Your phone number is a sensitive piece of data. It’s a unique number that’s linked to your other personal information found in public records including your full name, home address, the names of your relatives, and even your criminal record (if you have one). On top of this, your phone number is quite difficult to change.
So everyone can benefit from having a burner phone number that you can share with people and organizations you don’t fully trust.
The services listed below will create private burner phone numbers for you.
Hushed App
Started in 2013, Hushed is available in 45 countries. The Hushed app allows you to acquire local numbers from 60+ countries and hide your caller id with a disposable phone number.
Hushed runs on iOS or Android. You don’t need a preexisting cellular service in order to use the app, and if you do have a cell number, Hushed never interacts with it.
Hushed does not require a contract or identity verification when signing up. The only payment methods they support are credits cards and Google Play or iTunes. They offer short-term or long-term subscriptions, prepaid plans, and pay-as-you-go plans (for use with international numbers).
Burner App
The Burner app allows you to create disposable phone numbers on your smartphone. Burner is available only in the U.S. and Canada.
To get a Burner account, you need to already have a real cell phone number. During sign-up, Burner requires your personal number and then sends a verification SMS text to that cell phone number to activate your account.
You can make and receive calls from the burner number, and send text messages from it. The service includes robocall blocking by Nomorobo.
Burner offers prepaid and subscription accounts. There is a 7-day free trial, and the cost thereafter is around $50 per year. The app runs on iOS or Android.
Payment is via iTunes, Google Play, credit card, or cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin).
Everything that goes thru your regular data or voice plan can be wiretapped and the voice ip/final voice and data provider compelled to give the the usage (metadata of calls and connections logs thru Interpol).
If you want real privacy these does not provide it.
These service are intended to provide and aliased phone number. They do not claim to encrypted your phone calls, like Jami or Linphone.