Free Second Phone Number: What's the Catch, and When Is Free Good Enough?
Free second number apps are real, but they cost you in ads, lost numbers and blocked codes. Here is each app's catch, sourced, and when free is fine.
Yes, you can get a free second phone number with apps like Google Voice, TextNow, TextFree, Talkatone and 2ndLine. The catch is that you pay in other ways: ads, a number that is taken back if you stop using it, and verification codes that often only work on a paid plan.
The catch in one line per app (as of 28 Oct 2026, from each company's own help pages):
- Google Voice: US only, reclaimed after 3 months without placing calls or sending texts, per Google's policy.
- TextNow: no fixed inactivity period, and most verification codes need a SIM or a paid add on.
- TextFree: expires after 30 days without a call or text.
- Talkatone: after 30 idle days, 30 credits are deducted, and without them the number goes.
- 2ndLine: recycled after a period of inactivity, and Android only.
- Fongo: counts as dormant after 30 days with no outgoing call or add on purchase.
In short: ads, idle numbers taken back, and codes on paid plans. We have not tested these apps; everything below comes from their own pages.
Can you really get a second phone number for free?
Yes. Free apps pay for themselves with ads, paid upgrades, and a limited pool of numbers they hand out again when people stop using them.
These are internet numbers, also called VoIP numbers, not numbers on a mobile plan. Availability differs by country, so the table shows what each company says.
What's the catch with each free second number app?
The catch, app by app. Prices are as of 28 Oct 2026.
App
Works in
Free
Idle number lasts
Codes on free plan
Keep it
Google Voice
US only
Calls and texts to US and Canada
3 months idle; 45 days after reclaim date
Not stated
Call, text or play voicemail
TextNow
US and Canada
Number, calls and texts, with ads
No fixed period; 24 hours if never used
Need SIM, Lock In or Ad-Free+
Call or text daily, or Lock In Number
TextFree
US and Canada residents
Number, calls and texts, with ads
30 days
Not on free plan
Call or text every 30 days, or Plus
Talkatone
US numbers; help pages differ on Canada
Number; credits may be deducted
30 days, then 30 credits
Subscription only
Use it every 30 days, or Plus
2ndLine
US and Canada, Android only
Number, calling and messaging
After a period, not stated
Not stated
Premium locks it
Fongo
Canada
Canadian number and calling; paid add ons
30 days dormant; subject to deletion at 120
Need Plus or Texting add on
Answered outgoing call every 30 days
Not stated means the company's own pages we read do not say.
Google Voice
Google's acceptable use policy says it may reclaim a number if you do not appear to be using the service, "such as placing calls or sending text messages for a period of 3 months." Its reclaim page adds a warning and reclaim date, then 45 days to get the number back, and says listening to voicemail counts. No page says whether receiving counts. Our guide covers what to do when a Google Voice number is reclaimed.
Google's plan page lists the phone number location for free Google Voice, Voice Starter and Voice Standard as US only, and its porting page limits US users to ports from an active US mobile number. Canadians should plan on another app.
TextNow and 2ndLine
TextNow's help page, last updated in 2023, says it has numbers in most US and Canadian area codes, and that a new number "will expire within the first twenty-four hours of activation" if you never call or text from it. After that, "there's no hard-and-fast rule" for how long a number can sit idle, and it sends a warning before revoking one. A released number cannot be restored. TextNow's April 2026 add-ons post says the service stays free through in-app ads. It lists Lock In Number at $1.99 USD or $2.49 CAD a week, and Ad-Free+, which also locks the number, at $6.99 USD or $8.99 CAD a week. It says those prices are subject to change.
2ndLine is TextNow's Android app. Its FAQ says the free version "will recycle your number after a period of inactivity," that Premium stops that while it is active, and that it is only in the US and Canada app stores. It gives no period or price.
TextFree
TextFree's free number page says: "If you go 30 days without a call or text, the number will expire." TextFree Plus, at $9.99 a month, keeps the number while you subscribe. The page also says TextFree is available to US and Canadian residents while they are physically in the United States or Canada. Its verification page says verification calls and short code texts need Plus, and some providers do not support TextFree numbers for two factor login even then.
Talkatone
Talkatone's help page says that after 30 days without a call or text, 30 paid credits are deducted to keep your number. With fewer than 30 credits it is deactivated, after an email notice. Its Talkatone Plus page says Plus is $4.99 USD a month, as of 28 Oct 2026, and covers keeping your number active if you do not use it every 30 days. The keep-number help page still shows $3.99, so Talkatone's own pages disagree on the price. A second help page says one month and mentions sending or receiving, so the pages differ on that too. The help pages are dated April and October 2024, so check the app.
Talkatone says short code and verification messages are only available with its subscriptions. Its How do I start page says it only offers US numbers at this time, while a 2019 help page says users in listed countries get a free US or Canadian number, so check the app first.
In Canada: Fongo and what works
Fongo's dormant account policy counts an account as dormant after 30 days with no outgoing calls, add on purchases or add on subscriptions. At 120 days with no World Calling Credits it is subject to automatic deletion, unless the number was ported in. Incoming calls and all messages do not count, so make an answered outgoing call every 30 days. Its short code page says verification texts need Fongo Plus or the Texting add on and are not guaranteed. Fongo's home page says it provides Canadians with free calling and texting apps, including Fongo Mobile, with paid add ons.
For Canadians, here is what the companies say. TextNow, TextFree and 2ndLine list the US and Canada, and Fongo is a Canadian service. Google Voice personal numbers are US only, Talkatone's pages differ, and TextNow calls Canadian verification codes "largely unsupported." See our Google Voice alternatives guide.
Why do free numbers get taken back?
Numbers are limited, so idle ones get reassigned:
- You stop using it.
- Number goes back to the pool.
- New owner gets your texts and codes.
Princeton researchers studied carrier numbers, not apps, so read this as a warning about recycling in general. Of 259 numbers sampled at two US carriers, 215 were recycled and vulnerable to at least one attack. Of 200 recycled numbers held for a week, 19 still received security or privacy sensitive messages, such as passcodes.
Can a free number receive verification codes?
Often not on the free plan. TextNow says most verification codes need a TextNow SIM, Lock In Number or Ad-Free+, and that some services do not support TextNow numbers at all. Canadian codes are "largely unsupported." TextFree limits codes to Plus, Talkatone to its subscriptions, and Fongo to Plus or its Texting add on. None promise delivery. If a site rejects your number, see why websites refuse internet numbers.
What should you never tie to a free number?
A free number can go to someone else, so keep these off it.
Never on a free number:
- Email recovery
- Banking
- Two factor login
- Landlord, employer or school
- Your resume, because recruiters may keep numbers you give them (see phone number on your resume)
Fine on a free number:
- One off listing
- First chat with a match (see a second number for dating)
- Throwaway sign up
Asked for your number at a store? See whether you have to give your phone number at checkout.
How do you keep a free number from being taken back?
- Send something out. Make an outgoing call or text on a schedule. TextNow says daily keeps it active, and TextFree and Talkatone name 30 days. For Fongo only an answered outgoing call every 30 days counts, not texts.
- Watch for warnings. Google, TextNow and Talkatone say they warn you first. Treat any number expiring soon notice as your cue.
- Consider the paid lock. Lock In Number, TextFree Plus and Talkatone Plus are priced above.
- Write down where you used it, so you can move accounts in time.
When is a paid second number worth it?
When losing the number would lock you out of something, or cut off people who rely on it.
Inovo Second Number gives you a real US or Canadian number on the iPhone or Android phone you already have, for person to person calls and texts. Verification codes arrive from most services, not all. Numbers are tied to active accounts. If a number expires due to inactivity, it is released and cannot be recovered, so keep your account active. See the FAQ. Prices: see in app.
For a full paid comparison, see Inovo, Hushed, TextNow and Google Voice compared. If your number belonged to a job, read how to keep your work phone number when you leave.
FAQ
Can I get a second phone number for free?
Yes. Google Voice, TextNow, TextFree, Talkatone, 2ndLine and Fongo all have a free option, though availability differs by country, as the table shows. Expect ads, upsells and a number you must keep using, because each can take an idle number back.
Do free phone numbers expire?
Yes, on every free app covered here. Google may reclaim a number after 3 months without calls or texts. TextFree expires a number after 30 days without a call or text. Talkatone deducts 30 credits after 30 idle days. TextNow has no fixed period, and Fongo treats 30 days without an outgoing call or add on purchase as dormant.
What is the catch with TextNow?
TextNow's help page says there is no fixed rule for how long an idle number lasts, though it warns first. Most codes need a TextNow SIM, Lock In Number or Ad-Free+, and Canadian verification codes are largely unsupported. Prices are above, as of 28 Oct 2026.
Can a free second number receive verification codes?
Often not on the free plan. TextNow, TextFree and Talkatone limit most verification codes to paid options, and Fongo needs Fongo Plus or its Texting add on, with no guarantee. Some services also refuse internet numbers on any plan, so a code can fail even after you pay.
Is a free second phone number safe to use?
It is fine for low stakes chats, listings and sign ups you do not care about. It is risky for account recovery, because a number that is taken back can go to someone else, which TextNow itself warns could create security concerns.
Does Google Voice work in Canada?
Not with a personal account. Google's plan page lists phone numbers for free Google Voice, Voice Starter and Voice Standard as US only, and its porting page limits US users to ports from an active US mobile number. Canadians should plan on another app. See our Google Voice alternatives guide.
What happens to my texts after a free number is reassigned?
Messages sent to that number can reach whoever gets it next, including login codes for old accounts. TextNow warns this could create security concerns, and Princeton's carrier number study found recycled numbers still receiving passcodes. Update every account before you let a number go.
Need a number you can keep?
Need a second number you can keep, on the phone you already have? Get Inovo Second Number on iPhone or Android. Prices: see in app. This is general information, not legal advice.
Related guides
- Should You Put Your Phone Number on Your Resume? How to Stay Reachable Without the SpamYes, include a phone number. Here is which number to use, how to hide it on Indeed and LinkedIn, and how to spot job scam calls and texts.
- Google Voice Number Reclaimed? How to Get It Back, and What to Do If It Is GoneGoogle reclaims idle Voice numbers after about 3 months. You have 45 days to get yours back. Here are the steps, and what to do if the window has passed.
- What Is a VoIP Number, and How Do You Check If a Number Is VoIP?A VoIP number is a real phone number that works over the internet. Learn fixed vs non fixed VoIP, why some sites refuse it, and how to check a number.
