for dating: if one leaks, the others stay clean.
- Never share a code. No genuine buyer, landlord or match needs a code sent to your phone.
- Keep it while accounts depend on it. Many services send a new code when you sign in on a new device.
- Mind your messaging profile. If you add the number to a messaging app, check which name and photo it shows.
- Play by the rules. A burner number is for privacy, not for scams, harassment or evading bans — that breaks the law and our acceptable use policy.
Written by the HeyNum team. We build HeyNum, a service that gives you a real mobile number in your browser. We write about privacy, second numbers and staying reachable — and we're upfront when we mention our own product.
