Virtual phone numbers have gone from a niche business tool to something millions of people use every day. Whether you need a US number for verification, a UK number for a business line, or a free number for WhatsApp and Telegram, the options in 2026 are better than ever.
But there is something most guides leave out: a virtual phone number alone does not make an account look real. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook track the device the account runs on, not just the phone number tied to it. If all your accounts share the same device fingerprint, they get linked regardless of how many different numbers you used to register them.
That is where Multilogin Cloud Phones come in. Each cloud phone is a real Android device running in the cloud, with its own SIM, IP, GPS settings, and hardware identifiers. You get an actual number on an actual device, not a virtual overlay on top of a shared environment.
This guide covers both: how to get a virtual phone number in 2026 using the most reliable options available, and what to do when you need something more robust.
What Is a Virtual Phone Number?
A virtual phone number is a telephone number that is not tied to a physical SIM card or a specific device. It works through the internet, forwarding calls and texts to wherever you set them to go. You can receive SMS, make calls, and use it for account verification, all without owning a second phone.
People use them for a lot of different reasons: keeping a business line separate from a personal number, registering accounts in countries they do not live in, protecting privacy, or verifying multiple accounts on the same platform.
There are a few types you will run into:
- Temporary or disposable numbers for one-time verification codes (SMS-only, short lifespan)
- Long-term virtual numbers for ongoing use, business lines, or persistent account registration
- VoIP numbers that support both calls and texts, often with apps like Google Voice or Skype
- Virtual SIM numbers tied to eSIM services, which behave more like real mobile numbers
Worth knowing: Many platforms now flag virtual numbers during verification. Google, Facebook, and WhatsApp have all gotten better at detecting VoIP numbers and rejecting them. If you hit that wall, the section on cloud phones below explains a more reliable path.
How to Get a Free Virtual Phone Number
Getting a free virtual phone number is genuinely possible, though free options come with trade-offs. Here are the most reliable ones in 2026.
Google Voice (US Only)
Google Voice remains the most reliable free virtual phone number for US users. You pick a number from available options, link it to your Google account, and can make calls, send texts, and receive verification codes. It works well for most platforms, though some (like WhatsApp) no longer accept it.
To get one: go to voice.google.com, sign in, choose a number, and verify with an existing US number. You need a US phone number to set it up the first time.
TextNow
TextNow gives you a free US or Canadian number that works for calls and texts. It is ad-supported, which is the trade-off. Numbers stay active as long as you use the app occasionally. Good for ongoing use rather than just one-time verification.
TextFree
Similar to TextNow, TextFree offers a free US number with calls and SMS. The free tier is functional but limited in minutes. Works on both iOS and Android.
Receive-SMS-Free Sites
There are dozens of websites that provide publicly shared temporary phone numbers for receiving SMS codes. Sites like receive-smss.com and sms-online.co give you a number you can use instantly, no account needed. The downside is everyone can see the messages, so these are strictly for throwaway verifications. Do not use them for anything sensitive.
Second Line Apps
Apps like Hushed, Burner, and Line2 offer free trials with a real virtual number. If you only need a number for a short period, the trial period covers it without paying.
Pro tip: Free numbers are often recycled and may have been used previously. If a platform says the number is “already registered,” try a different one from the same service. Most providers let you choose from multiple available numbers.
Paid Virtual Number Services Worth Using
If you need a number that works reliably, that platforms accept, and that you can keep for the long term, paid services are the better option. Here is what is worth your money in 2026.
Service | Best For | Starting Price | Countries |
Twilio | Developers, bulk SMS | ~$1/month per number | 100+ |
Vonage | Business VoIP | ~$13/month | 60+ |
Grasshopper | Small business lines | ~$16/month | US, Canada |
RingCentral | Teams, call routing | ~$20/user/month | 100+ |
OpenPhone | Startups, remote teams | ~$13/month | US, Canada |
Hushed | Privacy, burner numbers | ~$1.99/week | 60+ |
MySudo | Privacy-first users | ~$0.99/month | US |
For social media managers running multiple accounts, standard virtual number services start to show their limits pretty quickly. You can get numbers from dozens of countries, but the account still runs on your device, your IP, and your fingerprint. Platforms connect the dots. If you are managing accounts at any real scale, a dedicated solution for social media management makes more sense than stacking virtual numbers.
How to Get a Virtual Number by Country
How to Get a Virtual US Phone Number
For a free US number, Google Voice is the most reliable option if you already have a US number to verify with. TextNow and TextFree work as alternatives. For paid, Twilio or OpenPhone give you a real US number that most platforms accept without issues.
If you want a virtual US number and a real US device environment to match, Multilogin’s US proxy and cloud phone bundle gives you both. The cloud phone runs from US infrastructure with a matched IP and GPS location.
How to Get a Virtual UK Phone Number
For a UK number, Hushed, Skype, and Vonage all offer UK numbers at low cost. For free options, some receive-SMS sites have UK numbers available, though they are shared. Dedicated UK virtual numbers start around £1 to £2 per month with providers like VoIPfone or SIPGATE.
If you need a UK number with a matched UK environment for your accounts, Multilogin’s UK proxy bundle includes residential proxy traffic that matches your cloud phone’s location.
How to Get a Virtual Canadian Phone Number
TextNow is Canadian and covers Canada well for free numbers. For paid, Hushed, Fongo, and OpenPhone all offer Canadian numbers. Fongo is Canada-specific and includes free calls within Canada on the paid tier.
How to Get a Virtual Indian Phone Number
Getting an Indian virtual number from outside India is harder than most countries because Indian telecoms require KYC (Know Your Customer) verification under local regulations. Services like Twilio and TextLocal offer Indian numbers for businesses with proper documentation. For personal use, apps like JioCall or Airtel Thanks work if you are based in India.
How to Get a Virtual German Phone Number
Germany’s telecom regulations also require identity verification for most number registrations. Business-oriented services like Sipgate, Vonage, and Twilio can provision German numbers. Sipgate is particularly well-established in Germany and offers a straightforward signup for both personal and business use.
How to Get a Virtual Japanese Phone Number
Japan is strict about phone number registration. Most international VoIP providers do not offer Japanese numbers to foreign users. If you specifically need a Japanese mobile number for app verification, this is a case where a Japan-based cloud phone environment is a more practical solution than hunting for a standalone virtual number.
How to Get a Virtual Korean Phone Number
Similar situation to Japan. Korean numbers require local registration. Korean carriers like KT or LG U+ handle local setups. For international users needing a Korean number for account access, options on the purely-virtual side are limited.
Virtual Numbers for WhatsApp and Telegram
How to Get a Virtual Phone Number for WhatsApp
WhatsApp has gotten much stricter about virtual numbers over the past two years. Google Voice numbers, TextNow, and many VoIP numbers now get blocked during the verification step. The message you see is usually “This phone number is not allowed.”
What still works in 2026 for WhatsApp verification:
- SMS-activate.org (one-time numbers, not reusable)
- Virtual numbers tied to real eSIM services like iPlum or Airalo
- Twilio numbers (though WhatsApp blocks these more frequently now)
- Physical SIM cards forwarded through a service
If you are running multiple WhatsApp accounts for business, the most reliable approach is using cloud phones. Each cloud phone has its own mobile data environment, which WhatsApp treats as a separate device. No shared fingerprints, no linked accounts.
How to Get a Free Virtual Phone Number for Telegram
Telegram is more lenient than WhatsApp but still blocks obvious VoIP numbers. Google Voice works for Telegram in most regions. TextNow and TextFree also work reliably. If you hit a block, SMS-activate.org is a reliable fallback for Telegram verification codes specifically, with numbers available for under $0.50 in most countries.
For managing multiple Telegram accounts at scale, a dedicated setup keeps them from getting linked.
How to Get a Virtual Business Phone Number
Getting a virtual business phone number is a different use case than personal verification. Here you want something professional, persistent, and preferably with features like call routing, voicemail transcription, and team access.
Google Voice for Business (Google Workspace)
Starting at around $10 per user per month with a Google Workspace subscription, this is the most straightforward option for small teams already using Google’s tools. You get a dedicated business number, voicemail, call forwarding, and basic analytics.
OpenPhone
OpenPhone is probably the best pure-play virtual business phone service for small businesses and startups right now. Clean interface, shared inbox for teams, auto-replies, and integrations with Slack and HubSpot. US and Canadian numbers only, starting around $13 per user per month.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper is built specifically for small businesses that want a professional phone presence without a complicated setup. You can get a toll-free or local number, use extensions for different team members, and it all works through an app. Plans start around $16 per month for a single number with multiple extensions.
RingCentral
For larger teams or more complex call routing needs, RingCentral is the enterprise-grade option. It covers 100+ countries, handles video and messaging alongside calls, and integrates with most CRM platforms. More expensive and more feature-rich than you need if you are a team of two.
Virtual business address and phone number: If you need both a virtual address and phone number for a business presence in a specific city, services like iPostal1, Regus, and Alliance Virtual Offices bundle both. Useful for establishing a local presence in markets you are not physically in.
When You Need More Than a Virtual Number
Here is the reality of 2026: a phone number is just one signal. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter track dozens of signals at once. Device fingerprint, IP address, location data, how long accounts have been active, what actions they take. A fresh account registered with a virtual number and run from the same device as your other accounts will get flagged.
If you are a social media manager handling multiple client accounts, a creator running multiple brand profiles, or a team managing hundreds of accounts, the virtual number approach alone does not solve the underlying problem.
What actually works is giving each account its own complete environment: its own device, its own IP, its own location. That is exactly what Multilogin Cloud Phones are built to do.
What Multilogin Cloud Phones Give You
Each Multilogin cloud phone is a real Android device running in the cloud. Not an emulator, not a spoofed environment. Real hardware identifiers (IMEI, Android ID, MAC address), real mobile data connections, and real app storage that persists between sessions.
When you create a new account on a cloud phone, the platform sees a genuine Android device with its own connection and location. There is no shared fingerprint to trigger a link between your accounts.
You manage all of it from a single dashboard. Launch cloud phones, install apps from the built-in store or via APK, assign locations, and run bulk actions across multiple phones at once. The social media management workflow is built into the platform.
When you purchase Cloud Phones, you also get full access to Multilogin’s antidetect browser in the same dashboard. Mobile and web accounts, managed together, from one place. No separate tools, no extra cost.
Cloud Phones vs. Virtual Numbers: The Key Differences
Feature | Virtual Phone Number | Multilogin Cloud Phone |
Phone number | Yes (VoIP or virtual SIM) | Yes (mobile-grade, tied to device) |
Device identity | Shared (your device) | Unique per account (real Android hardware IDs) |
IP address | Your own IP | Dedicated mobile-grade proxy per phone |
GPS / location | Not included | Matched to chosen country/region |
Persistent app sessions | No | Yes (data, cache, logins saved) |
Runs native apps | No | Yes (any Android app) |
Account linking risk | High (shared device) | Low (isolated environments) |
Dashboard management | No | Yes (all accounts in one place) |
Automation support | No | Yes (Selenium, Puppeteer, API) |
Who Uses Cloud Phones
Social media managers running accounts for multiple clients use cloud phones to keep each client’s accounts completely isolated. Creators managing multiple brand accounts use them so TikTok or Instagram cannot connect the accounts through shared device data. Agencies use the bulk management features to launch, warm up, and run hundreds of accounts from a single organized dashboard.
If you are curious how this compares to other approaches, the cloud phones vs. antidetect browsers comparison breaks it down clearly. And if you are currently using a phone farm setup, cloud phones vs. physical phone farms is worth reading too.
Need a virtual phone number for your business? Try Multilogin Cloud Phones.
Conclusion
Virtual phone numbers solve a real problem but only part of it. They give you a number. They do not give you a device, an IP, a location, or a fingerprint. For anyone managing more than one or two accounts, or running accounts on platforms that track device signals, a virtual number alone leaves the job half done.
Multilogin Cloud Phones complete the picture by giving each account a real Android device with a real number, a real IP, and a real location, all managed from one dashboard.
Frequently asked questions About How to Get a Virtual Phone Number in 2026
Yes, with limits. Google Voice gives you a permanent free US number as long as you keep the account active. TextNow and TextFree also offer free numbers that persist with regular use. The catch is that free numbers are more likely to be flagged by platforms as VoIP and rejected during verification.
It depends on the type of number. Most VoIP numbers (Google Voice, TextNow) are now blocked by WhatsApp. Numbers from SMS-activate services or eSIM providers have a higher success rate. For running multiple WhatsApp accounts reliably, cloud phones with mobile-grade connections work better than virtual numbers alone.
The most reliable options are numbers from SMS-activate.org (fresh, one-time numbers from real carriers), eSIM services like Airalo, or a cloud phone with a real mobile data connection. Real carrier numbers tied to actual SIM infrastructure are far less likely to be flagged than pure VoIP numbers.
A temporary number (also called a disposable or burner number) is meant for single-use verification and expires after a short time or a set number of uses. A virtual number is a persistent phone number you can keep and use long-term, similar to a real phone number but not tied to a physical SIM.
SMS-only virtual numbers are available from services like SMSpool, SMS-activate, and many receive-SMS websites. These are typically the cheapest option, often under $0.20 per number per use for one-time codes. For ongoing SMS reception, Twilio allows you to provision SMS-capable numbers in most countries at low monthly cost.
