How to Text From a Different Number? 5 Foolproof Techniques

Are you in a situation where you need to send a text message to someone, but from a different number? You don’t want to use your personal number for sending the text probably because of privacy reasons, convenience, or perhaps a practical joke. Well, through this post, we will explore the different legitimate methods and learn how to text from a different number. 

Let’s get started! 

Reasons for Sending a Text with a Different Number

There are a variety of situations or circumstances under which you need to text from another number. Here, we will discuss all the possible reasons for sending a text with a different number. Let’s see: 

• You want to Maintain Privacy and Anonymity 

At times you want to communicate with a person you’re not familiar with and want to ensure a barrier between your personal information and the other person. So texting anonymously using a different number could be a better approach. For instance, a whistleblower wants to contact a journalist to share sensitive information and uses a different number. 

• You are Concerned About Safety and Security 

Some professions or situations require confidentiality and using a separate number for communication is preferred to safeguard personal information from unknown or potentially risky sources. A simple example is when making online transactions or interacting with unfamiliar individuals or businesses. Using a different phone number can add an extra layer of security. It prevents your primary contact information from being exposed to potential risks such as phishing attacks or identity theft.

• It is Just a Temporary Communication 

Communicating using a different phone number is sometimes required for short-term use like when shopping for items or selling online, where future contact is optional. 

• You’re Doing it For Business and Marketing 

Many businesses use alternate phone numbers dedicated to text communication for different business purposes. This includes marketing, customer service, sales, etc. Through dedicated numbers, customer queries are addressed and resolved by the correct departments thus adding to the efficiency of the business. 

• To Separate Personal & Professional Life

Using a single number for all interactions can overwhelm your message inbox with a mess of personal, professional, and all other sorts of text messages. Work Professionals may use different numbers for work-related interactions to keep their personal and professional lives separate. 

• You’re Playing a Prank or Surprise

Playful purposes such as pranks and surprises are often the reason why people want to use a different number for text messaging. Suppose you want to surprise your friend with movie tickets and text him from another number pretending to be a mysterious benefactor. 

• You’re Avoiding Unwanted Contacts

At times, you might want to avoid certain contacts or conversations but can’t block them outrightly. In such cases, texting or communicating through a different phone number could be a better option to avoid nuisance on your primary phone number. 

• You’re on an International Travel 

International travelers often use different numbers to avoid high roaming charges or to appear as local numbers. They might get a new SIM card with a temporary number to remain reachable while abroad. Suppose you are traveling to Europe and you need to coordinate with your local tour guide via messaging. So you get a temporary local number to communicate with them without incurring expensive roaming charges. 

 5 Popular Ways to Send a Text From a Different Number 

There are several ways to send text messages from a different phone number with each way having its own specifications. Let’s have a look:

1. How to Text with Online Texting Websites?

Many websites allow users to send text messages from a different number by assigning temporary phone numbers. Some popularly used anonymous texting websites are:

• TextNow

A free texting service that caters to users in the US and Canada. To get started, you need to create a textnow account after which you will receive a workable phone number. You can use this phone number for texting and even calling using your Windows and Mac devices. The best part is that there’s no limit to the number of texts and calls that you can make using this service. They also have an app for Android and iOS users. 

• TextFree

Another popular web service that enables users to send and receive SMS messages for free over the internet. The textfree service provides users with a free US phone number and supports unlimited text messaging to other phone numbers in the US and Canada without any charges. When choosing your phone number you can pick an area code of your choice. 

The service allows sending and receiving text messages in groups as well. It supports MMS messages i.e. users can send and receive pictures, videos, and other media using TextFree. The app is available on the App Store and Google Play Store. 

• TextPlus

Another free texting service that provides users with SMS and MMS messaging to anyone in the  US or Canada. There is no limit to the text messages when you text to other TextPlus users. There’s also a paid version of this textplus service that offers benefits like no advertisements, premium phone number selection, etc. You can download the TextPlus app on Google Play or iTunes. 

• Phoner Web Messenger

An easy-to-use and effective anonymous texting website that lets you send SMS messages directly from your browser. You can simply start by opening the Phoner website and signing up for a new account. Then from the menu, you can select the option for a premium number. Once done, you can start sending text messages from your other phone number using your browser. Besides providing phone numbers for everyday and business use, the service also allows you to get local United States numbers. 

2. How to Text with a Fake Number Using Spoofing Apps?

Spoofing apps allow you to spoof your caller ID and text using a different phone number. However, these apps should only be used for pranks and jokes and not for any sort of illegal or abusive activities. The app will send the text message to the intended recipient but they will see the sender’s phone number you chose. In other words, you can send the message by faking your ID. Below, I have mentioned 3 spoofing apps for both Android and iPhone users. 

• SpoofCard

As the name suggests, the SpoofCard service enables users to text other numbers displaying a different phone number on the recipient’s caller ID. Users can select any virtual phone number to send texts and can use as many phone numbers as they want. Besides messaging the service also supports spoofed calling. The paid plan starts from $9.95. You can download the Spoofcard app on Google Play and App Store. 

• Anonymous Text

A simple service wherein you need to fill out a form with a bit of details and you will be able to send a text message using an anonymous phone number from the list provided. There is no registration required i.e. you don’t need to provide details about yourself. You can even schedule the message to a later time by choosing the appropriate time option. Anonymous Text service guarantees 100% privacy for users. 

• SpoofBox 

This is another widely-used anonymous texting service using which you can spoof your text messages. SpoofBox mainly offers 3 types of facilities- 

Virtual Number – It lets you quickly generate temporary phone numbers that can be used for one-time interactions. An added benefit is creating and managing multiple phone numbers from a single device. 

Whats SIM – This facility lets you create second accounts for popular messengers including WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE, or where SMS verification is required. It generates burner or temporary phone numbers for your usage. You won’t need a real mobile or SIM card because Whats SIM has the necessary tools to verify and create an account on any platform you need SMS or phone call verification.

Second Number – You can get virtual numbers from the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada. Second phone numbers come with free and unlimited incoming SMS & calls. You can also buy second phone numbers with crypto like Bitcoin or Ether.

3. How to Text From a Different Number Using an SMS Platform? 

SMS platforms are a popular choice to send text messages from different numbers for business and marketing purposes. This is specially used in sending bulk SMS messages where promotions, deals, product launches, and other types of business-related messages are sent to a mass audience (usually in hundreds or even thousands) in a single go.

These are software-based platforms with a web interface from where you can create an SMS campaign. Using such a platform allows you to send SMS messages from one or multiple secondary phone numbers. So, you can maintain your privacy while connecting with your customers. 

Often, SMS Platforms are used by businesses to send bulk SMS messages since SMS marketing is an effective way for businesses to generate leads. 

4. How to Text Via Email?

Though sending a text via email does not technically mean that you’ll be able to send the message from a different phone number, this option still helps you maintain privacy. Often termed as “SMS Email”, there are mainly 2 things that you will need to send your text via email:

1. The recipient’s phone number 
2. Recipient’s mobile carrier’s email-to-text gateway address

Now, you have the first requirement and are unsure about the “SMS Gateway Email Address”. Well, every mobile carrier has a specific email address used for receiving text. The format of these addresses is usually in the form of a phone number followed by a specific domain name. Every wireless provider’s email-to-text gateway address is different. For example, for a Verizon subscriber, the address could look like this phonenumber@vtext.com. 

If you cannot find the gateway address, then a simple way is to go to carrier lookup websites like Data247 and FreeCarrierLookup. These sites maintain a database of telecom carriers along with their gateway addresses. Once you have determined the recipient’s email-to-text-gateway address, then you can follow the below-mentioned steps:

1. Open your email application by logging in. Compose a new email by clicking on the “compose” button. 
2. Now, in the “To” field, enter the recipient’s phone number followed by the symbol “@”  and the email-to-text gateway address. For instance, if the recipient is a subscriber of AT&T, then the address would look like: 1234567890@txt.att.net

1. The next step is to compose your text message in the email body. Since text messages have character limitations so make sure your message adheres to that. Once the message is composed, you can hit the send button. The message will automatically be converted into a text message and delivered to the recipient’s mobile device. 

A few important things to remember while texting via email are not all carriers support receiving texts via email. Also, to find the email-to-text carrier gateway address, you can also search the carrier’s website,  or simply Google it. The recipient will see your email address as they receive your text message. 

5. How to Text From a Different Number Using Third-Party Apps?

These apps are different from spoofing apps where you can type any phone number of your choice to appear as your own. Rather third-party apps assign you one dedicated number which you can use to text anonymously. Have a look at some of the most popular apps. 

Top 5 Apps to Send Texts From a Different Number

• Burner

Available for both iOS and Android users, Burner is a popular app through which users can create and manage temporary, disposable phone numbers in the US and Canada. Some of the key features offered by the Burner app are Delete or Switch Numbers, Picture Messages, Auto-reply Texts, Spam Block, etc. 

The app follows a “freemium’ model i.e. it provides new users with a 7-day free trial so that they can experience the features of the app. The paid subscription is available through multiple plans with varying functionalities in terms of simultaneous burner numbers. 

• Hushed

It’s the ‘second phone number’ app for texting as well as WiFi and Data calling. Available to both iOS and Android users, the phone numbers provided by the Hushed function same as regular phone numbers. This means you can use these numbers to text and call as you do normally. The duration of the numbers provided by Hushed is quite flexible, which means it is different from the Burner app, which offers temporary phone numbers. 

Users can even choose to display a customizable caller ID or simply a ‘Hushed ID’. This service also allows you to delete message history. The free version comes with one disposable number and limited functionalities. 

• Google Voice 

It’s a free service offered by Google which is primarily for calling but offers texting service as well. It provides users with US and Canadian phone numbers which they can use to send texts and make calls. The app integrates with your Google account and is available on different platforms including smartphones, tablets, and computers. 

After signing up, you need to set up your Google Voice number. The app will provide you with available phone number options or you can search for a preferred area code also. You can use Google Voice on the web as well i.e. you can access your messages and calls from your computer. Google Voice can be a great choice for personal, business, or temporary needs. 

• Sideline

Primarily designed for professional use, the Sideline app allows users to acquire second phone numbers for their mobile devices. They have the option to purchase individual phone numbers or can also get multiple numbers by subscribing to related plans. An interesting and useful feature offered by Sideline is Number Porting. So if you already have a second number, you can port it to Sideline from another device or landline. 

Additionally, Sideline offers various other features including auto-reply for calls and texts, unique ring and text tones, voicemail, web texting, unlimited messaging, spam detection, etc. 

• Flyp

Another premium texting app that lets you enjoy a free trial for the first 7 days. You can get up to 5 additional US phone numbers on your phone and use them for texting. The Flyp app also allows you to choose any area code you want for each number so that you’ll always have a local number. This is especially useful for businesses looking for local phone numbers for specific regions. 

Can Anonymous Texts be Traced?

The precise answer to whether you can be traced if you use a different phone number for texting is: No. This is because your real or actual personal details are not included in the message sent. However, if law enforcement becomes involved in a case, then there’s a possibility that the source of the message can be tracked down. 

What Are Some Other Options for Texting? 

If you are looking for some more ways to text someone without revealing your identity, then here are 2 more options for you to consider:

• Use Someone Else’s Phone 

Send text messages from a friend’s or relative’s phone so that the recipient of the message does not get to know you. But first, make sure that you get permission from the owner of the phone. 

• Buy a New SIM Card

Just grab a new SIM card and start sending text messages to whomever you want to. 

Etiquette When Using a New Number to Text 

Now that you have several ways to text from a different number, it is important to understand that you need to follow some standard practices as you text someone using a different number. Let’s take a look:

• Give your Introduction 

If you are texting someone from a different number for the very first time, then it is important to introduce yourself. You must include your appropriate details so that the recipient can understand from whom they have received the message. Also, make them clear about why you have texted them. This will help them to communicate with you without any hesitation. 

• Ensure Appropriateness of the Text

Context is a very important consideration when it comes to communication and texting is no exception. You must ensure that the message you are sending is appropriate and relevant for the recipient. 

• Stay on Point and Be Clear

Text messages are limited to certain characters so you need to be clear about what you want to convey. Vague or unclear messages can leave room for multiple interpretations and hinder the recipient from taking the required action. 

• Maintain Your Brand Tone 

When using a different number for texting business-related messages such as promotions, offers, deals, etc., you must maintain the communication practices followed on other channels. This is important to ensure that your customers have the same level of experience no matter from which channel you communicate with them. 

• Ensure Timely Response

If you are texting someone, the chances are you are also expecting a response from them. So when that happens, i.e. the response from the recipient arrives, you should reply and make sure not to leave them hanging. This helps in continuing the conversation or simply acknowledging that you have received their response. 

Legal and Ethical Considerations When Texting From Another Number

Using a fake number to text someone is only good till the time your intentions are good. No matter whether you are doing it for privacy, to balance work and personal life, or simply playing a prank with your friends and family, it is important to ensure that the other person should not be harmed in any way. 

However, in case you have malevolent reasons to text someone from another number, all of the above-mentioned ways to text from a different number have one way or the other to track you down. Most of the apps and services maintain a record of who is assigned what number. This means you can land into legal trouble. In addition, many services have policies that ban or block any kind of harassment, fraud, or unethical acts. So, you should avoid abusing the above-mentioned ways to text from a different number in any way. 

Again, some important points to be kept in mind when messaging someone anonymously are:

• Do not perform any unethical activity like fraud or abuse
• Do not harras anyone or provide false information about yourself
• Make sure you use the alternative texting options responsibly

Final Thoughts 

It is tempting to take advantage of text messaging from a different phone number to enjoy its considerable benefits including privacy, anonymity, security, and streamlined communication. However, remember that all these methods of texting through a different number have their own set of associated risks. Happy Texting!