How to Get a Second Phone Number Without a Landline or SIM Card (2024)

If you use your personal cellphone for business purposes, you likely have two main concerns: keeping your personal number private and knowing when an incoming call is business vs. personal.

Getting a second phone number that’s dedicated to business use is the simplest way to protect your privacy and to differentiate between your business and personal calls.

Below, we’ll look at why a second phone number is necessary and how it impacts your business. Plus, we’ll explain how to get a second phone number for your Android device or iPhone, and different tools to help you accomplish it.

Breaking down the best second phone number providers

You have plenty of second phone number providers to choose from, but which ones should you prioritize?

We’ve broken it down for you below:

1. OpenPhone: The best option to get a second phone number for businesses

OpenPhone is a VoIP phone service that can add a work number to your existing mobile phone. It’s easy to create a professional phone experience — you can set business hours, create custom voicemail greetings, and set up a phone menu so customers know when they can reach your team.

Here’s how you can make your business communications more efficient with OpenPhone:

• Easily use OpenPhone from your computer, laptop, or smartphone
• Save time texting with auto-replies, snippets, and scheduled messages
• Foster collaboration by letting your teammates internally comment on conversations
• Catch up on conversations faster using call recordings and instant AI call summaries and transcriptions
• Automate manual workflows by integrating with your CRM, Slack, email, and 5,000+ tools with our Zapier integration

Don’t just take our word for it: OpenPhone is the #1 business phone for customer satisfaction on G2. We make it easy to manage your business calls and texts without sacrificing the privacy of your private number.

Ready to get a second phone number? Simply start a free seven-day trial, download the OpenPhone app to your computer, iPhone, or Android device, and then start placing phone calls directly through your WiFi connection.

OpenPhone pricing

OpenPhone has three different plans to choose from so you can select the tier that makes sense for you.

These include:

• Starter: $15 per user per month for shared phone numbers, voicemail transcriptions, free calls and texts in the US and Canada, and dozens of ways to streamline your business’s phone communication
• Business: $23 per user per month for auto-attendant (IVR), call transferring, CRM integrations, analytics, and more advanced features
• Enterprise: Custom-fit solutions with custom-fit pricing

2. Google Voice: The second phone number for Google Workspace users

If you’re looking for a second phone number for personal or freelancer use, Google Voice may be a good fit.

Personal users can get a Google Voice number for free and unlock unlimited calling and texting in the US, voicemail transcripts, and call forwarding. But if you’re located outside the US, you can’t access this version of Google Voice.

Google Voice does offer multiple plans to business owners that are available globally, but they’re severely limited in the features they offer. You get auto attendants and ring groups, but you can’t get toll-free numbers. You also can’t access advanced messaging features like auto-replies, snippets, and scheduled messages.

Keep in mind there aren’t integrations with tools outside your Google account. Google Calendar, Google Meet, and Google’s BigQuery are the only integrations available.

So if you want a free second phone number app for personal use or if you need a new number for buying and selling on Craigslist, Google Voice may be a solid choice. But businesses should look elsewhere for a solution that can accommodate the features they need.

You can learn more about Google Voice pros and cons in our comprehensive guide.

Google Voice pricing

For individuals, Google Voice is free.

For businesses, you must select from one of three plans:

• Starter: $10 per user per month for call forwarding, voicemail transcriptions, unlimited texting in the US, and more (limited to 10 users in the US)
• Standard: $20 per user per month for unlimited users, auto-attendant, and desk phone support
• Premier: $30 per user per month for advanced reporting features and support for international users

Keep in mind that all Google Voice plans require a Google Workspace subscription, which starts at an additional $6 per user per month.

3. Burner: The second phone number option for multiple personal numbers

Burner is a second phone number app that allows you to create a pseudo phone number. First, you purchase a number for personal use. Then, you can ditch it and get a new number (yes, like the paid-for flip phones of the early 00s).

The Burner app uses a VoIP call forwarding service to send voice calls and texts to your existing phone. Each number you buy comes with calling and messaging, picture messaging, caller ID, and the ability to block and mute contacts.

There are a few other features worth mentioning here. Auto-reply texts come with every plan, which allows you to set boundaries for your time after hours. You can also create multiple numbers in your account, but be warned: you have to pay a separate subscription for each number you use.

Unfortunately, those are the only ‘business’ features you get with a Burner account. You won’t have access to toll-free numbers, call recording, or third-party integrations.

But if you just want a second phone line for your personal life, this may not necessarily be a limitation.

Burner pricing

Burner charges double its monthly price if you sign up on its mobile app versus the web app. So if you’re interested in checking out a number with Burner, you should sign up on the web to save on your monthly fees.

• $4.99 per number per month if you sign up on the web
• $9.99 per number per month if you sign up through the mobile app

4. Hushed: The second phone number option for international calling

Hushed is a unique second phone number app for iPhone and Android offering international calling services to personal users. With it, you can dial numbers outside the US and Canada and use an eSIM card to use your mobile number outside the country.

Hushed also offers standard second phone number features like custom voicemails, SMS and MMS texting, and call forwarding. You don’t need a SIM card or a traditional phone carrier — their VoIP services work with any internet connection.

But like every other personal second phone number app, Hushed lacks the business-friendly features you may need to communicate efficiently.

These include:

• Shared numbers
• Call recording
• CRM integrations
• Simultaneous ring
• Group calling

The bottom line? Hushed is a great option if you need a second phone number while traveling, but it’s not a great service if you’re trying to run a business.

Hushed pricing

• Prepaid: $2.99 per number unlocks credit-based pricing for calls and texts
• Unlimited: $4.99 per number per month unlocks unlimited calls and texts to US and Canadian numbers
• Pay-as-you-go: $6.99 per number per month unlocks international calls and texts with your Hushed number

5. Line2: The basic second phone number for businesses

Line2 is a simple second phone number app designed for solo business owners. Like many other apps on this list, it offers the basic features you need to make calls (think call forwarding, call blocking, and voicemail transcriptions).

But Line2 isn’t great if you’re scaling your operations. You can’t get missed call notifications or shared access to phone numbers, and there’s no opportunity to set your business hours.

Other key features missing from Line2 include:

• Integrations
• Snippets
• Auto-replies

Line2 is a solid upgrade from using your private phone number for business. But if you’re looking to expand your team, it doesn’t match up to other VoIP providers.

Line2 pricing

There are two ways to pay for a Line2 plan:

• $13.75 per month (billed annually)
• $15.99 per month (billed monthly)

Keep in mind Line2 offers additional numbers at $14.99 per number per month. This is 3x the cost of additional numbers on VoIP platforms like OpenPhone.

6. 2ndLine: The Android-only second phone number option

Need a second phone number for personal use on your Android device? 2ndLine might be the right option for you. Not only does it offer unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada, but it also lets you make international calls at affordable rates.

2ndLine may be a decent option if you’re a personal user who owns an Android phone. But since this second number provider doesn’t offer shared numbers, call recording, CRM integrations, or advanced messaging features, it may not be the best solution for business owners.

Why should you get a second phone number?

Not yet convinced you need a second phone number?

Here are a few reasons why a second phone number can upgrade your business and your personal privacy:

1. Share your business number with your team: As a customer, you’ve probably faced situations where you called a local business and couldn’t reach them. The reason is their number is likely with their owner and isn’t shared by all their team members. Shared numbers can help you avoid this situation by giving your team access to incoming calls and messages. You don’t have to leave your customers waiting (or feel glued to your phone during peak business hours).
2. Protect your personal phone number: Getting an alternate phone number means you don’t have to give your personal number to customers. You also don’t have to publish it directly on your website, which means bad actors and spammers can’t scrape your personal details. With separate contact books, you’ll always know which calls are personal and which are for work. You’ll know exactly how to respond to every incoming call.
3. Record your calls to track customer requests: Business phone numbers can help you record calls for future use. This helps you keep track of what you’ve promised your customers and can maintain a paper trail in case any disputes occur.
4. Integrate with your tool stack: If you run a business, you probably use several tools to manage your daily operations. With the right second phone number provider, you can share your call and message data with your CRM and Slack accounts. This means you don’t have to spend time keeping track of your customer relationships — you can focus on building them instead.
5. Set business hours: Without a second phone number, you leave yourself vulnerable to getting calls at any time. The right second phone number app lets you set working hours so customers know what times they can reach you. When you’re unavailable, you can set up a voicemail or call forwarding workflow to set clear expectations and provide additional information.

Download OpenPhone to get a second phone number

As a small business owner, getting a second phone number is a simple way to promote work-life balance. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools you can use to get a second number without another line or SIM card.

But not all apps are built alike. If you want the best bang for your buck as a small business owner, you need to invest in a platform that can grow alongside you.

OpenPhone is the best small business phone system and the easiest way to add a work number to your existing phone number (and enjoy a number of advanced features designed for business owners, by business owners).

Ready to see how OpenPhone can transform business communications?Get started today with our seven-day free trial.

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