“What's the best service for getting a temporary phone number?”

Short answer: it depends on what “temporary” means for you. Here are reliable, up‑to‑date picks in the U.S., by use case.

• Simple throwaway or short-term second line (calls + SMS)
• Burner: easiest “get it, use it, toss it.” Offers prepaid “disposable” numbers or subscriptions; pricing and limits are listed on their site/support pages. (burnerapp.com)
• Hushed: very similar to Burner; month-to‑month numbers with a 3‑day trial on iOS and transparent pricing on their site. (apps.apple.com)

• Compartmentalized privacy (multiple personas, longer-term use)
• MySudo: create multiple “Sudos,” each with its own U.S. number; plans detail how many numbers you get. Good if you want separation rather than one-off codes. (support.mysudo.com)

• One-time verifications or short rentals (many sites block VoIP)
• TextVerified: provides non‑VoIP U.S. numbers for single verifications or 30/90‑day/annual rentals; they explicitly position themselves for OTP/MFA use and explain when rentals are better than one-off codes. Useful when services reject VoIP/recycled numbers. (textverified.com)

• Call/text forwarding “mask” numbers (good for classifieds/sales)
• Tossable Digits: monthly virtual numbers with call forwarding, texting, and options like call rules; check their pricing/feature pages. (dev.tossabledigits.com)

Important caveats

• Many platforms detect and block virtual/VoIP numbers; non‑VoIP rentals tend to work more reliably than pooled one-time numbers. (textverified.com)
• Don’t rely on any temporary number for critical 2FA. U.S. government guidance recommends stronger MFA (authenticator apps or phishing‑resistant methods) over SMS when possible. (cisa.gov)

If you tell me what you need it for (one code today, a number for a few weeks, dating apps, selling items, etc.), your budget, and whether you need voice or just SMS, I can recommend the single best option and plan tier for you.

The best service depends on your use case: for a private second number you control, Burner and Hushed are the strongest mainstream options; for one-time SMS verification, SMSFAST, Quackr, or TextVerified fit better. Burner describes itself as a privacy-focused second-number app with unlimited calls/texts and spam blocking, while Hushed offers temporary numbers for calling and texting over Wi‑Fi or mobile data.³¹⁵

A practical way to choose:

If you want the safest all-around choice, Burner is the most established mainstream app in the results for privacy and day-to-day temporary use, while Hushed is a close alternative if you want a second number app with calling/texting across multiple countries.³¹⁵ If your goal is only to receive a code once, a disposable SMS service like SMSFAST or Quackr is more direct and usually cheaper or free.¹⁷⁸

One caution: free public SMS sites are convenient but are less private because the numbers are shared or public-facing; Sonetel notes that a free disposable number is “public and insecure.”⁹

The “best” service depends entirely on what you need the temporary number for: short-term calling/texting (a private “burner” line), SMS verification/OTP (signing up for apps), or a quick, free throwaway inbox.

Here is a breakdown of the best services by category:

1. Best for Private Calling & Texting (Burner Apps)

Use these if you need a real secondary line to talk, text, buy/sell on marketplaces (like Craigslist/Facebook), or date without giving out your real number.

• Hushed (Best Overall)
• Why it’s great: Works in 300+ area codes across the US, Canada, and the UK. You can buy prepaid packages (e.g., 7-day, 30-day, or 90-day plans) or pay-as-you-go credits. When you’re done, you can delete the number instantly.
• Best for: International flexibility and users who want a reliable, clean mobile app without a long-term commitment.
• Burner (Best for US/Canada Privacy & Features)
• Why it’s great: One of the original burner apps. It offers auto-replies, spam blocking, and integrations with Dropbox/Slack, and lets you "burn" (swap) your number with a tap.
• Best for: Professionals, marketplace sellers, and dating.
• Google Voice (Best Free Option)
• Why it’s great: Free calling and texting within the US/Canada. While it’s technically permanent, you can abandon it, forward calls, or change the number for a small fee.
• Catch: Requires a real US phone number to set up initially.

2. Best for Account Signups & SMS Verification (Non-VoIP)

*Many platforms (Google, WhatsApp, Telegram, Tinder, banks) automatically detect and block virtual VoIP numbers from apps like Google Voice or TextNow. These services provide real cellular (non-VoIP) SIM numbers strictly for receiving verification codes.*

• TextVerified (Best for US-based verifications)
• Why it’s great: Uses real US carrier lines (not VoIP), meaning it bypasses almost all strict phone verification checks. You pay per verification (typically $0.50–$2.00 in credits) and the number is active for a few minutes to capture your OTP.
• Best for: Platforms that aggressively reject virtual/VoIP numbers.
• SMS-Activate / 5SIM (Best for Global Coverage & Low Cost)
• Why it’s great: Massive catalogs of numbers from dozens of countries. You can rent a number for 15–20 minutes to receive an SMS from a specific service for pennies.
• Best for: Cheap, international signups.

3. Best Free Web Inboxes (Quick & Disposable)

Use these only for low-stakes, throwaway signups (like downloading a PDF or reading a forum) where you don't care about privacy.

• Quackr or AnonymSMS
• Why it’s great: Completely free, no registration required. You select a public number on the website and watch the public SMS log for your message.
• Big drawbacks:
• Zero privacy: Anyone on the internet can read the messages sent to that number.
• High failure rate: Most major websites have already blacklisted these public numbers.
• Never use these for banking, personal accounts, or anything involving sensitive passwords.

Summary Recommendation

There isn't a single universal "best" — the right choice depends on what you need it for. Here's a breakdown based on common use cases:

For quick, free SMS verification (one-time codes)

• Google Voice –

Google Voice gives US Google accounts a free permanent phone number that handles SMS, voicemail, and forwarding, with an effectively perfect delivery rate on major services because the number ranges are treated as carrier numbers, not VoIP throwaways. The catch: it requires a US-billing Google account and a US-routable forwarding number at first setup.

• TextNow –

TextNow provides a free virtual number when you sign up, which is perfect for anyone needing a temporary or secondary number, and it also offers multiple virtual numbers for managing both personal and professional calls.

• Quackr – A free, no-signup option good for disposable verifications.

Its phone numbers are rotated at least every 30 days and messages are deleted every 24 hours, ensuring you always have access to fresh, working numbers. Keep in mind these are shared/public numbers, so you should avoid using them for anything involving money, business data, or high security since free numbers are shared and someone else might see the same incoming messages.

For real privacy control (delete-on-demand, dating, Craigslist/Marketplace, business)

• Burner –

If you need a real number you can use and erase on your own terms — useful for selling on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, or for dating apps where you don't want a match's access to persist.

It's one of the most popular apps for disposable numbers, letting you create multiple numbers for calls, texts, and voicemail, and delete them instantly when no longer needed.

• Hushed – Best if you travel or need international coverage:

Hushed offers temporary phone numbers in a wide range of countries, making it an excellent option for international users.

• MySudo / Cloaked – Good if you want to compartmentalize multiple areas of your life. One long-time privacy reviewer notes

MySudo is a top recommendation because higher paid plans give multiple numbers to keep different parts of life separate, alongside Hushed and Cloaked, while still keeping a ported number with Google Voice.

For developers/bulk verification needs

• Twilio / Plivo –

These are the right answer if you're building software that needs programmable phone numbers rather than just receiving codes by hand, with pay-as-you-go pricing starting at $1.15/month per US number plus per-message costs.

• TextVerified – geared toward bulk account creation/verification with a

US-based non-VoIP phone number accessible from anywhere in the world.

Quick recommendation

• Just need one SMS code, don't care about longevity: Google Voice or Quackr (free).
• Want real privacy with a "burn it when done" number: Burner.
• Traveling internationally or need many countries: Hushed.
• Building an app/need numbers at scale: Twilio or TextVerified.

If you tell me your specific use case (dating, business calls, one-time signup, travel, etc.), I can narrow this down further.

There's no single "best" — it depends on whether you need a one-off verification code, an actual calling/texting line, or a long-term second number. Here's how the three options in the search results break down.

Pick by use case

For SMS verification codes on a specific platform (Google, Apple, Discord, banking apps) → verifynumber.io

The key selling point here is that it uses real carrier eSIM numbers, not VoIP. That matters because platforms like Google, Apple, Amazon, and crypto exchanges routinely flag or block VoIP numbers. They claim 98.7% delivery and publish a comparison table showing 98–100% success on services where standard VoIP is "restricted" or "blocked." Also useful: if the SMS doesn't arrive in the session window, you aren't charged, and you can retry with a new number for free. They cover 90+ services and 40+ countries, plus a REST API for automated/bulk verification. Messages are wiped after your session ends.

For an actual line you can make calls and send texts from, cheaply and without ID → crowphone.com

Burner numbers from $1, live in ~60 seconds, in 24 countries. No ID or verification required. Pricing is pay-per-use rather than subscription (SMS from $0.03, calls from $0.03/min), credits never expire, and failed calls are refunded automatically. Notably, it does *send and receive* SMS — many competitors are receive-only. There's also a REST API starting at $50 in credits.

For a persistent second number focused on privacy/anonymity and spam control → burnerapp.com

The original second-number app. Its strengths are different: spam blocking and muting, the ability to delete and switch numbers on demand, and organizing contacts into circles. This is the pick if you want an ongoing "other number" for your phone rather than a disposable one.

Quick comparison

Before you pay, check these

• Carrier-backed vs. VoIP — the single biggest factor in whether a verification actually goes through. verifynumber.io is explicit about this; others often aren't.
• Receive-only vs. two-way SMS — crowphone.com does both; many services only receive.
• Refund policy — CrowPhone refunds failed calls/texts automatically; VerifyNumber doesn't charge for undelivered codes.
• Number reuse — these are rotated pools with cooling periods. That's good for freshness, but it means don't tie anything important to them (account recovery, 2FA on financial accounts, or anything you'd be locked out of if the number is recycled).

Honest caveats

• These numbers are shared/recycled infrastructure, so treat them as disposable by definition.
• Many platforms' terms of service restrict virtual numbers — a successful verification doesn't guarantee the account survives review later.
• "No ID required" doesn't mean no rules; use them for privacy and spam avoidance, not to evade platform policies or anything unlawful.

Bottom line: if you just need a verification code to land, go with verifynumber.io. If you want a working cheap line to call and text from, crowphone.com. If you want a permanent-feeling second number for privacy, burnerapp.com.