Have you ever wanted to create an account on a website but didn’t want to provide your real phone number? Or do you live in a country where you don’t have a U.S. phone number, but the service requires one? Or are you just tired of getting spam calls after signing up for yet another service?
There’s a simple solution—a virtual number for SMS verification. I’ll explain how it works and where to get one.
Why do you need this at all?
Situations that thousands of people face every day:
Signing up for international services. ChatGPT, some U.S. exchanges, and marketplaces require a U.S. number for verification. If you’re from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, India, or Nigeria—your local number simply isn’t accepted.
Multiple accounts on a single platform. Telegram, WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram—all of these are tied to a phone number. One phone = one account. If you run multiple businesses or projects, you need different numbers.
Don’t want to expose your personal number. You sign up for a forum, marketplace, or new service—and then calls start pouring in from unknown numbers. A virtual number receives the SMS, you get the code, and then you simply stop using that number.
App testing. Developers and marketers often need test accounts—without real SIM cards, this can’t be done the usual way.
What is a virtual number?
It’s a regular phone number—American, British, German, or any other—that exists online, without a physical SIM card. When an SMS arrives at this number, you see it in your personal account on the website.
All you need to do is enter this number during registration, wait a few seconds, receive the code, and enter it. Your account is created.
Why free services don’t work
The internet is full of sites offering “free” public numbers. There’s just one problem: everyone can see these numbers. Anyone can log in and read all incoming SMS messages. Most of these numbers have long been blacklisted by Facebook, Google, Telegram, TikTok, and other platforms—registration through them simply won’t work.
Additionally, if someone has already registered an account using this number before you, you’ll get an “number already in use” error.
A paid virtual number is your personal number. No one but you can see or use it.
How it works — step by step
I’ll demonstrate using the example of registering on WhatsApp with a U.S. number.
Step 1. Go to tellabot.com and sign up—username, email, and password. You can also provide your Telegram ID to contact support.
Step 2. Verify your email, then go to Billing → Top Up in the menu and add funds using cryptocurrency. The minimum amount is $10.
Step 3. In the menu, go to Services → One-time Numbers and search for “WhatsApp.”
Step 4. Purchase the number. It will appear on your page and remain active for 15 minutes.
Step 5. Open WhatsApp and enter this number as your phone number.
Step 6. WhatsApp sends an SMS with a code. The code appears on the same page after a few seconds.
Step 7. Enter the code—your account is created. Done.
The whole process takes a few minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this legal? Yes. Virtual numbers are a legal tool used by companies for corporate communications, developers for testing, and ordinary people to protect their privacy.
What if the SMS doesn’t arrive? If the SMS doesn’t arrive within the allotted time, the funds will be refunded to your balance.
Can I use one number for multiple services? It’s best not to—one number per registration. However, you can buy several numbers in a row; it’s still cheaper than buying an additional SIM card.
A virtual number isn’t a way to get around something prohibited. It’s
simply a tool that gives you control over which number you show to a
particular service. Just as you have a work email and a personal email,
you can also have a separate number for registrations (and other
services).
Top comments (0)