In today’s digital world, privacy is becoming increasingly important. People want more control over their personal information, including their phone number. This has led to the rise of apps that allow users to mask or hide their real phone number when making calls or sending messages.
Why Would You Want to Hide Your Phone Number?
There are a few key reasons why someone may want to hide or mask their phone number:
- Privacy – To prevent people they don’t know from seeing their real number.
- Safety – To avoid harassment or stalking by masking their number when contacting strangers.
- Professionalism – To keep their personal number private when contacting clients or customers.
Hiding your phone number can give you greater control over who can access your real number. It allows you to keep business and personal communications separate. Overall, it improves privacy and gives many people greater peace of mind.
How Do Apps Hide Your Phone Number?
There are a few techniques apps use to mask or hide your phone number:
- Temporary or virtual numbers – The app gives you access to a temporary or disposable number to display when making calls or sending texts. Your real number stays private.
- Rerouting – The app reroutes calls through its own servers, displaying one of its available numbers instead of your real number.
- Caller ID blocking – The app blocks your caller ID information so your number does not appear when contacting others.
Some apps may charge a small fee for access to these services. Others make money by serving ads within the app or offering premium features for an upgrade price. But the basic functionality remains the same – giving you a way to keep your phone number private.
Top Apps to Hide Your Phone Number
Here is an overview of some of the most popular apps that allow you to hide or mask your phone number:
| App | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Burner | Lets you create temporary burner numbers; includes free and paid plans |
| Hushed | Gives you a second phone number; call and text anonymously |
| CoverMe | Creates masked numbers for calls and texts; blocks unwanted calls |
| TextNow | Free app that provides you with a virtual phone number |
| TextPlus | Offers free virtual numbers for calls and texting |
Burner
Burner is one of the most well-known apps for hiding your real number. It lets you generate temporary and disposable burner numbers. You can easily swap these burner numbers out at any time.
The basic Burner app is free to download. It comes with access to one burner number at a time. You can test it out before deciding if you want to upgrade to a paid plan for more numbers and minutes.
Burner also has helpful security features like spam blocking and filtering. Overall, it’s a top choice if you want an easy way to mask your primary phone number.
Hushed
Hushed provides users with a second phone number. This masked number can be used to make anonymous calls and texts. Your real number stays hidden from whoever you contact.
Some key benefits of Hushed include:
- Get a real US or Canadian phone number – It’s not a fake or virtual number.
- Call and text as much as you want – Hushed has unlimited plans.
- Works with WiFi so you don’t need a cellular plan.
- Port in your existing number (for a fee).
Hushed has tiered pricing plans depending on usage needs. It also integrates with your existing iPhone or Android contacts for convenience.
CoverMe
CoverMe is another top pick for masking your personal phone number. Key features include:
- Create masked numbers for both calls and texts.
- Block unwanted calls and texts.
- Get notifications when your CoverMe number receives a call or text.
- Set names for your CoverMe numbers.
- Works over WiFi so you can use it anywhere.
CoverMe also sticks out for providing excellent customer support via live chat or email. They have helpful guides if you need assistance getting set up and using the app.
TextNow
TextNow is one of the most popular free apps for getting a virtual phone number. With TextNow, you can:
- Get a free US or Canadian phone number.
- Make calls and send texts over WiFi.
- Check voicemail online or via the app.
- Choose an area code from across North America.
- Block unwanted numbers.
TextNow is ad-supported, but upgrading to a paid plan removes ads and gives you more features. An affordable ad-free plan with unlimited calling and texting is available.
TextPlus
TextPlus is another solid free option for virtual numbers. Highlights include:
- Get a free phone number with calling and texting.
- Voicemail and caller ID support.
- Group messaging capabilities.
- Easy importing of your contacts.
- Customize your TextPlus number area code.
Like TextNow, TextPlus displays ads in the free version of the app. But for a few dollars per month, you can upgrade to ad-free calling and texting.
How to Choose the Best App to Hide Your Number
When comparing apps to hide your phone number, keep the following criteria in mind:
- Features – Look for apps that provide the specific features you need such as unlimited calling, number blocking, area code customization, etc.
- Cost – Consider both free and paid options to meet your budget.
- Platforms – Make sure the app is available on your specific smartphone OS (iOS or Android).
- Ease of use – Search for apps with simple interfaces to easily manage your virtual numbers.
- Security – Prioritize apps that use encryption and other measures to keep your activity and real number private.
- Ratings and reviews – Choose trusted apps with high ratings and positive feedback from other users.
Taking the time to research different options will help you find the best app for your specific needs and use case.
How Effective Are These Apps at Hiding Your Real Number?
Apps that provide virtual phone numbers and caller ID blocking can be very effective at hiding your real phone number. However, there are some caveats:
- Your carrier still has records of your real number – While your number is masked to the people you call/text, your mobile carrier maintains records of your actual SIM card number.
- Web-based second numbers may be less secure – Numbers provided through apps may be tied back to your device ID or account.
- Burner numbers are temporary – Short-term disposable numbers may not work if you need longer term privacy.
- Legal compliance is required – Apps must comply with court orders and subpoenas requesting customer data.
Overall these apps provide reasonable anonymity for most users. But if you require a very high level of privacy, additional measures may be needed beyond just a virtual number.
| App Type | Anonymity Level (1-5) |
|---|---|
| Temporary Burner Numbers | 4 |
| Long-Term Second Numbers | 3 |
| Carrier-Provided Anonymous Numbers | 4 |
| Dedicated Anonymous SIM Cards | 5 |
The Legal Implications of Hiding Your Phone Number
While masking your phone number provides more privacy, it’s important to understand the legal implications as well:
- Law enforcement can request user data – Apps must comply with any court ordered subpoenas.
- Fraudulent use is illegal – It’s against the law to disguise your identity for deceptive purposes.
- Terms of service – Make sure to follow each app’s rules for acceptable use.
- Local regulations apply – Some areas have laws regarding anonymous calling and caller ID manipulation.
In most cases, apps that let you hide your phone number are fully legal to use. Just avoid any unethical or fraudulent use, and make sure the app’s policies align with laws in your local area.
How Can These Apps Help Protect Your Privacy and Safety?
Hiding your phone number provides protection in several key ways:
- Avoid unwanted contact – Masking your number prevents strangers from looking up and contacting your real number.
- Keep business and personal separate – Using a second number helps maintain work/life boundaries.
- Protect against spam calls and texts – Virtual numbers give you more control over who can reach your real contacts.
- Avoid harassment and threats – An anonymous number provides security if you’re concerned about stalkers finding ways to contact you.
- Maintain online privacy – Masked numbers help keep your real identity private when posting ads, contacting sellers, etc.
While not completely bulletproof, number masking does make you much less vulnerable to various privacy and safety threats.
Conclusion
Hiding your personal phone number is easier than ever thanks to the growing range of available apps. Options like Burner, Hushed, CoverMe, TextNow, and TextPlus make it simple to access virtual phone numbers and mask your caller ID.
Using these apps to protect your privacy is perfectly legal in most cases. But it’s smart to educate yourself on the laws in your area and any potential limitations. Overall, keeping your real phone number private results in much greater safety, security, and peace of mind for most users.
So if you get frequent unwanted calls or simply want to keep your number very private, try out some of these top-rated apps. Within minutes you can start making calls and sending texts without revealing your primary phone number.