Temp phone numbers are useful for a variety of reasons, but getting them easily isn’t always possible. An online free phone number is fine for sending a text or two, provided you don’t need to receive any in return.
In this article, we’ll cover a simple solution to getting temp phone numbers that allow you to send and receive messages.
Why Might You Need Temp Phone Numbers?
Temp phone numbers have numerous uses and benefits over your permanent (and personal) phone number. These include:
Travel
If you’re planning a trip somewhere, either a short-term vacation or moving to a different country, an international phone number is a good idea. Depending on how long you plan to be abroad, temp phone numbers mean you don’t have to take out a full data plan in the country. Importantly, too, you can often set up temp phone numbers in different countries as you move around.
Protect Privacy
For sending anonymous text messages free, an online free phone number is often the best tool. You might want to say something privately or use anonymous text messages free for business purposes (although this isn’t always a great idea).
On the other hand, you could use a private temp number for something like setting up an account on a website, as it saves you from providing real details. This can help cut down on annoying spam texts and calls.
Business or Marketing
A free phone number for SMS is a useful tool for business or marketing purposes. For example, you might want to send a few sales notification messages or promo codes. This sort of method is helpful for small businesses, but if you plan to send bulk messages, an online SMS service is usually a better option.
How Can You Get Free Phone Numbers?
A temp phone number from Google Voice can work on a short-term basis. Google Voice can be used for voicemail services and calling, and it’ll give you a US-based phone number for free.
You can only get a temp phone number Google Voice on personal plans, although nothing is stopping you from using it for business. First, though, it’s worth weighing up the pros and cons.
Pros of Google Voice
- It’s free. You can also set up numbers with local area codes (provided you’re based in the US).
- You can use it for international calls. Granted, this costs money, but it’s a relatively cheap option.
- You can set up the same temp phone number Google Voice on multiple devices, meaning you can establish a ring group.
Cons of Google Voice
- Google Voice only integrates with Google services. While this won’t be a massive issue, it means it’s incompatible with other services in your business suite.
- Google Voice caps at 10 users.
- You can’t set up auto-replies and out-of-office notifications.
- There’s no desktop app.
- It’s difficult to record calls.
Generally, Google Voice is an acceptable temp phone number tool. However, it falls down in functionality if you plan to use it for business because it can start to get pretty expensive.
How to Send Online Text for Free
A viable alternative for an online free phone number is Textr’s suite of messaging options. Textr offers several free-to-use online options for sending and receiving messages.
Textr’s send SMS online tool lets you easily generate a standard SMS message (with a 160-character limit) and send it to any number you choose. You’ll need the full number and country code to use it.
Textr’s receive SMS online tool is just as easy to use. You’ll need to set up a phone number for your country, but you do this by clicking a button. It’s a great service for receiving verification codes from websites, saving you from compromising your privacy.
Finally, you can use Textr’s fancy text generator to, unsurprisingly, generate fancy fonts. These are great for sending in business text messages or adding to Instagram captions. All you do is paste your text into the box, choose your fancy text, and then copy the generated text out. It’s super simple to use.
What to Do if You Receive Anonymous Text Messages
Although sending anonymous text messages free can be useful for business purposes, most people are wary of receiving them. If you happen to receive an anonymous text message, consider the following.
- For starters, your personal information may have been sold to companies. This can happen if you use your phone number to verify your account on websites. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to find out what company has sold your details.
- It almost goes without saying, but don’t open any links in anonymous texts. There’s every chance they’re fine, although it’s just as likely that they’re a virus or phishing link. Be extra wary if an anonymous text contains a shortened URL.
- Consider backing up and restoring your phone. It shouldn’t be necessary if you haven’t clicked on a link, but is a useful step if you have any concerns about your privacy being compromised.
- Use a second phone number to set up accounts on websites. You could either have a permanent second number or use something like Textr’s receive SMS online service.
Use Textr Go to Protect Your Privacy
Textr Go is designed to protect your privacy, no matter whether you’re using it for business or personal messaging. You get a free US or CA phone number in the app, which you could use for business marketing or account verification. Better yet, Textr Go gives you unlimited texting and calling.
The app also lets you manage multiple phone numbers from a single location, making it easy to set up business marketing or collaboration groups. It’s easy to save and share contacts, which is ideal for businesses (and personal users, of course). Most importantly, Textr Go allows you to separate business and personal numbers, so it’s much easier to keep track of messages.
Download Textr Go today on iOS, Android, and for web browsers to see how easy it is to establish temp phone numbers.
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