Table of Contents:
In today’s world each new website and app requires you to attach a mobile number to verify your identity. But quite often we face the situation when we don’t have a suitable number at hand and obtaining a SIM of a particular country is too challenging in terms of time and effort. Here is when obtaining a UK virtual mobile number for renting in a matter of minutes can be very helpful.
How else can you use a virtual phone number of United Kingdom, is it safe to use these numbers, and how to obtain one? Let’s explore these questions throughout today’s blog post.
What is a UK Virtual Number for SMS?
Unlike a cellular phone number, virtual phone numbers for SMS have a temporary lifespan and are used for certain purposes. These numbers are generated by a virtual (remote) equipment on a provider’s side and operate without being tied to a SIM card and specific devices.
Since virtual numbers either have no geolocation connection, this tool grants various benefits to a customer, that are:
- Obtaining a number of a required country — from anywhere in the world. In other words, you don’t have to be in Great Britain to purchase and leverage a UK virtual phone number.
- Wide range of country codes provided — though, it all depends on a specific provider. With SMS-Man, you have access to numbers from 190+ countries.
- Diverse rental period. These numbers are designed for a limited use period that means that they expire after being used — with SMS-Man, you can purchase a disposable number or rent it for up to 90 days.
- Enhanced anonymity and data privacy. Utilizing a disposable virtual number enables you to maintain anonymity and protect your personal data from possible leaks when registering to online services. Thus, to mask your primary phone number to ASOS, it’s possible to leverage a UK virtual phone number instead.
- Affordable price. Compared to buying a new SIM card, this technology is more cost-effective with the starting price from $0.5 per number. Though, you need to take into account that rental numbers are made for short-term purposes.
When Do You Need a UK Virtual Phone Number?
There are many purposes for how you can apply this digital tool. First, what kind of apps accept virtual numbers not to compromise a real phone number? Pretty much all of them, or many:
- Instant messengers and social networks. These ones seem to be the most widely used apps that ask for a mobile number when registering. Leveraging a virtual phone instead of your main number is especially helpful when it comes to engaging in little-known local apps that you will hardly use for more than 2–3 times.
- Ecommerce platforms and websites selling products and services. When placing an order in an online store, if you don’t have a registered account yet, it typically asks you to complete a quick sign-up by filling in an email address,mobile number, and password. The same is relevant when you sign up for newsletters notifying about service updates from your favorite companies.
- Dating apps. Here, a United Kingdom phone number with limited duration can resolve a number of issues. First, when it comes to such a delicate topic, it’s not that safe to share your primary number with dating apps like Tinder, Bumble or Hinge, because they often become a target for hacker attacks. And not many of them have advanced protection to prevent leaks.
Common Use Cases to Utilize a UK Virtual Mobile Number
While most popular use cases include:
- Phone number verification in online services in Great Britain. Virtual number is an effective substitute for receiving a confirmation code when registering in various online platforms and apps.
- Registering a new account. Since most online services stick to the user policy ‘one profile for one user’, it’s typical to require a unique phone number for each new account. Here is how the platform confirms that an account owner is a new user.
- To restore a blocked account. If you have got a ban in WhatsApp, TikTok, Discord or other social media, to recover your account, it typically requires you to submit a mobile number that wasn’t attached before. Here, leveraging a virtual number will be helpful.
- Multi-accounting and mass-following. Virtual phone numbers are also a proven method when you need to register a bulk of accounts at once to promote a business community or a brand page in social networks, manage multiple stores on aggregators like Shopify, and more.
Well, OK, but are temporary numbers safe to use for receiving a security code? Next, let’s look at how they are protected next.
How to Get a UK Virtual Mobile Number?
With SMS-Man’s smooth and uncluttered interface, it’s just a matter of a few minutes. Here is what you need to do to obtain a UK virtual mobile number for SMS receiving:
- Register on sms-man.com with an email address or join it via Google+.
- Replenish the balance with conventional money or cryptocurrency — VISA and diverse payment systems are supported.
- At ‘Receive SMS’ in the side menu, select a required country (UK) and look for a service you need to register. Tap ‘Buy.’
- Copy the number from ‘History’ under the selection options and use it for registration.
- In the SMS-Man profile, reveal an OTP by tapping the ‘Get SMS’ button next to the number.
- Use it to complete the registration procedure.