The best second phone number apps solve a problem most of us learn the hard way. Giving out your real number to a Craigslist buyer, a dating match, or a client you’re not sure you’ll keep working with has a way of coming back to bite you. Once it’s out there, it’s out there. You can’t un-ring that phone.
A second number sidesteps the problem. You keep your main line for people who’ve earned it, and hand out the second one everywhere else: online listings, work contacts, sign-up forms, dating apps. If it gets spammed or things go sideways, you drop that number and keep your real one clean.
What a Second Phone Number App Does
These iPhone and Android apps give you an additional phone number that runs through data or Wi-Fi instead of a SIM card, so it lives inside an app rather than a physical slot on your phone. Most let you call, text, and pick up voicemail on that number just like a regular line. Many also let you choose the area code, which is useful if you’re moving, traveling, or just want a number that looks local to a specific place.
Where they differ is in what’s built around that core: whether the number’s free or subscription-only, how many lines you can run at once, whether spam-call screening is included, and whether the app is aimed at individuals or at running an actual small business phone system.
Related: Best eSIM Apps for iPhone and Android (International Travel)
Why a Second Number Matters?
Once you separate your lines, your primary number stops being something you hand out to every stranger, form, and app that asks. Fewer people have it, so fewer spam calls and scam texts reach it. The second number becomes disposable in a good way. You can retire it or swap it without touching the number your friends and family already have saved.
It also lets you keep contexts apart. A number for work doesn’t ring at 9 pm on a Saturday if you don’t want it to. A number for online marketplace listings can get deleted the day the item sells, instead of quietly living forever in some stranger’s contacts.
5 Best Second Phone Number Apps for iPhone and Android
We compared these five apps directly from their current App Store and Google Play listings: price, features, ratings, and what each one leaves out.
Here’s how they stack up.
1. Google Voice
Google Voice is the free option most people land on first, and for good reason. It’s a full number for calling, texting, and voicemail, backed by a Google account you probably already have. Spam calls get filtered automatically, you can block numbers outright, and voicemails are transcribed to text so you don’t have to actually listen to them.
The standout is how well it plays across devices. Calls, texts, and voicemail sync between your phone, tablet, and browser, and your whole history is searchable. International calling rates are also competitive if you call abroad regularly.
The catch is availability. Google Voice for personal accounts only works within the US, and text messaging isn’t supported in every market even for Workspace accounts. Some calls placed through the app route through an access number that draws on your carrier’s own minutes, which can quietly rack up charges if you’re traveling internationally. It’s also entirely free with no paid tier to unlock extra numbers or features. You get exactly one number, take it or leave it.
2. TextNow
TextNow gives you a second number for free, supported by ads, with over 100 million users behind it. You get a real US or Canada number for calling and texting, plus optional low-cost international rates to 230+ countries. If you want your own physical SIM for the number (rather than relying on Wi-Fi), TextNow sells one separately with its own data plans.
Where it stands out from Google Voice is flexibility. Free numbers get recycled if they sit inactive, but TextNow sells paid add-ons that hold your number for as long as the add-on stays active: a yearly Premium Number option, a separate Lock-In Number add-on (offered at weekly and yearly rates), and an Ad-Free+ subscription that bundles number lock-in, call forwarding, and voicemail transcription while removing every ad. TextNow’s own documentation notes prices change over time, so check the My Store section inside the app for the current rates before buying.
The trade-off is that the free tier is genuinely ad-supported. Expect an ad after calls unless you pay to remove them. Multiple recent reviews also describe numbers getting flagged as inactive and reassigned faster than expected, which means occasionally re-texting just to hold onto your own number. If you need a number you can count on staying yours indefinitely without any upkeep or payment, that’s worth knowing going in.
3. Line2
Line2 leans into privacy features harder than the others on this list. Call screening flags likely spam before you answer, and blocking is straightforward. It also supports local and vanity numbers, Wi-Fi calling and texting, call recording, and access to your line from a phone, tablet, or computer.
It’s built more as a paid, always-on second line than a free casual option. There’s no meaningful free tier for ongoing use, with plans starting around $9.99 to $11.99/month for a personal unlimited line and running higher for business-oriented tiers ($15.99 to $17.99/month). Annual plans are available at a discount.
The trade-off here is real. Line2’s Android rating sits at just 3.1 stars from roughly 15,500 reviews, well behind its 4.4-star iOS rating and behind every other app on this list. Reviews call out call reliability issues and billing confusion around the annual plan specifically. If you’re on Android, test this during the trial period before committing to a year upfront.
4. Hushed
Hushed is built around the idea that a number should be genuinely disposable. You can pick from 300+ area codes across the US, Canada, and UK, spin up more than one number at a time, and delete any of them the moment you’re done. That’s handy for online dating, selling items locally, or travel numbers you only need for a few weeks.
The subscription structure supports this. A 1-line plan starts with a free trial, and a 3-line plan runs $14.99/month or $139.99/year if you want to juggle multiple numbers for different purposes at once. Every number includes voicemail, call forwarding, and auto-reply texting without extra add-ons.
The honest limitation is that Hushed is explicit about not being suitable for 911 or emergency calls, so it can’t be your only working number if you drop your primary line. It’s also positioned more toward short-term, disposable use than as a permanent second line you keep for years. If that’s what you’re after, Google Voice or TextNow fit better.
5. Dialpad
Dialpad is the outlier on this list, and it’s worth including precisely because of that. Instead of a simple personal second line, it’s a full business phone system. Calls, texts, and voicemail live alongside AI-generated call transcripts, CRM-linked contact profiles, and the ability to monitor or coach calls from anywhere. These features aim squarely at teams and small businesses rather than individuals.
If you’re running a business and want tenants, clients, or contractors to reach you on a dedicated line without carrying a second phone, that depth is the appeal. One reviewer specifically used it to replace an old landline for managing family rental property.
The App Store listing shows Dialpad as free to download, but that’s just the app shell. Actual per-seat pricing for calling plans isn’t listed on the store page itself, so check Dialpad’s website before assuming a cost. It’s also noticeably heavier than the other four. Several recent reviews describe dropped calls, delayed routing, and frustrating billing disputes, particularly from small business users managing multiple lines. If you just want a private second number for yourself, this is more app than you need.
Second Phone Number Apps at a Glance
| App | Price | Standout Feature | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | Free | Deep Google account integration, voicemail transcription | Anyone wanting one free number for good |
| TextNow | Free (ads); paid add-ons for ad removal and number lock-in | Number lock-in options, low-cost international rates | Free second line without much fuss |
| Line2 | From $9.99/mo | Call screening and vanity numbers | Always-on second line (iPhone especially) |
| Hushed | 3-line plan $14.99/mo, $139.99/yr | 300+ area codes, easy delete-and-replace | Short-term or disposable numbers |
| Dialpad | Free app; paid seat plans (not listed in-store) | AI call transcription, CRM-linked profiles | Small businesses running a real phone system |
Final Thoughts
If you want the simplest option and don’t mind being US-only, Google Voice costs nothing and covers the basics well. If you want a free number with paid flexibility around locking it in, TextNow is the closer fit. Line2 makes sense if you’re already on iPhone and want stronger call screening; just go in aware of its rough Android reviews.
Hushed is the right call if you want a number you can delete the moment you’re done with it. And if what you actually need isn’t a personal second line but a real phone system for a small team, Dialpad is built for that job specifically, not this list’s core use case.
Pick based on how long you need the number and who’s actually going to be calling it, not which app has the flashiest feature list.
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