Temporary Phone Number: How to Get One [2024]

A temporary phone number allows you to process verification and registration requirements and to send and receive text messages—all without giving out your personal phone number.

Get a free temporary phone number with Mobile Text Alerts here.

What Is a Temporary Phone Number?

A temporary phone number, sometimes called a “temporary text number” or “fake number,” is a virtual phone number that you can use for various temporary purposes without needing to give out your actual phone number. Sending and receiving text messages through temporary phone numbers is often managed via online platforms, so you don’t need to use your personal device either.

Temporary phone numbers allow you to use texting for various purposes while retaining privacy and anonymity.

How to Get a Temporary Phone Number

Temporary phone numbers are available through online services that have access to virtual numbers.

Many of these will allow you to start receiving messages right away, although most won’t allow you to actually send messages. Just visit one of these sites to begin using their temporary phone number services.

Temporary Phone Number App

Below are some services you can use to take advantage of a temporary phone number:

Mobile Text Alerts

Mobile Text Alerts allows you access to a temporary phone number totally free for 14 days. You can send up to 50 messages from your temporary number and there is no limit to how many messages you can receive.

Once you create a free account you’ll be automatically given a free temporary phone number.

Other Services

Some other services that allow you to get a free virtual temporary phone number include the below list. (Note that Mobile Text Alerts cannot vouch for any of these other services, and most of them only allow you to receive messages and not to send messages.)

Get a Free 14-Day Trial with Mobile Text Alerts

Are Temporary Phone Numbers Free?

Many services offer temporary phone numbers for free on a limited basis.

For example, you may be able to receive texts on a temporary phone number for free but not send them. Responses to the messages may also be publicly viewable as well - meaning that anyone on the website can see the responses your phone number receives. So in cases like this you wouldn’t want to engage in communications using these types of services unless you didn’t mind having the responses able to be displayed on a public website.

Mobile Text Alerts gives you a fully featured, free temporary phone number for 14 days, including the ability to both send and receive messages, to send mass text messages (limit 50 in the free trial). Responses are privately viewable within a secure online account. (No credit card is required to set up your free account.)

How a Temporary Phone Number Works

Temporary phone number services work in different ways.

Many of them allow you shared access to a public phone number with others who may be also using it for various purposes. On the service’s website you’ll see a list of phone numbers you can use (for a 2-factor authentication verification, for example) - once you click on that phone number you’ll be able to see all the responses that phone number is receiving. So you can wait and see if your response comes through.

With Mobile Text Alerts, the process is like this:

You create a free 14-day account (no credit card necessary)
You’re assigned a free phone number that you can start using right away
During your free 14-day trial, you can receive as many messages as you’d like
Any responses you receive will show up in an online SMS inbox you can access by logging in to your account
During your free 14-day trial, you can send up to 50 messages
You can send text messages to groups of people as well

Why Use a Temporary Phone Number?

There are several reasons why you may want to use a temporary (virtual or ”fake”) phone number…

For Verification and Registration

Many services and websites require you to provide your phone number in order to register or verify your account.

While these websites’ desire for security is understandable, you may not want to give out your personal phone number to all of these sites. Or you may not have a phone number available on hand to provide.

In these kinds of situations, using a temporary number allows you to fulfill these sites' requirements even if you don't want to (or can't) provide your own phone number.

For Business Texting

If you’re a part of a business and you want to engage in texting customers or prospects, you may not want to use your own personal phone number.

Using a temporary phone number allows you to enjoy the benefits of texting for your business without giving out your personal information.

For Personal Privacy

You may need a temporary number for receiving and sending messages for personal purposes, because you need to communicate with someone or receive communications from someone whom you don’t want to have your personal phone number.

A temporary phone number allows you to communicate while keeping your own phone number anonymous.

Get a Free Temporary Phone Number Now

To try out a temporary phone number for yourself, get a free Mobile Text Alerts trial account now and you’ll get access for 14 days.