A UK Second Number for Business, on the Phone You Already Have (2026)

You can add a second phone number for business to the phone you already have, without a second handset. The two main routes are a second number app that runs over Wi-Fi or mobile data (such as Inovo Second Number, Numbel, Hushed or Another Number) and a second mobile line on an eSIM or SIM; if a team needs to share the number, a business phone system fits better.

Add a UK work number to the phone you already have.

The 60-second version

One phone, two numbers: keep work separate without carrying a second handset. Here is the UK picture in six lines.

• App route: a second number app gives you a UK number that works over Wi-Fi or data on the phone you already have, with no SIM card.
• eSIM or second SIM route: a second mobile line works on ordinary mobile signal, if your phone can hold two lines.
• Teams: if more than one person answers the number, a business phone system fits better than any one-person app.
• Keep the number long term: clients, tenants and buyers will save it, so choose a provider whose terms let you keep it and keep it in use.
• Verification codes are not guaranteed on app numbers. Some services refuse internet numbers, so keep your bank on your main number.
• The well-known US apps don't give UK numbers. One short section below covers them.

Why use a separate number for work?

A separate number keeps your personal mobile off your listings, invoices and van, and lets you switch work off in the evening. It also gives clients one number they learn and keep, and it makes your records cleaner at tax time.

Privacy. Every listing, quote and invoice that carries your personal number spreads it a little further. A work number takes that exposure instead, so your personal number stays with friends and family.

Switching off after hours. With a separate line you can silence work calls at the weekend and still answer your family.

One number clients learn and keep. Customers save whatever number calls or texts them. If they keep reaching you on your personal mobile, work and personal calls drift back together, so start using the work number early and use it for outgoing calls and texts too. That way it becomes the number clients save.

Cleaner records for HMRC. HMRC's Self Assessment helpsheet HS222 lists "Phone, mobile, internet, email and fax running costs" as allowable business expenses, and the "Non-business or private use proportion" as not allowable. A number you use only for work makes that split much easier to show. Check with your accountant for your own situation.

What are your options for a UK work number on one phone?

There are four ways to get a UK work number without a second phone: a second number app, an eSIM line, a second SIM, or a business phone system. The first three suit one person's own work line. The fourth is for teams. If you want the basics of how app numbers work first, read how a second number works without a SIM.

Is a second number app the simplest option?

For most sole traders, yes. You download an app, pick a UK number, and make and take calls and texts on it over Wi-Fi or mobile data. There is no SIM to fit and nothing changes on your main line. Four apps that issue UK numbers are below. We make Inovo Second Number, so weigh our entry with that in mind.

Inovo Second Number. Inovo Second Number gives you a UK, US or Canadian number for calls, texts and picture messages on iPhone and Android. It is built for one person's own line, with about 20 outbound texts a day (see the FAQ). Plans are shown in the app.

Numbel. Numbel offers a UK 07 mobile number for calls, texts and voicemail in an app on your existing iPhone. A Pro plan covers up to three numbers. It is billed through the App Store.

Hushed. Hushed offers UK, US and Canadian numbers over Wi-Fi or data, on unlimited subscriptions or prepaid plans of 30, 90 or 365 days. Its prices are listed in US dollars, and the UK rate differs from the US one.

Another Number. Another Number from Thumbtel gives you a UK mobile number on iOS and Android, aimed at work use. It has an individual plan and a Teams plan, and lets you port an existing UK mobile number in.

When is an eSIM or second SIM better?

When you want a real mobile line, or when verification codes matter most. A second line on an eSIM or SIM works on ordinary mobile signal, not just data, and gives you the best chance with services that check the line type.

SecondSim sells a UK 07 number as an eSIM that runs on Vodafone's network, next to the SIM you already have. SecondSim says its numbers pass the WhatsApp and bank checks that block internet numbers. That is SecondSim's claim, not something we have tested.

A UK SIM-only or pay-as-you-go line from any network does the same job and gives you a full second mobile line. An eSIM line needs no second handset, and a second SIM needs no second handset either, but it does need a dual-SIM phone. Some pay-as-you-go numbers also need occasional use to stay active, so check the network's terms before you print the number on anything.

When do you need a business phone system instead?

When more than one person answers the number. If you want call menus, ring groups, 01, 02, 03 or 0800 numbers, or calls routed around a team, you need a business phone system that runs in an app and on the web. UK vendors such as Voxora and Moneypenny describe these setups on their own sites.

Inovo Second Number is not a phone system. It is one person's own work line for one-to-one calls and texts, with no bulk, automated or shared team texting. If your plan is SMS marketing or automated alerts, use a business messaging provider.

How do the UK options compare?

Apps work on the phone you already have over Wi-Fi or data. eSIM and SIM lines are mobile network lines. Phone systems are for teams. Prices are as listed on each source on 6 October 2026, in the currency the source shows.

Inovo Second Number. Type: app, iPhone and Android, Wi-Fi or data. UK number: yes (plus US and Canada). Good for: one person's own work line or everyday second line. Price: see in app. Source: App Store https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/inovo-second-number/id6764866409 and Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.innovage.secondnumber

Numbel. Type: app, iPhone. UK number: yes (UK 07). Good for: one to three UK numbers. Price: £6.99/month or £69.99/year; Pro £14.99/month or £149.99/year. Source: numbel.app

Hushed. Type: app, Wi-Fi or data. UK number: yes (plus US and Canada). Good for: short prepaid or subscription UK numbers. Price: UK 1-line unlimited 9.99 USD/month. Source: Hushed Support pricing article

SecondSim. Type: eSIM / second SIM on Vodafone. UK number: yes. Good for: a mobile line with ordinary signal; WhatsApp claims are SecondSim's, not Inovo's. Price: from £5.99/month. Source: secondsim.co.uk

Another Number. Type: app / business. UK number: yes. Good for: individual or teams. Price: Individual £9.99/month (App Store listing); Teams £7.99/month per number. Source: App Store https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/another-number/id1141833231 and Teams https://www.thumbtel.com/another-number-business-phone-number/

Prices as of 6 October 2026. Check the linked pages before you buy.

Four ways to get a UK work number without a second phone.

Which option fits your kind of work?

Match the number to your work. Freelancers, online sellers, landlords and tradespeople usually need a work number they keep for years. A team sharing one number needs a business phone system.

Freelancers and sole traders

Put the work number on your website, email signature and invoices from day one, and call clients from it too, so it is the number they save. If you work across borders, our general guide to a business line without a second phone covers US and Canadian numbers as well.

Online sellers on Vinted, eBay, Etsy and Gumtree

Buyers on eBay, Etsy, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace often ask to call or text, and a work number keeps those chats away from your personal phone. Vinted's own Help Centre says a phone number can only be used on one Vinted account, and that "If you're a Pro seller, you should have different phone numbers for your standard account and Pro account" (Issues adding your phone number). More tips in our guide to selling online without giving out your personal number.

Landlords

A work number gives tenants, agents and contractors one line for the property, which you can put on tenancy paperwork, on OpenRent, and in the details you give your letting agent. When a tenancy ends, the old tenant still has a work number, not your personal one. For the legal picture and a full landlord setup (OpenRent, HMOs and keeping one number across tenancies), see a separate phone number for tenants.

Tradespeople

Your number goes on the van, on quotes and on Checkatrade-style profiles, and customers call it years later for the next job. That is why the number you keep matters more than the cheapest one. Pick a paid number, keep your plan active and use the number regularly, so it can stay on the van for years.

One person's work line suits most small businesses. Teams need a phone system.

Will a UK work number receive verification codes?

Usually, but not every time. Many services check the line type of a number before they send a code, and some refuse internet (VoIP) numbers, which is what second number apps use.

In plain words: the sign-up asks for your number, then runs a line type check. For a mobile line, the code is sent. For an internet number, some services refuse. The rules vary from one service to the next and can change without notice. Our guide on what to do when a website won't accept your VoIP number explains why it happens and what to try.

Inovo Second Number receives verification codes from most services, not all. Keep your bank on your main number. If verification is the main reason you need a work number, a second mobile line on an eSIM or SIM gives you the best chance.

Most services send codes to app numbers, but some check the line type first.

What about Burner, TextNow and Google Voice?

None of them gives you a UK number. Burner's support centre says you can only use it if your main mobile number is from the US, Canada or Australia, and that Burners "can only interact with US/CA numbers". TextNow's Help Center says it is "only available to be downloaded and used within North America" (Is TextNow available in my country?). Google Voice Help says its single-user plans "are only available in the US", with 14 countries or regions covered only by paid Google Workspace add-ons (Identify Google Voice subscription types); see our Google Voice alternatives. For the full five-app comparison, see our second phone number apps compared.

How do you set up a UK work number with Inovo Second Number?

Download the app, sign in, pick a UK number and label it. It takes four steps:

1. Download Inovo Second Number from the App Store on iPhone or Google Play on Android.
2. Sign in with the option shown in the app.
3. Choose the United Kingdom and pick a number. (The 07700 900123 in our images is a fictional example from the range Ofcom keeps for TV and film.)
4. Label it "Work" or your business name, so you know at a glance which number a call or text came in on.

Wondering whether second number apps are allowed in the UK? See are second phone number apps legal and safe.

FAQ

Can I have a business number on my personal mobile in the UK?

Yes. You can add a separate UK work number to the phone you already have, either with a second number app that works over Wi-Fi or mobile data, or with a second mobile line on an eSIM or a second SIM. Your personal number stays private and you do not need a second phone.

Do I need a separate phone for my business as a sole trader?

Not necessarily. Many sole traders and freelancers keep one phone and add a second number for work. That gives clients and customers a number that is only for work, without carrying two handsets.

Can I claim my business phone number as an expense?

Usually the business part, yes. HMRC's Self Assessment helpsheet HS222 lists phone and mobile running costs as allowable, minus any private use. A number used only for work is easier to account for. Check with your accountant for your own situation.

Will a UK app number work for bank and app verification codes?

Not always. Many services check whether a number is a mobile or an internet (VoIP) line before sending a code, and some refuse internet numbers. Inovo Second Number receives verification codes from most services, not all. If verification is the main reason you need the number, a second mobile line on an eSIM or SIM gives you the best chance.

Can I keep the same work number for years?

With a paid number, yes, as long as your plan stays active. Free numbers are often reclaimed after a period of inactivity, which is a problem for a number on your invoices, listings or van. Inovo Second Number numbers are tied to active accounts: if your account is closed or the number expires due to inactivity, it is released and cannot be recovered, so keep your plan active and use the number regularly.

Can my team share one Inovo Second Number, or can I send bulk texts from it?

No. Inovo Second Number is one person's own work line for one-to-one calls and texts, with a limit of about 20 outbound texts a day. For a shared team number, call routing or bulk texts, use a business phone system or a business messaging provider.

Get a UK work number on the phone you already have. Inovo Second Number gives you a real UK, US or Canadian number for calls and texts, kept separate from your personal number. Download it on the App Store or Google Play and see plans in the app.