How to Text Someone from a Different Phone Number (Not Your Own)

To text someone from a different number legitimately, use a second phone number assigned to you. The most reliable option is a second carrier SIM or eSIM. For a separate number without another phone, use a service such as Google Voice, TextNow, or Hushed. If both people are willing to use an app, a Signal or Telegram username can keep your phone number out of the conversation altogether.

You generally cannot send an ordinary SMS from an arbitrary number you do not control. *67 and caller-ID blocking hide a number on voice calls; they do not change the sender number for text messages. Do not confuse a second number with spoofing, which falsifies the sender information and can create legal, safety, and delivery problems.

Choose the right method first

The best choice depends on what the recipient must receive and what you need from the number. A standard SMS reaches an ordinary mobile inbox, while Signal, Telegram, and some iMessage options require a particular app or Apple account.

What you need	Best option	What the recipient sees	Does the recipient need an app?	Main limitation
A normal text from a separate number	Google Voice	Your Google Voice number	No	Primarily U.S.-focused; some banks and short codes reject VoIP numbers
The strongest SMS and verification compatibility	Second SIM or eSIM	A real carrier number	No	Requires another mobile plan and a compatible, possibly unlocked phone
A free or low-cost U.S. or Canadian number	TextNow	Your TextNow number	No, but you use TextNow	VoIP filtering and number-retention rules
A temporary paid number	Hushed or a similar service	Your Hushed number	No	Verification and short-code support are not guaranteed
Phone-number privacy inside an app	Signal username or Telegram username	Your app profile or username	Yes	This is an in-app message, not SMS
An alternate Apple sender identity	iMessage email address	Your email address	The recipient must use iMessage	It does not work as ordinary SMS

Quick recommendation: U.S. users who want a separate everyday number should start with Google Voice, subject to its current identity-verification process. Choose a second SIM or eSIM if compatibility with banks, short codes, and carrier systems matters. Choose Signal or Telegram when the priority is not exposing any phone number and the recipient can use the same app.

Four different things people mean by a different number

1. A second number

A carrier or communications service assigns a number to you. This is the legitimate solution for ordinary SMS. You can receive replies, provided the service and plan support two-way messaging.

2. A hidden number

Your actual number is withheld from a voice call. This does not create a different SMS sender. Apple describes its caller-ID setting as applying to outgoing calls, and caller-ID blocking does not generally hide the sender of a text. See Apple’s caller-ID guidance.

3. An alternate app identity

A Signal or Telegram username lets someone contact you inside that service without seeing your phone number, depending on your privacy settings. It is not a text sent through the cellular SMS system.

4. A spoofed number

A spoofed number is made to appear as the sender even though it is not assigned to or controlled by you. Do not use this approach. It can impersonate another person or organization, is often blocked, and may violate U.S. and state laws when used to defraud, cause harm, harass, stalk, or obtain something of value.

Option 1: Text from Google Voice

Google Voice is the strongest general-purpose choice for a U.S. reader who wants a separate number for calls, texts, and voicemail. You can use it from the web or mobile app, and the recipient normally receives a text from the Google Voice number rather than your primary mobile number. Google explains the number-selection process in its Google Voice setup instructions.

Current identity-verification requirement

Do not rely on older articles describing Google Voice as an immediately anonymous burner number. Google’s current help documentation says a person requesting a new Google Voice number cannot send or receive calls or messages until the required identity verification is completed. The process may request a legal name, government-issued identification, and address. Google says a manual review may take 48–72 hours. Requirements and availability can change, so check Google’s current verification page during setup.

Set up and send a message

1. Go to voice.google.com or install the Google Voice app.
2. Sign in with a Google Account and review the service terms and privacy information.
3. Search for an available number by city or area code.
4. Select the number you want.
5. Complete identity verification if Google requests it.
6. Open Messages.
7. Select Send a message.
8. Enter the recipient’s name or phone number, write the message, and select Send.

Google’s web instructions use Messages → Send a message; the mobile app has an equivalent compose button. The recipient does not need Google Voice to receive an ordinary text or reply.

What Google Voice can and cannot do

• Messages and replies return to the Google Voice app or website, not necessarily to your phone’s native Messages app.
• Messages use Wi-Fi or mobile data rather than the ordinary SMS connection of your primary line.
• Google documents texting support for U.S., Canadian, and Puerto Rican numbers, with exclusions for certain U.S. territories.
• Google Voice cannot text five- or six-digit short codes.
• Some banks, subscription services, and other organizations reject Google Voice numbers for verification.
• Google intends Voice messaging for interactive personal conversations, not bulk messaging. Repeated identical messages, links, high-volume sending, or spam reports can result in restrictions or suspension. See Google’s texting guidance.
• A recently ported number may take up to three business days before texting works.
• Google may reclaim an unused number. Google’s recovery documentation says a user can reclaim a removed number within 45 days after it is taken back; do not assume an inactive number is permanent. See Google’s number-recovery page.

Best for: a mostly free, separate U.S. number that you can use from a phone or browser and that supports ordinary one-to-one conversations.

Option 2: Add a second SIM or eSIM

A second carrier line is usually the most compatible option because it is a real mobile number rather than a VoIP number. It is the better choice for long-term use, carrier-to-carrier texting, short codes, and services that reject virtual numbers. You will need a second line from a carrier or prepaid provider, and your phone must support the required SIM arrangement.

iPhone: add and use a second line

Apple says an iPhone can use a physical SIM and an eSIM, while iPhone 13 and later can also support two eSIMs, subject to the model, carrier, region, and lock status. Apple’s Dual SIM documentation says both lines can send and receive iMessage, SMS, and MMS. eSIM Dual SIM support starts with the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, provided the carrier supports eSIM. See Apple’s current Dual SIM instructions.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Cellular or Mobile Data.
3. Tap Add eSIM, or insert the physical SIM supplied by your carrier.
4. Follow the carrier’s activation steps.
5. Label the lines, such as Personal and Second, so you can distinguish them.

To send from the second line:

1. Open Messages and tap the new-message button.
2. Enter the recipient.
3. Tap the currently selected phone number near the top of the compose screen.
4. Choose the second line.
5. Write the message and send it.

To change lines in an existing conversation, tap the number being used near the top of the conversation and choose the other line. For an important message, starting a new conversation after switching lines is safer: confirm the selected sender before pressing Send. If the phone is locked to one carrier, using two different carriers may not work.

Pixel and other Android phones

Google says Pixel 3a and later can use two SIMs in Dual SIM Dual Standby mode, depending on the specific device and carrier. On a Pixel, choose the line for texts through:

Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → under Your primary SIMs, select Texts

Choose the second SIM, or choose Ask every time if you want the phone to prompt you before each new text. Google documents the Pixel process under Dual SIM on Pixel and mobile-network settings.

Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, and other Android phones may use different menu names. Look for SIM manager, Preferred SIM, Texts, or Default SIM in the phone’s network settings. The recipient sees the actual second carrier number, and the sender must make sure the correct SIM is selected.

Best for: conventional SMS delivery, long-term ownership, and situations where a virtual number may be rejected.

Option 3: Use TextNow

TextNow is available in the United States and Canada and provides a separate number for calls and texts over Wi-Fi or data. Its free, ad-supported service can be used through the Android or iOS app and supported web platforms.

1. Install TextNow or open its website.
2. Create an account or sign in.
3. Choose an available local area code and number.
4. Open TextNow’s messaging interface.
5. Enter the recipient’s number and send the message.

TextNow says calling and texting take place through the TextNow app rather than the phone’s native calling and messaging apps. The recipient sees the TextNow number and does not need to install TextNow to receive an ordinary text.

TextNow limitations

• You need Wi-Fi or a data connection unless you use a compatible TextNow SIM or plan.
• VoIP numbers can be rejected by banks, social networks, and other services.
• Verification-code support is not universal. TextNow says many codes require an active SIM or certain paid features; even then, a third party may block the number. See TextNow’s verification-code guidance.
• Free numbers may be recycled after inactivity. Do not attach one to an important account unless you understand the retention rules and have another recovery method.
• TextNow prohibits spam and emphasizes one-to-one interaction. Do not use it for unsolicited bulk outreach.

Best for: casual personal texting in the U.S. or Canada when you want a separate number at little or no upfront cost and can accept VoIP limitations.

Option 4: Use Hushed or another paid second-number service

Hushed provides temporary or longer-term secondary numbers for calls and texts over Wi-Fi or mobile data, including numbers in multiple U.S. and Canadian area codes. Paid service is often more practical than a free number for a short project, marketplace conversation, or other situation where number separation matters.

1. Install the Hushed app.
2. Create an account.
3. Select the country, area code, and available number.
4. Buy the applicable plan or credits.
5. Send and receive messages inside the Hushed app.

The recipient sees the Hushed number, not your primary mobile number. However, Hushed does not promise that third-party verification will work. Banks, apps, social networks, and other services may block VoIP numbers, and choosing a different Hushed number may not change that policy. See Hushed’s verification-code information.

A paid app number is private from the recipient, not necessarily anonymous from the provider. Account details, payment records, device information, and network metadata may exist, and a recipient may recognize or reverse-search the number. Plans, prices, area codes, and retention rules change, so check the provider before paying.

Best for: marketplace conversations, dating or social situations, temporary projects, and separating personal communications from a primary number.

If you do not want to reveal any phone number

Signal username

Signal allows you to create an optional username and configure phone-number privacy so someone can start a conversation without learning your number. Signal still requires a phone number to register the account. The recipient must use Signal, and the exchange occurs within Signal rather than ordinary SMS.

1. Open Signal and go to your profile or settings.
2. Create a username.
3. Review the phone-number privacy and discoverability settings.
4. Share the username, QR code, or username link.
5. Have the recipient open Signal and accept the message request.

A username does not prove who is behind the account. If identity matters, verify the person through a trusted, separate channel.

Telegram username

Telegram users can set a public username and share it or a t.me link. According to Telegram’s FAQ, people who find each other by username generally do not see each other’s phone number unless privacy settings allow it or the number is already known and saved.

The recipient needs Telegram, and a public username can make the account discoverable by strangers. The phone number used to register Telegram still exists behind the account even when it is hidden from the other person. This is app messaging, not SMS.

Use an email address with iMessage

If you and the recipient use Apple devices with iMessage available, you can start a conversation from an email address associated with your Apple Account. The recipient sees the email address rather than a phone number.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps, then Messages.
3. Tap Send & Receive.
4. Under Start New Conversations From, select the email address.

Apple notes that an existing conversation that began from a phone number or another email address may need to be restarted as a new conversation. This option does not work as ordinary SMS and is not suitable for an Android-only recipient. See Apple’s iMessage sender-identity instructions.

For business or automated texts

For customer support, alerts, appointment reminders, or software-generated messages, use a properly provisioned messaging provider rather than a consumer burner app. For example, Twilio provides virtual numbers that can send and receive SMS or MMS.

In the United States, application-to-person traffic sent over local 10-digit numbers generally requires A2P 10DLC registration. A compliant implementation should document:

• How the recipient opted in.
• What messages they will receive and how frequently.
• Clear opt-out instructions, such as STOP where applicable.
• Help instructions and a support contact.
• Consent records and the business or sole-proprietor identity.
• Carrier registration and filtering requirements.

Twilio’s U.S. SMS compliance guidance emphasizes clear opt-in language, confirmation messages, and honoring opt-out requests. Do not use Google Voice or TextNow for bulk messaging; consumer services can restrict or suspend spam-like behavior.

Methods that do not work reliably—or should not be used

*67 and Hide My Caller ID

These are voice-call caller-ID controls. They do not make a text originate from a new number or hide the sender in ordinary SMS. A text message needs a number or messaging identity supplied by the carrier or service handling the message.

Old email-to-SMS gateway addresses

Older guides sometimes suggest sending email to an address formatted like recipient-number@carrier-gateway.example. This is no longer a dependable general solution. AT&T discontinued its email-to-text and text-to-email service in 2025, and carrier email-to-SMS gateways have increasingly been retired or filtered. See Twilio’s gateway-deprecation overview and AWS’s AT&T service-migration documentation. These gateways were carrier-specific, could silently drop messages, and were not appropriate for dependable personal or business communication.

Public anonymous-SMS websites

A website promising to send a text anonymously without giving you a stable, assigned number is a poor privacy and reliability choice. Messages may fail, replies may have no dependable path, carriers may block them, and the site may retain data or attempt payment fraud. The sender details may also be misleading or spoofed, making the message look suspicious.

Arbitrary sender-ID spoofing

Do not provide or use a service that makes a text appear to come from a number you do not own or control. U.S. federal rules prohibit knowingly causing misleading or inaccurate caller-identification information to appear with intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain something of value, and the rule covers text messaging services. The relevant federal regulation is supplemented by federal text-messaging provisions and FCC enforcement discussions involving fraud, harassment, and stalking. See the U.S. Code and FCC guidance.

If you need a different number, obtain one assigned to you. Do not manipulate message-origin information to impersonate another person, business, agency, or phone number.

Privacy, safety, and the recipient’s experience

A second number provides number separation, not guaranteed anonymity. The provider may have account, payment, identity-verification, device, and network information. The recipient may recognize the number, use a reverse lookup, see an associated profile, or infer your identity from the message.

An unfamiliar number can also be filtered as spam or as an unknown sender. Apple’s current iPhone software includes controls for screening unknown senders and filtering texts; a recipient may receive the message without an alert or place it in a filtered area. If appropriate, identify yourself clearly in the first message instead of relying on a surprise number. See Apple’s unknown-sender filtering guidance.

Using a second number for legitimate privacy is different from using it to bypass a block or a request for no contact. If somebody has blocked you or asked you not to contact them, do not use a new number to evade that decision. That can become harassment and can escalate a personal-safety situation.

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Troubleshooting

The recipient did not receive the message

1. Confirm that the app has an active Wi-Fi or mobile-data connection.
2. Check the recipient’s number, including the country code when the service requires international format.
3. Check whether the recipient blocked the alternate number.
4. Ask the recipient to check spam, junk, or unknown-sender folders.
5. Remove unusual links, repeated wording, or bulk-like content that may trigger filtering.
6. Check the provider’s service status and update the app.
7. Consider that the recipient’s carrier may reject VoIP or app-originated traffic.

For TextNow specifically, check the blocked list, service status, app version, and whether you are sending from the TextNow app rather than the phone’s native Messages app. Its troubleshooting guide covers these checks.

The recipient cannot reply

Test the reply path before relying on a number. Replies may fail because you used an app that does not support SMS replies, an email-based iMessage identity, an expired temporary number, a one-way messaging configuration, or a number filtered by the recipient’s carrier. Google Voice, TextNow, and Hushed replies normally return inside their respective services rather than to your primary SMS inbox.

A verification code never arrived

This is common with VoIP, temporary, recycled, and app-based numbers. A bank, social network, email provider, or authentication service may refuse to send a code to such a number. Google Voice does not support five- or six-digit short codes, and TextNow and Hushed document that third-party verification is not guaranteed.

Use a real carrier SIM or eSIM when possible. Other recovery options include voice-call verification, an authenticator app, a security key, or the service’s support process. Do not repeatedly create disposable numbers to defeat account-security controls.

The message came from the wrong number

• iPhone: Check the selected line near the top of the conversation. Start a new conversation after switching lines if necessary.
• Pixel: Open Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Texts, or set the phone to ask which SIM to use each time.
• Google Voice, TextNow, or Hushed: Confirm that you sent from the correct account and app, not from the phone’s native Messages app.

The alternate number disappeared

Possible causes include free-number inactivity, an expired temporary plan, provider reclamation, an account suspension, or number recycling. Never use a temporary or free number as the only recovery method for an important account. If you stop using it, remove it from account recovery and two-factor authentication first.

Reliability, privacy, and compatibility trade-offs

For ordinary SMS delivery, the general practical order is:

1. Real carrier SIM or eSIM.
2. Established second-number service.
3. Google Voice, TextNow, or Hushed VoIP number.
4. Public anonymous-SMS website.
5. Spoofed sender-ID service, which is not a legitimate privacy method.

This is a tendency, not a delivery guarantee. Carrier numbers usually provide the best compatibility. VoIP services are convenient and often inexpensive but may be blocked by banks, short codes, or recipient carriers. App-based usernames provide better phone-number privacy but require both people to use the same app. Costs, plan names, number availability, taxes, and retention policies change; check the provider’s current terms before choosing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I text from another number without installing an app?

Yes. Add a second SIM or eSIM and select that line in your phone’s messaging settings. The recipient receives a conventional SMS from the second carrier number. Google Voice can also be used from a web browser, but you still need to use the Google Voice service rather than the native SMS app.

Can I use *67 for text messages?

No. *67 and Hide My Caller ID are voice-call caller-ID features. They do not change the sender number of an ordinary SMS.

Will the recipient know that I used Google Voice, TextNow, or Hushed?

The recipient normally sees the separate number, not your primary number. Their phone or carrier may label, filter, or identify an unfamiliar or VoIP number differently, so do not assume the message will look identical to a carrier-originated text.

Can I use a burner or virtual number for bank verification?

You can try, but there is no guarantee. Banks and other services commonly reject VoIP, temporary, recycled, or app-based numbers, and short-code support varies. A real carrier SIM or eSIM is the safer choice for verification and account recovery.

How do I send from a different number on an iPhone?

Add and activate a second SIM or eSIM, then open a new message and tap the selected number near the top of the compose screen. Choose the second line before sending. You can also start iMessage conversations from an email address under Settings → Apps → Messages → Send & Receive, but that is not ordinary SMS.

How do I send from a different number on Android?

On a supported Pixel, open Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Texts and select the second SIM, or choose Ask every time. Other Android manufacturers use different menus, usually under SIM manager or Preferred SIM.

Can I send a text without revealing any phone number?

Use a Signal or Telegram username if both people will use the same app. Signal and Telegram can hide the registered phone number from the other person through their privacy settings. An iMessage email address is another option for Apple-to-Apple messaging. None of these sends an ordinary SMS to a standard mobile inbox.

Can I text someone who blocked me by using a different number?

You should not. Using a new number to bypass a block or a request for no contact can constitute harassment and may escalate a safety situation. A second number is for legitimate privacy and separation, not for evading another person’s choice.

Are anonymous texting websites safe?

They are generally unreliable and may retain data, fail to deliver messages, provide no reply path, expose you to malware or payment fraud, or use misleading sender information. Use a number assigned to you by a reputable carrier or messaging provider instead.

Can the recipient reply to a text sent from a second number?

Usually, if the number and service support two-way messaging. Replies to Google Voice, TextNow, and Hushed return inside those services. Replies may fail with one-way tools, expired temporary numbers, email-based identities, or services filtered by the recipient’s carrier. Send a test message first.

Will an alternate number appear on my phone bill?

A second SIM or eSIM is part of a carrier account and can appear in carrier records or billing. App-based services generally send over Wi-Fi or mobile data, so the message is handled by the app provider rather than as an ordinary SMS line on your mobile bill; the provider may still retain account, payment, device, and network records.

Can I keep a second number permanently?

Often, yes, but it depends on the provider’s plan and activity rules. Free and temporary numbers can expire or be reclaimed. Keep a paid plan or meet the provider’s retention requirements, and never rely on the number as your only account-recovery method.

The Bottom Line

Bottom line

For a normal text from a separate number, use Google Voice, TextNow, Hushed, or—most reliably—a second SIM or eSIM. Use a carrier line when banks, short codes, or long-term ownership matter. Use Signal or Telegram when both people can communicate inside the app and you want to keep your phone number private. Caller-ID blocking, old email-to-SMS tricks, public anonymous-text websites, and spoofing are not dependable substitutes for a number assigned to you.