Virtual number: What is it and how can I get a free one for my mobile phone?

Surely, at some point in your life, you have tried to find the cheapest way to talk any amount of time with whoever you want, be it your family or friends and even your colleagues and/or partners who reside abroad. But, this has not been easy for you at all.

However, today, technology allows obtaining various advantages and among them, is the fact that get a virtual number.

Which are usual phone numbers, but only work through the Internet. Next, learn more about it and the steps to take to make use of one.

What is a virtual number and how does this technology work?

Basically, virtual numbers are normal telephone numbers that contain 9 digits and the corresponding provincial prefix, but they differ from the rest by work only over the internet, that is, they are not connected to any physical cable or directly associated telephone line. which are also known as “access number”.

In this sense, it is a technology that allows you to obtain a number from any country, without even residing in it. So, you can use it as if it were a local number. In such a way that it reveals a great utility for easily communicate with anyone abroad just as if it were a local call.

Now, to understand more about this technology, it is important to know its operation. Which can be exemplified as follows: Suppose you have a company in Barcelona-Spain and from it, you market products to different cities such as Paris, for example. Therefore, you specify that it will be adequate have a local number in that city to be able to serve customers who order from there.

To do this, in a traditional way, you should have a work group that is in charge of offering customer service in that city and in all the others to which you send products, so that the calls made by consumers do not suppose a great cost.

which could be a point against your company. However, when obtaining a virtual number the same will allow you to configure it to receive the call directly in Barcelona and simultaneously, guarantee the same cost for the client with respect to a local call.

Ultimately, virtual numbers work to receive “local” calls in any city in the worldwithout even having to move from the town where you live.

Why do I need to have a virtual phone number? Benefits

Among other aspects, you will surely wonder what are all the advantages that having a virtual telephone number guarantees. So that you can know for sure Why do you need a number of this type and what can you use it for?.

So, here are the most interesting benefits about it:

• At the individual level, those who contract a virtual number will be able to save a lot of money, since they will only have to pay a fixed monthly fee, unlike the usual telephone lines. Taking into account that, even paying the same price as they would for a local call.
• Around companies and businesses, they will be able to take advantage of the access numbers. Thanks to the fact that, even if they have their company located in Spain, may have a native London or New York phone number, for instance; without having to pay for a fixed telephone line.
• In marketing terms, this type of number is extremely useful for measure marketing campaigns. Since, by obtaining several virtual numbers and placing each one of them in a different medium when advertising, they will be able to measure their effectiveness and know which of these mediums is the most successful.
• Taking into account that there are many users with the need to have two phone numbers, virtual numbers have also been designed to solve this. Thus, they allow greater security and even maintain anonymity in certain situations.
• Another of its best advantages is that do not limit the number of calls to be carried out by users and do not have a specific time restriction.
• Other benefits: They offer high-quality communication, are flexible with regard to call forwarding, and can keep a log of calls made.

Steps to obtain a completely free virtual number for your mobile

After knowing the excellent advantages that the use of a virtual phone number ensures, you will surely want to use one of them. Therefore, it is necessary to know the main methods that exist to acquire a number of this type and without paying anything at all.

To use it directly from your smartphone:

From WhatsApp

The most famous trick when obtaining a virtual number for free, without a doubt, is through WhatsApp Messenger. In principle, because it is the most qualified instant messaging app in the world to maintain direct contact with whoever you want.

But, in order to use this trick, it will be necessary to meet some requirements that are:

• Have an active and efficient Internet connection.
• Have a device that operates under Android (version 4.4 KitKat or higher), in order to install virtual number provider apps from the Google Play Store. Taken into account that none of them is related to WhatsApp or owned by it.

For its part, there are several applications to execute this method on your mobile or tablet. But then we let you know two of the best alternatives out thereso that you can select the one that best suits you:

Telus Free Mobile Number

It stands out for being an application that allows its users to save, notably, on international calls and text messages. Since it allows you add two, three and up to four virtual numbers on your phone and tablet through WhatsApp. This, at no cost and without the prior requirement to change SIM cards or telephone company.

Among other features, provides international phone numbers for many countries, among which are located: United States, Canada, Spain, United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, etc. Added to this, it is ideal for traveling abroad and receiving calls and text messages regardless of location. It should also be noted that the people you call, you do not need to have this app installed.

2nd Line – Second Phone Number

Is about a virtual phone number app that works very well in several countries (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, etc.) and allows you to use it for personal or even professional use. One of its greatest advantages lies in its great simplicity of use because you simply have to download and install the app to select your own phone number and ready.

For its part, it also allows you to receive voice calls, has support for sending messages with images, supports emojis and stickers, has caller IDwith it you can add your own signature to each text, assign specific ringtones to whoever you want, etc.

Using Google Voice

This Google service offers you the possibility of obtaining a new phone number or choosing it. This, just by having an active Google account and from there, it offers you excellent options to manage the calls made to said virtual number.

It should be noted that, calls can be redirected to other lines, in case you prefer that your mobile device does not ring. Either to the landline of your house, the one of the office or any other. Highlighting other uses of Google Voice, the service allows you to send and receive text messages as well, as well as play voicemail messages and enable voice mode. “do not disturb”.

Fortunately, it is a completely free app that you can use when and where you prefer. However, at times the app can be a bit inefficient and some aspects of the web interface are downright confusing.

Using Burner on Android or iPhone

It is an application that is available for both mobile operating systems and uses real numbers and not VoIP to allow its users to easily get a mobile virtual number. Taking into account that, at the same time, it helps you keep your real number more secure.

For its part, the application has a series of functions that allow it to be classified as one of the most complete in this environment, both for personal and professional use. Among these functions, it is worth noting that Burner allows you to call, send text messages and manage your contacts directly from the application, it is compatible with Dropbox, SoundCloud, Slack, Evernoteetc.

In short, it is an ideal mechanism to maintain contact with whoever you want no matter where they are and at the same time, protect your personal information by avoiding providing your private telephone number. It is an app that offers a free trial for a certain time.

List of the best websites to get a free or paid virtual phone number

On the other hand, there are also several websites from which you can easily acquire a virtual phone number. Here is a short list with some of the best alternatives available today:

Zadarma.com

It is a payment solution that handles different rates and is based on a website that offers virtual numbers, especially to those users who are not used to not limiting themselves while talking on the phone or, to establish a business without a territorial framework. Thanks to the fact that, regardless of your location, you can connect a phone number wherever you want.

Thus, it is worth noting that Zadarma virtual numbers they are multichannel and thanks to that, your business customers will be able to call and not miss a single call. Likewise, It is comfortable and easy to reserve.supports immediate activation, has apps for the main OS and for companies, it provides a virtual switchboard integrated with the CRM system that will allow you to track all calls.

Sonetel.com

from around 2.27 euros, this website allows you to answer phone calls from anywhere in the world. Due to this, there are many users who choose to use this online option to acquire a virtual number and, likewise, it already has more of a million companies that use their services.

In this sense, the website was implemented in order to allow entrepreneurs, empower yourself in the most remote corners of the world, since they can eliminate the distances from this telephone service and make significant progress by obtaining more customers with greater loyalty. It is valuable to note that it is a very secure website and offers a free trial from Android or iPhone.

Receive-smss.com

This is a somewhat different website, since it is based on a free service from which you will be able to receive SMS text messages and voice mails online very easily, since you don’t even need to register. So, once you access the website, what you will have to do is choose your phone number from the list that they offer you and that’s it.

As you will see, the web offers a long list with virtual telephone numbers from a large number of countries, so that they can communicate with you as if it were a written or local voice message so that other people located in those countries do not have a greater spending on it.

Among its best benefits, we note that offers remarkable speed to access and receive messages in real time and additionally, exhibits great reliability by sending verification or activation codes once you join any of the numbers available there.

Getfreesmsnumber.com

Finally, we present this alternative that allows you to choose between several numbers to receive and check any text messages and also listen to voice recordings issued to you through your virtual number in different countries. Thus, a service that has been designed as a solution for those users who do not want to reveal their real phone number and/or receive spam.

In addition to this, it is a free website that protects you in real time. Since, in the event that the chosen phone number from any country receives many SMS or blacklists, it takes care of automatically removing us and then the number in use will simply be archived. So, for more security, replace available virtual numbers with full frequency (until every day).