How to Get a Second Phone Number: 5 Options Compared (2026)
Five ways to get a second phone number: second SIM or eSIM, carrier add-on, Google Voice, apps, and virtual numbers. Costs and trade-offs compared.
The quickest way to get a second phone number is a virtual number: a real number with a real country code that runs in an app or browser tab instead of on a SIM card. On callmins a US (+1) number costs $2.00/month + $1.00 setup and is live within a minute; a UK (+44) number costs $3.00/month + $2.00 setupafter a one-time ID check. Other routes are a second SIM or eSIM, a carrier add-on line, or Google Voice if you're in the US. Each one trades cost, privacy and how well it passes verification differently, so here's how to pick.
People want a second number for a handful of reasons: keeping work and personal calls apart, selling things online without giving strangers your real mobile, dating, keeping a home-country number after moving abroad, or signing up for services you don't fully trust. The right option depends on which of those matters most to you.
The five ways to get a second phone number
1. A second physical SIM or eSIM
Most recent phones support dual SIM, usually one physical SIM plus one eSIM, or two eSIMs. You buy a second plan from any carrier, add it, and your phone shows both lines. This is the most "real" second number you can get: it's a full mobile line on a mobile network, so it passes almost every verification check and works without internet.
The downsides are cost and lock-in. You're paying for a second mobile plan every month, it's tied to one phone, and the number is usually from the country you live in. If you want a UK number while living in Spain, a local eSIM won't give you that.
2. A carrier add-on line
Some carriers sell a second number that rings on the same SIM, often as a monthly add-on. It's convenient if your carrier offers it, but availability varies a lot by country and network, and the number disappears if you switch carriers. Ask your provider before assuming it exists.
3. Google Voice (US only)
Google Voice gives you a free US number that works in an app and browser. It's a good deal if it fits, but it has firm limits: it's only available in the US, you need an existing US phone number to link during setup, and it only offers US numbers. If you live outside the US, or want a UK number, it isn't an option. Some services also refuse Google Voice numbers for sign-up because they're easy to create.
4. A second phone number app
There are many "second number" apps on the App Store and Google Play. They work the same way as a virtual number: the app rents you a number and routes calls and texts to it over the internet. Quality varies. Before paying, check which countries' numbers they sell, whether the number receives SMS (not only calls), and what happens to the number if you stop paying.
5. A browser-based virtual number
This is what callmins does. You rent a US or UK number and use it from a browser tab or the mobile app, on any device you sign in to. Calls ring everywhere you're signed in, SMS arrives in a Messages inbox, and you can call out showing the second number as your caller ID. There's no SIM to swap and no second phone to carry. If you want the background on how this works, our guide to a virtual phone number without a SIM card covers it in more detail.
Second phone number options compared
| Option | Typical cost | Countries | Needs internet | Passes most verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second SIM / eSIM | A full mobile plan | Usually your own country | No | Yes, nearly always |
| Carrier add-on line | Monthly add-on, varies by carrier | Your carrier's country | No | Usually |
| Google Voice | Free for personal use | US only, needs a US number to set up | Yes | Often, but some services block it |
| Second number apps | Varies by app | Varies by app | Yes | Varies with the provider's carrier |
| callmins virtual number | US: $2.00/month + $1.00 setup. UK: $3.00/month + $2.00 setup | US (+1) and UK (+44) | Yes | Most services; some reject VoIP |
What to weigh before choosing
Cost
A second mobile plan is the most expensive route by a distance. A virtual number on callmins starts at $2.00/month plus a one-off setup fee. Receiving calls and SMS on it is free; you only pay when you call or text out. From a US number, calls to US phones are $0.017 a minute; from a UK number, UK landlines are $0.016 and UK mobiles $0.038 a minute. Outbound texts to the US and UK cost $0.09 and $0.09 each. The full rate list has every other destination.
Privacy
The whole point of a second number is usually that you hand it out instead of your real one. A virtual number does this well: when you call or text from it, the other person sees the virtual number, never your mobile. If a marketplace buyer or a match gets annoying, you can stop answering that line without changing the number your family and bank use.
Verification
This is where people get caught out. WhatsApp, Telegram, most social apps and most online shops accept virtual numbers for their SMS codes. Some banks, payment apps and government services check whether a number is VoIP and refuse it. That's true of every virtual-number provider, not just ours, and it's why a second SIM still has a place. If a specific service matters to you, test it before you rely on the number for it.
Emergencies and coverage
A virtual number needs data or Wi-Fi to ring, and it can't call emergency services. Keep a normal SIM in your phone for 999, 911 or 112 and for places with no internet.
How to get a second phone number with callmins, step by step
- Create a free callmins account. You can sign up with Google or your phone number.
- Open the Numbers section of the Store and pick a country. US numbers are ready right away. UK numbers need a one-time identity check: you upload an ID and a proof of address, and our carrier reviews them, usually within a couple of days. After that you can buy UK numbers without repeating it.
- Choose a number and pay by card or from your callmins wallet. The first payment covers the first month plus the setup fee.
- Test it. Text the new number from another phone and watch it appear in your Messages tab, then call it and answer in the app or browser.
- Set it as your Call from number on the dialer when you want people to see the second number instead of your mobile.
Prefer a +44 number specifically? The UK virtual phone number page explains the ID check and what UK numbers are good for.
Common questions
Can I get a second phone number online without a second phone?
Yes. A virtual number runs in an app or browser on the phone you already have, alongside your normal number. You don't need a second handset or a dual-SIM phone.
Is there a free second phone number app?
Google Voice is free if you're in the US and already have a US number. Outside that, free numbers are usually shared public inboxes or numbers funded by ads and recycled quickly. They're fine for a throwaway sign-up you never need again and a bad idea for anything you want to keep, because someone else can end up with the number later.
Can I use my second number for WhatsApp?
Usually yes. WhatsApp sends its code by SMS or voice call, and a callmins number receives both. Keep paying for the number for as long as you use the WhatsApp account, because losing the number can mean losing access to the account.
Can I keep a second number when I move abroad?
Yes, and it's one of the most common reasons people get one. A virtual number isn't tied to a network or a location, so a US or UK number keeps working wherever you have internet.
What happens if I stop paying?
The number is released and can eventually go to someone else. Don't let a number lapse if accounts you care about are registered to it.
The short answer
If you need a second line that works everywhere with no internet, get a second SIM or eSIM. If you're in the US and only need a US number, Google Voice is worth a look. If you want a US or UK number on the phone you already own, set up in minutes and starting at $2.00/month, a virtual number is the simplest route.