Virtual phone number: which type do you need?
A virtual phone number is a number that isn’t tied to the SIM card in your phone: you use it through an app or a website. Some are built for business calls, some for a long-term second line and some for short-term use like receiving a sign-up code. Onlineselling sells the last kind, and this guide helps you pick the right one.
- SMS numbers in seconds
- No code, no charge
- Many countries
- API access
Virtual numbers for SMS, live
The services you can receive messages for right now, with their starting price.
Temp SMS numbers: coming soon
The main types of virtual phone numbers
All of them are called virtual numbers, but they solve different problems. Pick by what you need the number to do.
| Type | What it does | Typical use | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business phone number | Calls and texts through an app, call forwarding, voicemail, team inboxes | A company line or a support team | A business phone provider, usually on a monthly plan |
| Long-term second number | A personal number in an app that you keep for months | Separating work and personal life | Second-number apps and mobile carriers |
| Short-term SMS number | Receives text messages for a chosen service, once or for a rental period | Sign-up codes, testing, keeping your number private | The Onlineselling Temp SMS store |
Need calls or a number for years? A business phone provider is the better fit. Onlineselling numbers are for receiving SMS on short-term orders.
Virtual number vs physical SIM vs eSIM
| Virtual number | Physical SIM | eSIM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needs a slot in your phone | No | Yes, a SIM slot | Yes, eSIM support |
| Where you read messages | In an app or on a website | On the phone | On the phone |
| Setup | Online, in minutes | From a shop or by post | Download a profile to the phone |
| Typical use | Second line, business line, SMS codes | Your main number | Main number, or data while travelling |
How a virtual number for SMS works
Real numbers, read on the web
The number belongs to a mobile network. Messages sent to it are passed to your order page instead of a phone in your pocket.
Reserved for your order
When you order, the number is reserved for the service you chose. You pay only when a code arrives; if none comes, the reservation is released.
One-time or rental
Most orders are one-time: one code, then the number goes back. Rentals keep a number for a set period when you expect more messages.
API for developers
Create a personal API key in your account to order numbers and read messages from your own scripts or test suites.
What a virtual number for SMS is good for
Private sign-ups
Your real number stays out of new apps, shops and their marketing lists.
Testing
Check sign-up and login flows you build, from real networks and countries.
Separate profiles
A work or project profile without tying it to your personal number.
Codes while travelling
Receive a sign-up code for a local app while your home SIM is switched off.
How to get a virtual phone number for SMS
Decide what you need it for
One code for one sign-up? Pick a one-time number. Messages over several days? Pick a rental.
Choose the service and country
In the Temp SMS store, choose the app and a country with stock. Prices are live and reserved when you order.
Pay from your balance
Top up with a card or crypto through Cryptomus (USDT, BTC, ETH and more), or pay at checkout.
Use the number and read the SMS
Enter the number in the app. The message appears on your order page and in your email.
Questions to ask yourself first
Most problems with virtual numbers come from buying the wrong type. A business line won’t help you receive a one-off code cheaply, and a short-term SMS number is the wrong home for an account you’ll need in five years.
Some apps also check whether a number looks virtual and refuse certain ranges. That’s why the shop lists numbers per service and country, and why you aren’t charged when a code doesn’t arrive.
What a virtual number hides, and what it doesn’t
A virtual number keeps your SIM number away from the app you sign up to, which also keeps it off any list that app shares or leaks later.
It doesn’t make you anonymous. The app still sees things like your device, your IP address and anything else you give it, and it keeps its own records. Think of a virtual number as one privacy tool among several, not a disguise.
Virtual phone numbers: FAQ
What is a virtual phone number?
A phone number that isn’t tied to a physical SIM in your device. You use it through an app or a website, for calls, texts or both depending on the provider.
Can a virtual number receive SMS verification codes?
Yes. Short-term SMS numbers are made for it. Some apps reject certain virtual ranges, so pick a service and country from a live list and try another country if a code doesn’t arrive.
Can I get a virtual phone number for free?
Some free apps and public SMS sites offer numbers, but they are shared, limited or often blocked by apps. A paid private number is more reliable, and on Onlineselling you pay only when the code arrives.
Can apps tell that a number is virtual?
Some can, using number-range databases, and they may refuse those numbers. Others accept them. That is why availability is shown per service and country.
Can I make calls with an Onlineselling number?
No. Numbers in the Temp SMS store are for receiving text messages. For calls, use a business phone provider.
Can I choose the country of my virtual number?
Yes. Each service in the store lists the countries with numbers in stock and their current prices.
Is a virtual phone number the same as a VoIP number?
A VoIP number is one kind of virtual number, made for calls over the internet. Short-term SMS numbers are another kind, made for receiving text messages.
Need a number to receive a code?
Pick the app and the country. The SMS shows on your order page, and you pay only when it arrives.
Onlineselling is not affiliated with WhatsApp, Telegram or any other app named on this page. Use numbers in line with each platform’s rules and our Terms of Service.