You might still want to take a look at this article on where to get a burner phone. Even if surveillance overreach (abortion bounty-hunting, police face recognition) hasn’t convinced you to switch from your smartphone to something less linked.
In actuality, tens of millions of consumers continue to use burner phones. Whether they are flip phones or smartphones from suppliers like Verizon-owned TracFone, Simple Mobile, or Total Wireless.
What is a Burner Phone
A burner phone is a cheap mobile phone intended for brief, occasionally anonymous use before being thrown away. Burners are acquired without a formal agreement with a communications provider and with prepaid minutes.
Burner phones can technically be thrown away, but the majority of normal consumers keep them. Furthermore, they eventually purchase additional minutes to continue using them.
Where to Buy a Burner Phone
Knowing where to buy a burner phone is important. Burner phones are frequently sold in convenience stores, big box stores, and online.
Amazon
TCL Flip 2 4G LTE Prepaid Flip Phone (Locked) – Black – 8GB – Sim Card Included – CDMA
TracFone Blu View 2 (2022) 4G LTE Prepaid Smartphone (Locked) – Black – 32GB – Sim Card Included – CDMA for
Motorola moto g Pure (2021), 32GB, Blue – Prepaid Smartphone (Locked)
Tracfone Alcatel TCL A3, 32GB, Black – Prepaid Smartphone (Locked)
Walmart
- Straight Talk Motorola Moto G Pure (2021), 32GB, Blue- Prepaid Smartphone for $49.88
Boost Mobile Samsung A03, 32GB, Black- Prepaid Smartphone for $59.88
How to Choose a Burner
You must first determine how much burner phone you actually require. You could use a flip phone if you only need it for phone calls and light data connectivity.
Depending on the model, a smartphone’s internal memory for apps, videos, and other data may be restricted. If you want to use the mobile network and increase the phone’s memory, you might also need to provide your own SIM and SD cards. Knowing where to buy a burner phone is important.
Before you dispose of the phone, make sure to take both of those cards out.
How to Use a Burner
- You must activate the phone like you would any other device. (The phone’s package often includes simple instructions.) With prepaid cards purchased in-store or online, you may keep adding more internet and voice minutes.
- You might have access to apps you’re already familiar with that provide good privacy and encryption choices, like Telegram or Signal, depending on the phone. In order to further anonymize your online behaviour, you could also use VPN programs.
Uses of a Burner Phone
Want to hide your real phone number when you date online? Try a Burner phone. Want to keep your personal and professional interactions separate? Try a Burner phone. Want to make your number accessible to outside applications to boost productivity? Try a Burner phone!
Here are a few more ways you can utilize a Burner phone in your daily life.
1. Freelancing
The gig economy is increasing, which is fantastic for independent contractors! However, you still need to safeguard yourself and your privacy while you’re searching for freelancing jobs.
A Burner phone number is not only a terrific way to keep your personal and professional lives apart, but it’s also a great strategy to stop being called by former employers when a job has ended. Knowing where to buy a burner phone is important.
2. Second Work Number
Consider having a second phone number for the office if you have trouble switching off at the conclusion of your remote (or even in-office) workday. Then, at the end of the day, turn off incoming calls and texts using the Do Not Disturb function while still being able to receive regular texts and calls from your regular number.
3. Website Sign-ups
We’ve all experienced the situation where you register for a website, provide your phone number, and then right away start getting SMS. It’s a hassle. Additionally, use a Burner number if you know you must enter a phone number when signing up for a website.
If you intend to use a Burner phone app for these functions, we advise purchasing a subscription for a second phone number that you can use for both business and personal needs.
4. Safety
Prepaid Burner numbers and membership Burner numbers are perfect for any circumstance, including texting new people you meet while out and about and scheduling appointments at offices and hair salons to avoid receiving follow-up sales calls.
5. Online Dating
Dating apps advise against disclosing personal information, like your phone number, to people you meet online.
6. Online Selling
When buying or selling items on online marketplaces, two effective strategies to protect oneself are to meet up in a public location and have a friend or family member with you. To prevent the other person from contacting you later or learning any of your personal information via your real phone number, it is preferable to use a Burner number if you must give out your phone number. knowing where to buy a burner phone is important.
5 Ways to Get a Burner Phone Number
In order to contact individuals without providing them with your primary phone number or to have a trustworthy phone number for international use, you can use a burner number to get around services that demand a phone number.
Burner numbers are simple to find because of the growth of Voice over IP (VoIP) services.
The top five ways to obtain a burner phone number are listed below if all of that sounds appealing to you.
1. Google Voice
Get a Google Voice number, which you may use to talk and text anyone in the United States for free when you visit the Google Voice website in your browser or download it to your phone.
Your Google Voice number stays private as long as you don’t disclose it to anyone else and aren’t engaging in any actions that could expose you to legal repercussions. Visit the Settings page and select the option to delete the registered number if you need to alter your number for any reason. You may then select a different number.
2. Burner App
On the Android and iPhone app stores, Burner is the most used app for creating burner numbers. While some of that can be attributed to effective SEO, it also achieves this position by providing a wealth of appealing features.
You get access to unlimited domestic texting and calling with a Burner account. You can also set up voicemail, auto-replies, and call forwarding. Additionally, you have the option to create and delete as many phone numbers as you choose.
3. Hushed
The main rival of Burner is Hushed, and in many cases, Hushed seems to be the winner. Hushed provides call forwarding to voicemail, multiple phone lines, and auto-replies, the same as Burner, but it is less expensive than Burner for all of its U.S.-based subscriptions.
The three-day free trial period is available, and the least expensive pay-as-you-go plan costs $1.99 a month. That costs less than half what Burner costs.
4. Line2
Hushed and Burner both provide essentially the same services, however, Line2 approaches burner numbers from a professional, freelancer, and entrepreneur perspective.
Line2 offers automated greetings, on-hold music, and auto-attendant services in addition to the typical VoIP calls, texts, and voicemail services. Additionally, it transcribes voicemails automatically and delivers you a copy of each transcription. Line2 offers desktop and mobile apps that enable the setup of additional business lines and offer unrestricted domestic and international calling and texting.
5. Buy a cheap flip phone with prepaid service
Prior to the widespread use of VoIP services and the ease with which new phone numbers could be obtained, obtaining a burner number required purchasing a burner phone, a cheap phone with prepaid phone service.
It’s more expensive and burdensome to carry around additional gear. The fact that you would have a new phone number that is difficult to link to your identity if you paid for the phone and the mobile plan in cash is still a significant advantage.
Conclusion
Knowing where to buy a burner phone is important. Have you recently purchased one of the greatest Android smartphones but are reluctant to give out your phone number to just anyone? Think about obtaining a burner phone number. Unlike your actual phone number, a burner phone number is a temporary, inexpensively acquired phone number.
If you want to remain anonymous or keep some communications separate from those you send from your primary phone number, use the burner phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the point of a burner phone?
Burners are purchased using prepaid minutes and without entering into a formal contract with a communications provider. While some users purchase burner phones for cash in order to avoid the financial commitment of a contract, others use their phones for criminal conspiracies and fraud.
What is the difference between a regular phone and a burner phone?
A burner phone is essentially a prepaid phone with only basic features. These phones do not support app usage or online browsing. They allow you to call, use a phone book, and contact emergency services or relatives while keeping your identity hidden.
Can the FBI track a burner phone?
“Your phone is a tracking device,” the security expert explained. “If you’re moving around with a burner phone and you still have your other phone, law enforcement can triangulate where you were.”
Do you have to pay monthly for a burner phone?
Prepaid phones are quick and simple to purchase because they do not require a contract. They are also widely available, ready to use right away, and even disposable.
Do burner phones work without Internet?
Burner phones are not smartphones; they do not have internet access, cannot access Facebook, do not have a camera, and many do not even connect to wifi. But, then again, that’s why you have a smartphone.