What Is Alternate Phone Number and How To Get One?

Senior Writer: Supriya Bajaj

Published : January 20, 2023

Alternate phone numbers are like having that extra pair of shoes you keep in the back of your closet—you never know when you’ll need them. They can be a useful tool for any busy person who needs to separate their work and personal life or just wants to have more control over who knows their real number.

Many people find it helpful to assign an alternate contact number for business contacts, family members, and even services like ride-sharing apps. This way, you’re able to filter out calls from anyone outside of your desired circle and stay connected with only those contacts that really matter. So, why not make sure you’re covered? Having an extra set of digits can come in handy when you least expect it!

There are benefits to setting up a second phone number. We are going to look at why it is essential for everyone.

What is an alternate phone number?

Alternate phone numbers are additional numbers that can be used alongside your regular number. They are usually meant for non-personal communication.

Having an alternate phone number can be especially helpful for business owners or those who use their phones for professional purposes. When giving out your business phone number, you can share your alternate phone number instead, so to ensure that your personal phone number remains private.

An alternate phone number is a better choice than getting another landline – you can use your mobile device while dividing up business communication and private calls. It’s the perfect way to streamline communication without having two phones to juggle!

Expert Advice

"When choosing an alternate phone number, consider its purpose, required features, cost, and ease of use. Evaluate your options carefully to ensure it meets your needs and is compatible with your existing device and network."

Benefits of Having an Alternate Phone Number

They are useful for:

• Providing a better way to manage contacts – Alternate phone numbers provide a convenient way to manage multiple contacts in one place. With alternate phone numbers, users can assign different phone numbers to each contact, so they can track who is calling and at what time. This makes it easier to manage multiple contacts and prioritize communications.
• Keeping your personal information private – Alternate phone numbers are virtual numbers that can be used to keep your personal information private. They are linked to your real phone number but can be used instead of your real number when making calls or sending text messages to protect your privacy.
• Helps keep work and personal calls separate – An alternate contact number is a great way to keep work calls separate from personal ones. It allows you to have a dedicated number for work that won’t interfere with your personal number. This can give you the flexibility to take calls from clients and colleagues at any time, without worrying about missing important calls or being disturbed by distractions.
• Helps prioritize important calls – An alternate phone number is a great way to manage your calls. With an alternate phone number, you can assign specific numbers to different contacts and prioritize the calls you receive. This way, you can easily differentiate between important calls and those that can wait. This can help you stay on top of your work, allowing you to focus on the tasks that need your attention.

Why should you get an alternate phone number?

Just like you need to set clear boundaries in your life, an alternate phone does exactly that, but for your calls.

If you are using only an alternate contact number for business and personal use, chances are that you might end up mistaking a professional contact for a personal purpose.

Or, you might also need it for customer support services, which requires teams. Once again, you will need something more robust than a normal contact number.

You May Also Read : Get Business Phone Numbers [Providers +Pricing & Types]

How to Select the Best Alternate Phone Number App?

Not all alternate phone number apps are equal.

Some are platform-exclusive. Some are free and some aren’t.

If you are having trouble deciding which alternate contact number app to choose, here is a checklist that will help you decide on the right one:

• Wi-Fi only or second line: Some alternate phone number services only work while you are connected to the internet. Choose the right plan if you need one for offline use.
• Compatibility: The app you choose should be compatible with your phone and operating system. After all, what good is an app if it doesn’t work on your device?
• Features: Do you need the ability to send text messages, make phone calls, or use voicemail? So, make your decision based on the features you require and whether that app provides it or not.
• Cost: Some alternate phone number apps are free, while others charge a fee. Determine your budget and decide if the cost is worth it for the features you desire.
• Privacy and security: Your personal information is important, so make sure the app has a good reputation for protecting your privacy and keeping your data secure.
• User reviews: Check out reviews from other users to get a sense of their experience with the app. This can be a great way to gauge the app’s reliability and user-friendliness.

And don’t forget; you can always try out a few different apps to see which one works best for you. Many apps offer free trials or have a basic version that you can use to test out their features before committing to a paid subscription.

? Watch Now For Exclusive Insights : Best Second Phone Number Apps 

7 Best Alternate Phone Number To Choose From

Below is the list of the top 7 best alternate phone numbers.

1. CallHippo

CallHippo is a cloud-based VoIP solution that’s ideal for small businesses and call centers.

You get call recording, call forwarding app, as well as virtual business numbers like the Local Number, Toll-free Number, or Mobile Number, making it an ideal companion for sales teams.

Features:

• Task management
• Interactive calendar
• Security and data protection
• Timezone support
• Resource management

Pros: 

• Free Trial available
• Super easy to use
• Effective Call Management
• Call Analytics
• Voice Mails
• Cloud-Based Architecture

Cons:

• Typical User Interface
• Tiered Customer Support

Pricing:

It comes with three paid plans as well as a free trial.

• Starter – $18 Per user/Month
• Professional – $30 Per user/Month
• Ultimate – $42 Per user/Month

*Pricing as of 11-06-2024.

2. Google Voice

On a tight budget? Need an alternate phone number just for yourself?

There is always Google Voice app, a revolutionary VoIP service that allows you to communicate over the internet.

Its free personal plan has some restrictions, as it’s only accessible for US phone numbers. However, they have designed their app so conversations are segmented into separate parts such as calls, text messages, and voicemail messages which ultimately makes catching up with your contacts easier than ever before!

What about teams? You are better off with another app like Google Chat for team messaging on alternative telephone numbers.

Google Voice for Google Workspace has fee-based plans that offer a few additional features like voicemail transcription and Voice AI, though they are inconsistent at best. Furthermore, calls, texts, and voicemails are all stored in different folders with the app – making it harder to keep track of conversations.

Features:

• Call screening
• Voicemail transcription
• Personalized voicemail greetings
• Number porting
• Spam call filtering

Pros:

• Unlimited domestic calls and text messages
• Integrations with Google Workspace, Calendar, and Google Meet
• Highly scalable due to easy setup
• Available in 14 countries

Cons:

• No external integrations
• Limited availability
• Hidden costs like a subscription for Google Workspace ($6 per month)
• Some essential features like toll-free numbers and automated replies are missing

Pricing:

• Starter plan – $10/month/user upto 10 users
• Standard Plan – $20 for more than 10 team members.
• Premier plan – $30 per user per month for bigger teams.

3. Line2

What if you need a barebone second phone number with basic call features?

Consider checking out Line2.

With its user-friendly cloud platform, you can get unlimited calling in both the US and Canada with desktop calling. Although, it’s worth noting that most of these functionalities are similar to a regular phone – taking away from what makes VoIP services so special.

For more advanced features such as call recording, business hours, voicemail transcription, you will need an elevated plan. So, for international calling, Line2 works best.

Features:

• Call analytics
• Call forwarding
• Auto attendant
• Multi-device access
• Voicemail transcription

Pros:

• High-quality calls
• You can choose a custom number for your Line2 account
• It allows for call forwarding to any other number
• They uses advanced VoIP technology for improved call quality 

Cons:

• Line2 may not be available in all countries
• The services can be more expensive than traditional phone services

Pricing:

Starter – $15.99 per user per month

Growth – $20.99 per user per month

Business – $25.99 per user per month

4. Phoner

Sometimes you just need a free app that does what you need. And for that, you have Phoner.

This simple app basically gives you another alternate number on one device. You can also make calls and texts in over 35 countries.

Phoner is available for iOS and Android. It is as simple as signing up and using it.

Features:

• Smart assistant integration
• Secure biometric authentication
• Advanced camera system
• Intelligent voice recognition
• Multi-language support

Pros:

• They allows users to keep their personal phone numbers private
• Phoner has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate

Cons:

• It may not be available in all countries

Pricing:

It’s free.

You May Also Read : What is a business phone line? How to get one?

5. Flyp

How about an app that gets you multiple alternate mobile numbers? That too across multiple area codes?

With Flyp, you get numbers with five different locations. Interestingly, you can make up a whitelist for each number so that only people you allow can call you on a specific alternate number.

It’s available on iOS and Android.

Features:

• Intelligent routing
• Chatbot builder
• Conversational AI
• Customer data management
• Analytics and reporting

Pros:

• Flyp offers customizable numbers with different area codes

Cons:

• No desktop version is available
• Limited functionality

Pricing:

For every alternate number you add – $7.99 per month (or $79.99 per year)

6. TextNow

An alternate phone number app with free calling and texting on WiFI. That’s TextNow for you.

It works on desktops, Android, and iOS.

One big advantage that TextNow has is that it works in 230 countries internationally.

Features:

• Call forwarding
• Group messaging
• Customizable voicemail greetings
• Call transcription
• Call conference

Pros:

• Highly scalable due to easy setup
• No setup charges
• Variety of international numbers available

Cons:

• Limited customer service
• Low sound quality

Pricing:

It comes with free and paid plans both:

• Free – Basic features with ads
• Monthly – $15.99

7. Sideline

Sideline is a reliable and innovative mobile app that provides users with an extra phone number, voicemail service, unlimited calls within the US, SMS texting, and group messaging options. Other features of this extensive business system include auto-reply to incoming messages and texts.

This app is good if you need to use your current cellular service provider for the extra phone number. Most other options require you to be online to benefit from an alternate number.

Features:

• Language translation assistance
• Personal finance management
• Task management integration
• Social media management 
• Voice recognition and control

Pros:

• Easy to set up 
• The second number can be anonymous for the client
• Customized auto-replies
• Features like call forwarding, voicemail, and text messaging are included

Cons:

• Additional cost for using a second phone number
• A bit difficult to block personal numbers on the same phone
• Users reported some glitch
• May not be available in all regions.

Pricing:

You can try it for free during a seven-day trial period. Afterward, feel free to upgrade either to Standard ($9.99/month) or Pro ($14.99/month). Upgrading to the Pro plan gets you additional features like text reminders and advanced number IDs, along with separate contacts, notes, and more – at an affordable price point.

Why CallHippo is the best option for Alternate Phone Number?

A lot of apps in this list are geared toward individuals. But CallHippo goes a step further by unifying large teams so that your business can focus on delivering the best customer service experience.

With the virtual phone number feature, you can share one number among multiple users. The ‘Ring All’ feature, every user associated with an alternate phone number will receive the call at the same time. That way, your customers are never left high and dry.

You May Also Read : 13 Best Second Phone Number Apps

Concluding Thoughts

An alternate phone number can be a great way to protect your privacy and separate your personal and business communications. So, choose from the list we’ve mentioned and get the best alternate phone number for your business! As a result, you can get more productive and optimized as you keep your personal number private.

FAQs

1. What is meant by an alternate mobile number?

An alternate mobile number is used as a secondary or backup number in addition to your primary phone number. It can be helpful in a variety of situations, such as when you want to give out a phone number for work or online services without revealing your personal number, or when you need a separate number for affiliate marketing tools or advertising purposes.

2. How do I get an alternate phone number for free?

There are two ways you can get an alternate phone number for free –

•  Use a free VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service
• Use a free alternate phone number app

3. Can you have two mobile numbers on one phone?

You can get a phone that supports dual SIM so that you can access both service plans on the same device. Moreover, you can also use Google Voice phone number app to get an additional virtual phone number.

4. Can iPhone have 2 numbers?

Yes, it does. You can use Dual SIM by using an eSIM and a physical SIM. You can also get two active eSIMs on iPhone 13 and above models. Or you can get an alternate number app on iOS to use another free phone number.

Updated : June 27, 2024

Supriya Bajaj

Supriya Bajaj is a senior content developer with immense experience in the VoIP telephony domain. With a deep knowledge of VoIP systems and emerging technologies in the field, she provides insightful and targeted content. Known for simplifying complex topics and her thought-leadership articles, Supriya delivers actionable content for both technical and non-technical audiences.

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