Today there is nowhere without a phone. It is required for registration on most sites. Social networks, online stores, bulletin boards, even the creation of a new email — everywhere you need a phone number.
But what if you don’t want to share it at all?
The concept
There is a service of temporary virtual numbers. It is provided by many companies, for example SMSbro. In the West, it can be found by the request Receive SMS Online, because these phones are not used for calls. They are needed to receive SMS.
How does it work? There are a number of real SIM cards. Anyone can access them via the Internet (usually there are several of them at the same time). It is enough to enter the number in the service of interest and get the code.
Features
All SMSbro virtual numbers are free and do not require registration. Just go to the main page of the site and select the appropriate one. You do not enter any personal data: this scheme allows you to preserve confidentiality and anonymity to the maximum.
A virtual phone for text messages is also called a one-time phone. In most cases, it is used for single actions. It is not suitable for multiple users: phone numbers change periodically (old ones fall out of the pool, new ones appear, which leads to data loss), messages are available to everyone (the service is not intended for truly confidential personal information). In such cases, it is better to purchase a permanent number.
SMSbro is accessible from anywhere in the world. All you need is Internet access and an open website page. Are you outside the coverage area of your regular SIM card? It doesn’t matter for a virtual number.
Application
The main purpose of SMSbro is registration in various online services. First of all, these are social networks. You can create as many fake pages as you want, which will be appreciated by advertisers, bloggers and people who just care about their safety.
After all, by providing a real phone to all kinds of sites, you are putting yourself at risk. It is entered into the database. Each number is linked to a specific person, and the service now knows your real name and passport number. It becomes very easy to track the actions of a particular person on the network. In addition, the database can be hacked, and this is spam, calls from scammers, loans taken in your name and other unpleasant things.
Another application of SMSbro is registration on Western services. Many of them do not accept domestic numbers. By generating the number of a suitable country, you will be able to use the site safely.