I solely give my actual quantity to folks, not corporations

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I shudder each time I get a telephone name from an unknown quantity. I dread trying on the lots of of unread textual content messages in my inbox. No, I’m not being melodramatic. I don’t find out about you, however I’ve been very lax with securing my telephone quantity. Each app, each meals supply service, each purchasing web site that I’ve logged into has my telephone quantity. On the time of signing up for these companies, it appeared like the apparent factor to do. In any case, if the supply man wants to search out my tackle, he’ll should name me for help. Plus, it makes sign-in a lot simpler on companies that default to telephone numbers. As innocent as this appears, it’s opened up a world of ache for me.

As soon as your telephone quantity is within the arms of a enterprise, it stops being yours.

For years my telephone has been cluttered with spam texts, undesirable messages, and extra robocalls than I understand how to deal with. I’d be pulling out my hair if it weren’t for name screening companies like TrueCaller. However even the perfect of those is way from good. The purpose is, the quantity that was supposed to attach me with household, associates, and colleagues is now up for grabs as a goal for digital promoting. And I didn’t join that. However determined occasions name for determined measures, and there's a method out.

How massive of an issue are spam and robocalls for you? 49 votes

I am drowning in spam messages and rip-off calls.

37%

Not a lot.

63%

Turning level

<img class="e_ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="spam calls" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/spam-calls-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/spam-calls-64w-36h.jpeg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/spam-calls-1000w-563h.jpeg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/spam-calls-1920w-1080h.jpeg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/spam-calls-1536w-864h.jpeg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/spam-calls-675w-380h.jpeg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/spam-calls-300w-170h.jpeg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/spam-calls-1280w-720h.jpeg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/spam-calls-840w-472h.jpeg 840w" alt="spam calls" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/spam-calls-scaled.jpeg"/> Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

For me, the turning level got here one night after I missed an pressing name from household as a result of I’d switched off my telephone’s vibration alert after a number of back-to-back spam calls. That may be a no-go. That was it. My telephone quantity is mine, and it ought to solely be obtainable to the folks I give it to. The answer? So simple as it sounds — a secondary quantity. As drastic because it appears, conserving a secondary quantity has been the simplest trick to maintain spammers and scammers at bay.

My telephone quantity is mine, and it ought to solely be obtainable to the folks I give it to.

It'd sound like I’m making a mountain out of a molehill, however hear me out. Your telephone quantity isn’t only a telephone quantity. It’s how folks attain you, it’s the way you management your focus, your time, and your peace of thoughts throughout a busy workday. As a lot as our telephones are gateways to the web, that telephone quantity continues to be a crucial a part of the puzzle.

And as soon as your telephone quantity is within the arms of an organization, it stops being yours. Whereas international locations within the European Union may need sturdy GDPR-based information safety legal guidelines, that’s not the case worldwide. As soon as your quantity is of their arms, it’s a free for all for advertisements, for spam, for interruptions, and to be bought additional forward to information aggregators. Furthermore, there’s no option to undo it after the actual fact.

Why a second telephone line makes good sense

<img class="e_ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="spam messages on a Pixel phone" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-messages-on-a-Pixel-phone.jpg 2048w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-messages-on-a-Pixel-phone-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-messages-on-a-Pixel-phone-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-messages-on-a-Pixel-phone-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-messages-on-a-Pixel-phone-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-messages-on-a-Pixel-phone-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-messages-on-a-Pixel-phone-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-messages-on-a-Pixel-phone-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-messages-on-a-Pixel-phone-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="spam messages on a Pixel phone" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-messages-on-a-Pixel-phone.jpg"/> Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

I didn’t come to this quite excessive answer as my first step. I’ve tried apps that provided momentary numbers and e mail authentication the place potential. However neither of those is a everlasting answer. Inevitably, you'll run right into a service that won't allow you to enroll with no legitimate telephone quantity. Furthermore, I wished a quantity that might be able to receiving two-factor authentication codes. That’s a no-go with a brief quantity. So, I settled on the, frankly, simpler possibility of getting a second SIM card.

This SIM card is devoted to be used with apps, on-line companies, and something or anybody that wants a quantity however doesn’t must contact me personally. I’m utilizing an affordable pay as you go plan with simply the minimal fundamentals to make sure I get verification codes. Actually, more often than not I simply change off that second SIM until I’m anticipating a textual content code. When it’s on, I ignore any errant calls. Easy as that. However this singular step in the direction of separating my private life from my public-facing quantity has remodeled my day-to-day expertise. My actual telephone quantity is completely mine once more. When it rings, it’s nearly all the time somebody who is definitely attempting to get in contact with me, and I’m more likely to choose up the decision.

It doesn’t should be a bodily SIM card both. You should use an eSIM as an alternative for added comfort whereas nonetheless getting all the advantages of having the ability to disable calls, mute messages, or fetch one-time passwords. Personally, I favor bodily SIM playing cards, however the precept of separation stays the identical.

The secondary quantity is successfully disposable — if spam will get out of hand, I can toss it and begin recent.

What’s significantly stunning with this strategy is how easy it's. The plain discount in spam comes with the added advantages of management. The secondary quantity is successfully disposable, and if spam begins going out of hand as soon as once more, I can simply toss the quantity and begin afresh. There’s additionally the psychological shift that comes with it. Once I join a service, I've the selection of giving it my actual quantity or the burner. In follow, nearly no service aside from maybe my financial institution deserves my fundamental quantity. It’s made me much more deliberate in giving out my telephone quantity. And sure, you should use the identical strategy when handing out your quantity to folks as nicely. However hey, you didn’t hear that from me.

Along with comfort, there are actual safety benefits, too. When your actual quantity is not linked to a service, you scale back the danger of it being uncovered in a knowledge breach or leaked by way of an app. You scale back the possibilities of phishing assaults or impersonation. You aren’t counting on a single level of contact. Two-factor authentication for crucial companies, like my financial institution, nonetheless stays tied to my fundamental quantity. However the probability of my financial institution leaking out information is far decrease than the web retailer I purchase t-shirts from. Primarily, dangerous actors may get entry to your disposable quantity, however this strategy drastically reduces the possibilities of your fundamental quantity and its related companies being hacked.

It’s not an ideal strategy

<img class="e_ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="huawei mate 20 pro review aa nano memory tray dual sim 18" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/huawei-mate-20-pro-review-aa-nano-memory-tray-dual-sim-18.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/huawei-mate-20-pro-review-aa-nano-memory-tray-dual-sim-18-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/huawei-mate-20-pro-review-aa-nano-memory-tray-dual-sim-18-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/huawei-mate-20-pro-review-aa-nano-memory-tray-dual-sim-18-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/huawei-mate-20-pro-review-aa-nano-memory-tray-dual-sim-18-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/huawei-mate-20-pro-review-aa-nano-memory-tray-dual-sim-18-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/huawei-mate-20-pro-review-aa-nano-memory-tray-dual-sim-18-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/huawei-mate-20-pro-review-aa-nano-memory-tray-dual-sim-18-840w-472h.jpg 840w" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/huawei-mate-20-pro-review-aa-nano-memory-tray-dual-sim-18.jpg"/> In fact, no strategy is ideal and this one isn’t both. For one, there’s an additional price to it. Even when you’re on a pay as you go plan with the naked minimal companies subscribed to, you’re nonetheless taking a look at some money outlay each month. It may also be mildly annoying. I are inclined to preserve the second quantity toggled off, and also you’ll should manually change it again on anytime you’re anticipating a verification code. When you’re at it, count on a barrage of spam texts as nicely.

Lastly, in case your telephone doesn’t assist twin SIM playing cards or a secondary eSIM card slot, this strategy falls flat. You might get an old-school flip telephone that solely accepts telephone calls and texts, however that may be pushing it so far as comfort goes. Barring that, most of those aren’t points aren’t dealbreakers, however they’re value conserving in thoughts.

Now, some may say that it is a lot of effort for coping with spam. Paying for a second quantity, managing the SIM for authentication codes, and many others. However truthfully, as soon as it's built-in into your workflow, the hassle is fairly minimal in comparison with the advantages. In actual fact, as soon as arrange, it doesn’t want a lot handbook intervention in any respect. I hardly ever even take into consideration the secondary line until I’m anticipating a verification code. In the meantime, my life continues as regular on my fundamental quantity, minus the spam.

Neither is this strategy new and novel. Folks have been utilizing burner telephones and disposable numbers for years, however the trendy implementation, in case your telephone helps it, makes it a lot simpler and cleaner. Between eSIMs, pay as you go SIM playing cards, and low cost secondary plans, it’s simple and reasonably priced sufficient so as to add a second line and construct a digital boundary.

Higher safety with a facet of sanity

<img class="e_ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="spam calls on a Pixel phone" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-calls-on-a-Pixel-phone.jpg 2048w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-calls-on-a-Pixel-phone-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-calls-on-a-Pixel-phone-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-calls-on-a-Pixel-phone-1920w-1080h.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-calls-on-a-Pixel-phone-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-calls-on-a-Pixel-phone-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-calls-on-a-Pixel-phone-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-calls-on-a-Pixel-phone-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-calls-on-a-Pixel-phone-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="spam calls on a Pixel phone" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/spam-calls-on-a-Pixel-phone.jpg"/> Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

On the finish of the day, for me no less than, segregating telephone numbers isn’t nearly spam. It’s about establishing boundaries between what’s necessary and what’s not. A telephone quantity could appear to be simply ten digits, however in follow, it represents your consideration, your time, and your willingness to be interrupted throughout a busy day or a calming trip.

Firms will proceed to demand your quantity, however they don’t want the true one.

This small act of separation additionally adjustments the way you view know-how. When your actual quantity is reserved for folks, each name and message on that line feels intentional. You cease bracing your self for or dreading spam calls and as an alternative count on significant contact. It’s had a tangible impact on my anger and stress ranges. I’m not an indignant particular person by nature, however even essentially the most stoic particular person would fail to be calm after the tenth name promoting you a credit score, insurance coverage or a mortgage. I additionally suppose this follow has implications past telephone numbers. Identical to telephone numbers, it’s necessary to be conscious of the quantity of knowledge you might be giving entry to whereas utilizing apps, e mail signups or net companies. However that’s fodder for yet one more article.

If something, I want I had began sustaining twin telephone traces earlier. The peace of thoughts I get from realizing my actual quantity is non-public has made each little bit of the hassle worthwhile. My day by day name log is actually quite a bit cleaner, and my texts are from folks I do know. Most significantly, my telephone not seems like a public billboard. Firms will proceed to demand your quantity, however they don’t want the true one. They by no means actually did.