3 Ways to Send a Text from a Different Number (+ 10 Services You Can Use to Do It)

Let’s say you want to send a text message - but you don’t want it to come from your own personal phone number.

This could be for privacy reasons. For one reason or another you’d like to remain anonymous.

Or this could be for business reasons. You understandably don’t want customers to have your personal phone number, for example.

But the question is… how?

How can you send a text from a different phone number, or send anonymously?

Here we’ll go over different ways to send texts, and 10 different services you could use.

First, a Disclaimer

Although these messaging options exist, allowing you to send a text from a different number, they are not meant to be a means of abuse or unethical (or illegal) activity.

No one should “spoof” their phone number in the sense of misrepresenting themselves or of harassing others.

There are legitimate reasons for wanting to protect your privacy, or for wanting to use a virtual phone number, but make sure you’re using these options responsibly.

With that out of the way - let’s dive in!

3 Ways to Send a Text from a Different Number

First we’ll describe 3 different ways you can go about texting from a different number…

1. Send a Text Via Email

Although this isn’t technically sending through a different “number,” this option still allows you to protect the privacy of your phone number when sending a text.

You can enjoy that privacy by sending your text message via your email address.

See, every phone number comes with a corresponding “SMS gateway email address” that others can use to send text messages to that phone number via email.

That email address will look different depending on the wireless provider the phone number belongs to. So that means Verizon subscribers will have an email address for their phone number that looks different from AT&T subscribers, and so on.

Once you determine what your intended recipient’s “gateway email address” is, you can simply send an email to that address, as you would any normal email.

Then your email message will be delivered to the recipient as a text message on their phone, with your email address (rather than a phone number) as the sender of the message.

Need an example?

If you’re wanting to send a text message to the phone number (402) 718-8843, you can simply submit an email to the recipient address 4027188843@vtext.com.

In this case 4027188843@vtext.com is the “gateway email address.”

But how do you know what a recipient’s “gateway email address” is so that you can send a message like this?

You can use a resource such as FreeCarrierLookup.com to look up a phone number and see what its gateway address is.

2. Use a “Burner Number” App

A “burner number” app functions like a burner phone - but without the need for an actual phone.

With a burner app, you’ll get a secondary phone number you can use to send messages.

If you’re done using the number, you can simply delete the number or let it “burn out.” (Or some services may only allow a single use for a number.)

Burner apps typically do cost a fee, but allow for privacy or anonymity.

3. Use an SMS Platform

If you want to send texts from a secondary number on a regular basis - for example, if you’re wanting to send texts for your business - you’ll want to consider using an SMS platform.

With an SMS platform, you’ll get a dedicated number all to yourself with the option of adding as many numbers as you’d like.

And you can use your additional number to send text blasts to dozens, hundreds, or thousands of recipients at once. (They’ll each receive it individually so you won’t have to worry about a massive group text thread.)

SMS platforms not only allow you to protect your personal phone number, they allow you to engage in large-scale communication (for a fee, of course).

10 Services You Can Use to Send a Text from a Different Number

If you’re like a lot of people, you enjoy lists and summaries.

But whether you do or you don’t, here’s a list of 10 services you could use to send out a text via the methods mentioned above.

SMS Platforms

1. Mobile Text Alerts

Our service Mobile Text Alerts is an SMS platform that you can access on the web or via a mobile app.

Each account comes with a free phone number, and you have the option to purchase additional phone numbers whenever you’d like.

It’s an out-of-the-box, ready-to-go solution, and you’ll pay a monthly or annual fee based on how many messages you’d like to be able to send.

2. Twilio

(If you don’t know what API is, don’t worry! You’re not alone, but just know that this isn’t the service for you.)

Twilio is great for people who are developers or who have access to developers, and who are willing to develop their own message sending processes.

3. TextMagic

TextMagic is another SMS platform solution.

It’s out-of-the-box like Mobile Text Alerts and allows you to reserve a phone number for $4 per month. You can purchase message credits as needed to send your texts.

“Burner Number” Apps

4. Google Voice

Google Voice is a popular app for getting a virtual phone number.

It’s connected to your Google account, and you can have texts/calls forwarded to your phone, or even to your email address.

Though Google is a trusted name, at this time Google Voice (like all of these “burner apps”) is only intended for one-to-one texting, not for text blasts. So it may not be the best option for businesses, unless you’re only planning on sending individual messages.

5. Burner

Burner is a well-reviewed app for getting an additional phone number.

The app emphasizes privacy and organization as benefits of using their service.

They market for both business and personal use, although as mentioned with Google Voice, you won’t be able to send mass texts through the service.

6. SpoofCard

SpoofCard also offers a similar concept to Burner and Google Voice, with the ability to call and text individually from a virtual number. It also includes features such as recording phone calls and disguising your voice.

SpoofCard’s pricing works on a credit system, in which you’ll pay a minimum of $9.95 for 45 minutes of calling or 9 texts. (So if you’re texting a lot, it could get pricey.)

7. Anonymous Text

Anonymous Text is a simpler option, offering a straightforward form you can fill out in order to send a text from an anonymous phone number.

This app is easy but has a couple of significant drawbacks:

• It is fairly pricey at $1.49 per text message
• You won’t be able to receive messages back (the next 3 options we’ll mention will have this same limitation as well)

8. Text ‘Em

Like Anonymous Text, Text ‘Em offers a form you can fill out to send a text.

Unlike Anonymous Text, Text ‘Em is actually free to use. However, one downside is that you need to know your recipient’s phone carrier.

9. Spoof Box

Another service that offers a simple form to fill out in order to send a text, Spoof Box isn’t quite as easy to use. It requires an account and purchasing a credit balance in order to send.

That being said, they also offer several other services.

However, their website also touts being able to send “fake SMS,” which we do not recommend, since the purpose of using a secondary phone number should not be to misrepresent yourself but rather to protect privacy.

Text by Email

10. Gmail

Since we mentioned the option to send a text by emailing in at the beginning of this article, we thought we’d at least bring up one email service.

Why not mention the most popular email service in the world? (Did you know that Gmail has over 1.8 billion users?)

Send a Text from a Different Number Using an SMS Platform

Now that you have all the info you ever wanted to know about different ways to send a text from a different number, you can give it a try for yourself.

Get 50 free messages from Mobile Text Alerts to test it out today (no credit card required).

Happy texting!