Ask HN: Is there a temp phone number like temp email?

Re:Ask HN: Is there a temp phone number like temp email? by JohnFen on Tuesday August 26, 2025 @03:42PM (#45031339)

For about $20, you can buy a phone that comes with 10 minutes of talk time and has its own phone number. You can use that as a temp number. If you don't buy more time for that phone, the number will go away and you can then buy time for it and get a different number.

Or, what I do, is just keep it loaded with a minimal amount of minutes and use the same number for all such registration purposes.

I started doing this when I needed a whatsapp account, but didn't want to give facebook my phone number. I just keep that phone number alive, but never use it for anything else, and never even turn the phone on.

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Re:Ask HN: Is there a temp phone number like temp email? by madamelic on Tuesday August 26, 2025 @05:34PM (#45032587)

Sometimes won't work, especially larger sites.

I used to run a service that was using Twilio to do exactly what OP is asking. These sites often flag and block all phone numbers that are virtual or prepaid.

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Re:Ask HN: Is there a temp phone number like temp email? by JohnFen on Tuesday August 26, 2025 @10:09PM (#45034699)

I've been doing this for about a decade and have never encountered that problem personally. Not saying that it doesn't happen, but it's uncommon enough for at least me to never come across it.

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