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

Short answer: “Best” depends on what you need the number for (verification codes vs. real calling/texting), how long you need it (hours/days vs. months), and acceptance requirements (some sites block VoIP). If you share your use case, country, duration, and budget, I can tailor this. Meanwhile, here are strong, current options:

If you want an easy, short‑term, app-based number (days to a few months)

• Burner: Quick setup, unlimited calls/texts on subscriptions; also sells pay‑as‑you‑go “prepaid” numbers you can discard. 3‑day trial in‑app; plans updated in 2026. (burnerapp.com)
• Hushed: Similar to Burner with U.S./Canada numbers and short subscriptions; current pricing and plan types listed in support docs and the App Store. (support.hushed.com)

If you need a number that forwards to your real phone and tends to work better with short codes

• Tossable Digits: Virtual numbers with call/SMS forwarding; supports short code SMS (with pricing caveats) and publishes clear monthly pricing. Good when you want a “keepable” number you can still treat as temporary. Acceptance still varies by service. (about.tossabledigits.com)

If privacy and compartmentalized identities matter most

• MySudo: Lets you create multiple “Sudo” profiles with their own numbers, voicemail, and messaging; active pricing and a 2026 support update available. Good for ongoing privacy rather than one‑time verifications. (mysudo.com)

Important limitations to know before you choose

• Many banks, fintechs, and large platforms either throttle or block VoIP/app numbers for SMS 2FA. Even when a provider “supports short codes,” individual sites may still refuse these numbers. Expect variability. (pages.twilio.com)
• Burner itself notes that some platforms may not accept app‑based numbers specifically for SMS verification. (burnerapp.com)
• Google Voice and similar VoIP numbers are commonly refused for new-account verification at banks and some big sites (anecdotal but widespread reports). If you must pass strict 2FA checks, plan for a true mobile carrier number or a service known to work with your target site. (support.google.com)

Quick picks by scenario

• Selling something this week, dating app, or Craigslist: Burner or Hushed. They’re fast, cheap, and disposable. (support.burnerapp.com)
• Need to receive short‑code texts more reliably and forward to your existing phone: Tossable Digits. Verify your exact target (bank/app) first. (about.tossabledigits.com)
• Ongoing privacy with multiple personas (work/marketplace/hobby): MySudo. (mysudo.com)

Avoid

• Free “public receive‑SMS” websites. Messages are visible to everyone and are frequently blocked by major platforms; they’re risky for any account you care about. (General industry guidance and provider policies reflect increasing blocking of disposable/VoIP for verification.) (pages.twilio.com)

If you tell me:

• country you need the number in,
• whether you need calls, SMS, or both,
• how long you need it,
• any specific app/site you must verify with,

I’ll narrow this to the single best choice and setup steps.

The “best” service depends heavily on what you need the number for (e.g., a one-time SMS verification code, selling something on Craigslist, or a disposable line for dating/business).

Here is a breakdown of the top services based on use case:

1. Best Overall for Privacy & Easy Disposal: Burner

• Best for: US & Canada users wanting a disposable line for calling and texting (online dating, Craigslist, short projects).
• Cost: Free trial, then ~$4.99–$9.99/month.
• Why it’s great: It lets you create temporary numbers that forward calls/texts to your real phone without exposing it. When you’re done, you can literally tap a button to “burn” the number and generate a new one.

2. Best for International Numbers & Flexibility: Hushed

• Best for: Users needing numbers in different countries (US, UK, Canada, and dozens of others).
• Cost: Pay-as-you-go prepaid plans (starting at ~$1.99–$4.99), subscriptions, or occasional lifetime deals.
• Why it’s great: Highly versatile, supports international calling and SMS, and offers flexible short-term plans (e.g., 7-day, 30-day) so you don’t get locked into expensive recurring subscriptions.

3. Best for SMS Verifications That Block VoIP: TextVerified or SMSPool

• Best for: Bypassing one-time SMS verification codes on services that reject virtual numbers (e.g., Google, WhatsApp, Tinder, OpenAI, banks).
• Cost: Pay-per-verification (usually $0.25 to $2.00 per code).
• Why it’s great: Standard virtual numbers (like Google Voice or Burner) are VoIP, and many platforms block them. TextVerified and SMSPool use real non-VoIP mobile carrier SIM cards specifically routed for receiving verification codes.

4. Best Free Options: Google Voice or TextNow

• Google Voice (US only):
• Best for: A clean, permanent secondary number that you can delete or change if needed.
• Cost: Free (requires linking an existing US mobile number).
• Caveat: It’s VoIP, so some banks and financial institutions will not send verification texts to it.
• TextNow:
• Best for: A 100% free burner number for casual calls and texts.
• Cost: Free (ad-supported).
• Caveat: Heavy ad presence, and you must use the number regularly or it will be recycled.

5. Best All-in-One Identity Privacy: Cloaked

• Best for: Replacing your phone number and email address everywhere across the web.
• Cost: Paid subscription (~$8–$10/month billed annually).
• Why it’s great: It functions like a password manager, but for your identity. It automatically generates unique, working phone numbers and emails for every app or website you sign up for, routing everything safely to you.

Important Tips When Choosing:

• Beware of free “Receive SMS Online” websites: Public websites that display received texts on-screen are usually blacklisted by major platforms, and anyone on the internet can read your messages or access your accounts.
• VoIP vs. Non-VoIP: If you are trying to verify an account for an app (like banking, Uber, or Telegram), avoid standard burner apps (Burner, Hushed, Skype) and opt for non-VoIP services like TextVerified or SMSPool.

The best service depends on what you need the temporary number for: for privacy and a general second number, Burner and Hushed are strong choices; for a free option, TextNow stands out; and for SMS verification, services like TextVerified are more directly targeted.burnerapp.comhushed.comtextnow.comtextverified.com

• Best for privacy and everyday use: Burner and Hushed both market temporary or second numbers for private calls and texts, with features like number changing, spam blocking, call forwarding, voicemail, and picture messages.burnerapp.comhushed.com
• Best free option: TextNow offers a free new phone number with unlimited talk and text, plus caller ID and voicemail.textnow.com
• Best for verification codes / account sign-ups: TextVerified is explicitly positioned for temporary US phone numbers for SMS and voice verifications.textverified.com
• Good app-based disposable-number options: apps like Temp Number, TPN, and HeroSMS advertise temporary virtual numbers for SMS reception and OTP verification.play.google.comapps.apple.complay.google.com

If you want the shortest recommendation: Burner is a strong overall pick for privacy, TextNow is best if you want free, and TextVerified is best if your main goal is receiving verification texts.burnerapp.comtextnow.comtextverified.com

If you want, I can also rank these by price, privacy, or likelihood of working for verification codes.

No single service is “best” for everyone—it depends on whether you need one SMS code, a number for several days, voice verification, or a specific country. Based on the providers’ own claims:

My practical recommendation:

• If you keep getting rejected by Google, Apple, banking, or crypto apps: use verifynumber.io or textverified.com, since both emphasize non-VoIP/eSIM or physical SIM numbers.
• If you need a non-US number or want the cheapest start: use numberotp.com — it covers 190+ countries and gives $0.10 in free credits.
• If you need one number for multiple verifications over days or months: use textverified.com rentals, which let you keep a US line for 1–14 days or longer.
• If you just need one quick US verification: textverified.com at $0.25 is straightforward, or numberotp.com if you want to start free.

One caveat: these are vendor claims, not independent test results. Also, using temporary numbers may violate some platforms’ terms of service, and important accounts can get flagged or banned. Avoid free public numbers for anything you care about, and don’t use these services for fraud or identity misuse.

Best Temporary Phone Number Services

There's no single "best" option — it really depends on what you need it for. Here's a breakdown:

🏆 Best Overall: Burner

Burner numbers are mobile-classified, so they work with most platform verification — Cash App, PayPal, Facebook, Amazon, and more, which is a real differentiator from free VoIP alternatives that get blocked. It's great for marketplace selling, dating, short-term projects, or anyone who wants a real temporary number with full functionality. You can also generate a disposable, temporary number instantly and "burn" it with a single tap, permanently erasing all associated calls and messages after use.

🌍 Best for International/Pay-as-you-go: Hushed

Hushed offers numbers from 60+ countries, supports both calls and texts, and maintains a strict no-log policy, with verification codes from major platforms like Google, Facebook, and Amazon arriving within seconds. It also has a pay-as-you-go option that works well for truly occasional use — if you need a number once every few months, paying per minute/text rather than a monthly subscription can make more sense.

🆓 Best Free Option: Google Voice or TextNow

• Google Voice:

A trusted choice for users who want a free, long-term U.S. phone number backed by Google's powerful infrastructure, allowing calls, texts, and voicemail from any device. Good if you just need a free second number for basic calling and texting and don't care about deleting it later — think of it as a permanent second number you happen to use temporarily.

• TextNow:

Gives you a free number with ads, with unlimited texting and calling and no subscription required. The downside: ads in the app, VoIP-based calling (verification issues), and number recycling — if you don't use the number regularly, TextNow may reassign it to someone else.

⚡ Best for One-Time Verification Codes: Quackr

If you just need to receive a single SMS code and never need the number again, free temporary numbers require no sign-up or personal information — just open your browser and start receiving SMS, though premium number rentals require a quick account sign-up.

Quick Decision Guide

As one source summarizes it: the best temporary phone number app is the one that matches your definition of "temporary" — if that means a real number you can use and erase on your own terms, Burner's the clearest option.

I'll research the top temporary number services to compare privacy, verification, and pricing options.

I've found some promising candidates. Now I'll dig into the detailed pricing and features.

I've gathered the core comparisons — now I'll check the privacy leaders and verification-specific services.

There is no one best — it depends on what you need the number for:

Temporary numbers are virtual VoIP numbers, and free public inboxes often display received messages publicly. Messages on free numbers can be publicly visible, and many services block temporary numbers.

1. Best all-around burner: Hushed

Pick Hushed for everyday privacy — dating, marketplaces, Craigslist/Facebook, spam avoidance, freelancing.

• Tops lists for providing virtual numbers from over 80 countries.
• Features: voicemail, SMS, call forwarding, burn button, on iOS, Android, Web, with free tier + $3.99‑$14.99/mo plans.
• Paid apps like Burner or Hushed offer secure short-term numbers, versus public free SMS sites.
• Verification reliability rated Medium-high for short-lived international numbers, no free ongoing plan, $4.99 minimum.

2. Best true disposable: Burner

Pick Burner if you want numbers that disappear.

• Lets you create short-term burner numbers or lines that “burn” out and disappear after a set period of usage.
• You can set limits on number usage for both time and number of calls/texts.
• Costs $4.99/month for 1 number or $9.99 for unlimited numbers.
• Rated Medium-high for verification, for short-lived US/CA numbers, no free ongoing plan, $5/mo minimum.

3. Best free long-term 2nd number: Google Voice - US, TextNow - US/CA

Pick these if you want free calling/texting, not a 10-minute throwaway.

Google Voice:

• A trusted choice for users who want a free, long-term U.S. phone number.
• Allows users to make and receive calls, send texts, and access voicemail from any device.
• Offers a free US virtual number for personal use with any Google account, covering calls, texts, and voicemail.
• Downside: Only available to U.S. residents and requires a Google account.
• You’ll need a working phone that can receive texts, because Google sends a verification code to it.

TextNow:

• One of the most popular apps for getting a free U.S. or Canadian phone number.
• Allows users to send unlimited texts and make calls over Wi-Fi without requiring a SIM card.
• Gives you a real phone number to use for calls and texts over WiFi.
• Free plan is ad-supported, which can be disabled through a $3.99/month subscription.

Verification reliability is rated Very high for Google Voice and High for TextNow.

4. Best for one-time OTP / SMS verification that actually works

Don't use free public inboxes for WhatsApp, Telegram, banks, Gmail. Use a paid private OTP service.

• MobileSMS.io is described as offering real SIM-card numbers with a ~99.7% success rate across 1,200+ platforms.
• Pricing starts at $3.50 per verification or $45/month for unlimited use.

Other one-shot options:

• DoNotPay offers a free virtual phone number for SMS verification active for 10 minutes and available for one-time use only.
• Felix offers short-term temporary numbers where each number lasts for 14 days after activation and can receive SMS texts or automated calls.

General category alternatives mentioned for OTP include Grizzly SMS offering temporary phone numbers for OTP from any popular service.

5. Most private: MySudo

Pick MySudo if you want to minimize data sharing.

• In a 19-app comparison including Burner, Hushed, CoverMe, Phoner, Google Voice, TextNow, MySudo is the only one that does not disclose third-party data sharing.
• It can bundle a number with a separate email, browser, and virtual card, and has a clear deletion policy.

6. Best for developers / businesses: Twilio

• Offers programmable SMS, call forwarding, API, at $0.0075/number/month + usage, API only.
• Rated Very high for verification reliability for developers and businesses on pay-as-you-go.

Quick verdict:

• Most people wanting privacy + calls + texts: Hushed
• Free U.S. second line you keep: Google Voice, or TextNow if you need sign-up without a carrier number
• True burn-after-use: Burner
• Code that must arrive: paid SIM-based OTP service like MobileSMS.io, not a free shared inbox

There isn’t one universal “best” temporary number—it depends on whether you need a one-time code, a short-lived private line, or a free second number you might keep.

Quick picks by use case

What to know before you pick one

• Free public “receive SMS” sites are not private. Anyone can open the same number and read the messages. Fine for a throwaway signup you don’t care about; bad for banking, email recovery, crypto, or anything sensitive.
• Many services block virtual/VoIP numbers. Banks, some messaging apps, and strict verification flows often reject Google Voice, TextNow, and similar numbers. Paid “non-VoIP” or mobile-classified numbers work more often, but nothing is guaranteed.
• “Temporary” is not the same as anonymous. Apps usually require an account or payment method. Providers can keep logs and respond to legal process.
• Privacy-oriented apps like Hushed, Burner, and MySudo are the usual recommendations when you want a number that isn’t your personal line (classifieds, dating, short projects). Independent reviews such as PCMag’s burner-number roundup commonly highlight Burner, Hushed, Google Voice, and TextNow.

Practical default: Google Voice if you want free and already have a US number; Hushed or Burner if you want something you can actually throw away after a few days or weeks. Skip public free SMS sites unless the code is worthless if someone else sees it.