Free second number apps: which ones get verification codes?
Compare Google Voice, TextNow, Hushed, Burner and 2ndLine using official policies. See what costs extra and when a temporary SMS number fits.
Your second number receives texts from friends. Then a verification code never arrives. Before buying an upgrade or downloading another app, check two things: whether your number app supports codes, and whether the service sending the code accepts that number.
Google Voice receives texts, but some senders refuse its numbers. TextNow supports most codes with an activated SIM or eligible subscription. Hushed gives no verification guarantee. Burner distinguishes Standard and Verified numbers. TextNow's 2ndLine makes no code-receiving promise in its official listing.
These are documented policies, not delivery tests. We read the official pages on October 4, 2026. None establishes a number that every website must accept.
Compare the five apps before you pay
Free calling and texting is not the same offer as free verification. Here is what each provider documents. Prices below are in US dollars.
| App | Free or paid? | What the official source says about codes |
|---|---|---|
| Google Voice, basic personal plan | $0 subscription; US only. Plans. | Some websites will not send texts to Voice numbers. Messaging policy. |
| TextNow | Free number available in North America; code support has conditions. | Activate a SIM or subscribe to Lock In Number or Ad-Free+; sender restrictions remain. Code policy. |
| Hushed | Paid prepaid or subscription plans. Pricing. | Does not intentionally block codes, but does not guarantee third-party verification. Code policy. |
| Burner | Paid plans; eligible new app users get a three-day trial. Plans. | Standard numbers may work; a separate Verified subscription offers broader compatibility, according to Burner. Code policy. |
| 2ndLine by TextNow | Free Wi-Fi calls and texts; in-app purchases. | The developer's listing does not establish verification support or a code-specific price. Official listing. |
Treat the table as a checklist, not a ranking. A paid receiving feature cannot force a bank, social platform or email provider to accept your number. Ask the sender about its requirements before spending money specifically for that account.
Can Google Voice receive verification codes?
Sometimes. Google's messaging help gives the limitation in one sentence:
Some websites, such as banks or subscription services, won’t send text messages to Google Voice numbers.
Google suggests your mobile carrier number in those cases. It also says to check Spam for a missing text. Its restriction on sending texts to five- or six-digit short codes is a different issue; it does not say all incoming verification texts are blocked.
The subscription comparison lists basic personal Voice at $0, available only in the US, with another phone number required for verification. New number requests also require identity verification: government-issued ID and an address. Calls and messages remain unavailable until that process is complete. Free does not mean you can obtain an active number instantly.
Can TextNow receive codes without a paid plan?
Not simply because you have a free Wi-Fi number. TextNow's June 23, 2026 code policy lists three routes: activate a TextNow SIM, buy Lock In Number, or buy Ad-Free+. These support most codes, while some senders refuse TextNow's VoIP numbers.
A subscription fixes a receiving-plan limitation, not the sender's acceptance rule. Nor does activating a SIM establish that your number has become non-VoIP.
TextNow explains that inactive free Wi-Fi numbers are recycled, creating access risks for accounts tied to them. Lock In Number prevents loss through inactivity; check its price in the app. The help page does not publish a fixed price.
Registration is limited to North America. Its code policy separately warns that Canadian codes are largely unsupported and advises against buying a subscription for that purpose.
Is Hushed a non-VoIP number for verification?
Do not buy it on that assumption. Hushed's verification help tells you to check whether the sender permits VoIP. Hushed does not intentionally block codes, but other services can prevent them from being sent. It also rules out free replacement numbers for this problem.
Its pricing page lists a continental-US/Canada single-line unlimited plan at $6.99 monthly or $66.99 yearly, before tax. Prepaid plans also exist. Longer access does not add a verification guarantee.
Hushed is not described as US-only: it publishes a country exclusion list. Check your location and number availability. Its terms describe a secondary service, rather than a substitute for your primary phone number.
Can a Burner number work for verification?
Burner's September 10, 2026 help page says its numbers can be used for website verification. Its claim that most systems accept them is the provider's statement, not a success rate we tested. Third-party policies can change. Support offers to try a replacement without guaranteeing a fix.
There are two products to distinguish. Burner describes Standard numbers as online numbers, which some sites refuse. It describes Verified numbers as similar to mobile numbers and accepted by more websites. That does not establish a mobile result in a line-type database.
Verified pricing is $9.99 monthly or $59.99 yearly. It is a separate subscription. The plans page says you first need to purchase a Standard number to access the Verified purchase option, though you need not keep both. Standard pricing varies with promotions; check the offered price. That page also lists a separate Dual SIM product: do not confuse it with Verified.
Burner's download-region help includes the US, Canada and Australia. A US-only assumption would miss that distinction.
What about 2ndLine?
Here, 2ndLine means 2ndLine – Second Phone Number by TextNow, Inc., package com.enflick.android.tn2ndLine. Its developer listing offers a free US-area-code number for Wi-Fi calls and texts and identifies the TextNow affiliation.
That is not enough to transfer TextNow's code policy to this app. The listing mentions no verification policy, no code-specific price and no list of countries where you can register. Similarly named apps have different publishers. Check the developer and ask its support before paying for codes; a review saying one code arrived is not a service commitment.
What line type does the sender see?
Twilio's documentation names Google Voice as an example of nonFixedVoip: an online virtual number that does not require a physical device. TextNow and Hushed discuss VoIP in their code policies. Burner uses different product descriptions; we did not measure any of these numbers.
Do not turn those statements into an exact lookup result for every number. For the database mechanism, see what a non-VoIP number means. A different app name, paid tier or area code is not evidence that the sender's requirements have changed.
When a temporary SMS number can fit
A temporary number can fit a permitted, short-lived signup when you want to keep your personal number private, the service accepts the offered number, and you will not depend on it for later access. If the service requires a permanently controlled number, choose a number you can keep.
Read the delivery channel before buying. SMS only cannot handle a voice call, missed call, email or code sent inside another app. Changing the number does not change the channel the service requires.
Ativa SMS reserves the number for you alone while it is active, for up to 20 minutes, depending on the option. The deadline appears before purchase. You can request another SMS at no extra charge while it remains active. After expiration, the number is released and cannot be retrieved for account recovery.
If no SMS arrives before expiration, the amount returns to your balance automatically. You can also cancel or change the number and receive the amount back before a code arrives; some options require a two-minute wait. Once the code arrives, a later account block is not refundable. The app can still reject the number or block the account under its own rules.
When not to use a temporary number
Do not attach a short reservation to an account you need to recover later. That includes:
- Banking and payment accounts, where losing future access can lock you out of your money.
- Your main email, which you rely on to recover other accounts.
- Your everyday WhatsApp, personal or for work.
- Any account that requires ongoing access to the same number, including repeated SMS sign-ins.
For these, keep a mobile line you control and maintain your recovery options. A code arriving today does not give you control of that number next month.
Use numbers only where the receiving service's rules permit it. Ativa SMS does not allow fraud or using its service to get around another service's terms. Read the terms of use.
Check the offer before reserving
If a short SMS reservation fits, compare the current options and prices. Ativa SMS shows the deadline and delivery rate when the provider supplies one; a rate is not a promise. You can create an account with your name and email.
Funding is crypto-only: USDT, USDC or Bitcoin, credited in dollars. The minimum is $10 in value, with currency minimums of 25 USDT or 15 USDC. Balance does not expire. Check these requirements before choosing a temporary reservation over a recurring second-number plan.
For a permitted one-time SMS check, see prices and temporary number limits for WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram.
Sources
All accessed on October 4, 2026.
- Google Voice: subscription types, messaging restrictions, identity verification, and additional terms.
- TextNow: verification codes, Lock In Number, Ad-Free+, and country availability.
- Hushed: verification policy, pricing, country exclusions, and terms.
- Burner: third-party verification, Standard versus Verified, Verified prices, plans, download regions, and terms.
- TextNow, Inc.: 2ndLine's official Android listing.
- Twilio: Line Type Intelligence, including the Google Voice example.
- Ativa SMS: product information and terms.