Ever feel weary to give out your phone number to a guy you just met on Grindr or another dating app? Find someone who seems nice on Tinder and they want to take the conversation off the platform, but you don’t really know them yet? Maybe you’re feeling unsure about giving that person you met on Bumble or Hinge your contact info in case things go sideways after you meet. Online dating is just one of the many reasons why it’s a good idea to have a second number on your phone. And it’s easier (and cheaper) to get than you might think!
Just over 5 years ago I signed up for a second phone number through an app called Hushed and I’ve loved having it on my iPhone ever since (they have an Android version too). Originally I wanted to have another number to separate my business calls from my personal calls. When calls would go to my Hushed number I knew to answer with my business name and it helped keep my text messages organized between work clients and friends/family.
Now I use it for a variety of reasons: from when I list something for sale on Craigslist and potential buyers want to text/chat with me, to entering contests when they need a phone number to contact the winner (and potentially advertise to them later). I mostly use it as a second local number (which for me is in Vancouver, Canada), but a few years ago when I went to Los Angeles for a month I changed it so I could have a local number while I was there. Super convenient for a variety of reasons and the crazy part is I only paid for it once and it’s been free to use ever since!
Normally Hushed has 3 different pricing plans, ranging from $1.99 to $4.99 per month, which certainly isn’t expensive for a second line when you consider how much it would cost to get another number through a regular cell service provider (ie. paying for two plans), but they’ve put together a special deal for my readers though to be able to sign up for a lifetime plan like I have, with an incredible 83% discount!
Hushed really is the easiest way to get a second phone number for calling and texting. I bought my lifetime plan in 2015 and have been using it ever since, without ever paying any extra. It allows me to make private calls, send texts, picture messages, and have the ability to manage multiple numbers… all in one easy-to-use app for iOS and Android phones.
My favourite part about it is the privacy it provides in a number of situations that you might deal with on a daily basis like business, travel and buying and selling products online. And of course, like I mentioned at the start of this post – it’s great for dating or hookups too. It can feel pretty uncomfortable to give out your phone number to someone new, who you can’t fully trust with your personal contact info yet, so having a second number (that you can easily change at any point) is a fantastic feature to have on your phone that you’ll surely find ways to use time and time again.
This post is not sponsored, but contains an affiliate link which provides a discounted rate and compensates me for passing the deal on to you!
Does not work. I signed up and paid but Grindr says it’s an invalid number. Don’t waste your time!
Oh no… so the phone number you got is working for calls & texting, but Grindr won’t actually accept it?