Google Voice alternatives for verification codes

Why Google Voice doesn’t work for everyone

• It is US only. Google says the personal versions “are only available in the US”, and they need a personal @gmail.com account.
• Setup needs a phone you already have. Google sends a code by text during setup, and the free plan needs a phone number to forward calls to.
• Some services won’t text it. Google’s help says some websites, such as banks or subscription services, won’t send text messages to Voice numbers, and suggests your mobile carrier number instead.
• An idle number can be taken back. Google may reclaim a number that isn’t used to call or text for 3 months, with 45 days after that to recover it.

What it does well, no paid option below matches on price: a free long-term number with calls, texts and voicemail inside your Google account. If you can get it and your services accept it, keep it. VerifyWith vs Google Voice compares the two directly.

The alternatives

Prices are as each provider states them on its own site or App Store listing, read on the date at the foot of the page.

1. A SIM or eSIM from a mobile carrier

   A carrier plan; prices vary

   Banks and services that turn app numbers away

   This is the answer Google itself gives when a site won’t text a Voice number. It is an ordinary phone line, it calls and texts, and you keep it for as long as you pay the plan.

   The catch: It needs a phone that can hold it and an ongoing plan with a carrier. It is the most commitment for a few codes.

2. Burner

   $7.99/month or $47.99/year on its website

   A second line that calls and texts, set up without a main cell number

   You can sign up with Apple or Google, without a main cell number. Calls, texts and pictures work over your data connection, and one account can hold many lines. For sites that reject its regular numbers, Burner sells a separate Verified Number at $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year.

   Its help centre says most verification systems accept Burner numbers, with “no guarantee”.

   The catch: Its App Store listing says it is not compatible with SMS short code services. Available in the US and Canada; in-app prices start at $9.99 a month.

3. Hushed

   $6.99/month (Unlimited plan)

   A US, Canadian or UK number that calls and texts

   The Unlimited plan includes unlimited local talk and text, and paying yearly saves up to 20%. Prepaid plans run 30, 90 or 365 days at $7.99 a month. Several lines can sit on one account.

   The catch: Hushed says some services allow its numbers to receive codes, depending on their policies, so whether a given app texts it is up to that app.

4. VerifyWith

   $3.99 a day to $34.99 a year

   Receiving codes only, from any country, in a browser

   A private, non-VoIP US number that only receives texts, rented for a day, a week, a month or a year. You sign in with an email code, Google, Apple or a passkey, so you need neither Gmail nor a US phone, and the card is only held until the first text arrives. Non-VoIP matters because many apps look up a number’s line type and refuse VoIP numbers, but it is not a promise that a given service accepts it.

   The catch: It can’t call or reply, a code read out by voice call won’t arrive, and some services refuse some numbers. When the rental ends, the number can be given to someone else.

   Get a VerifyWith number

5. Second Phone Number (Ever Apps)

   $4.99/month or $21.99/year on its website

   The lowest yearly price for calls and texts on this list

   An iPhone app with a US or Canadian number, calls, texts and picture messages over Wi-Fi or data. Plans bought on its website start at $2.99 a week and carry a 30-day money-back guarantee.

   The catch: It describes its number as virtual (VoIP) and says some platforms block those. iPhone only, and in-app prices are higher: $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year.

6. Free receive-SMS sites

   Free

   A test you don’t mind strangers seeing, never an account you keep

   They are free and need no sign-up, but they are not a private alternative to Google Voice. Every text sent to a listed number appears on a public page; receivesms.co, one of them, says plainly that “Messages to public numbers are not private.”

   The catch: Anyone can read your code, and anyone who knows your username can request a password reset to the same number.

If a service refused your Google Voice number

A refusal is usually about the kind of number, not about you. Many apps look up a number’s line type and refuse VoIP numbers, and another app’s number can get the same answer; why apps reject VoIP numbers explains the check. Burner’s own FAQ says some sites reject app-based numbers at sign-up.

So match the option to the reason. If the service is a bank, use a carrier number, as Google suggests. If you just need the code and no calls, a non-VoIP rental is worth a try: if the code never arrives, cancel within 24 hours. And if the account will text you again, at each new sign-in or for two-step verification, keep whatever number you choose for as long as the account; here is why.

Questions people ask

Can I get Google Voice outside the US?

Not the personal versions. Google says they are only available in the US and need a personal Gmail account.

Why won’t some websites send codes to my Google Voice number?

Google’s own help says some websites, such as banks or subscription services, won’t text Voice numbers, and suggests using your mobile carrier number. The website decides which numbers it accepts, so Google can’t change that for you.

Is there a free alternative to Google Voice for verification codes?

TextFree gives a free US or Canadian number, but it lists verification codes as part of its paid Plus upgrade. Free receive-SMS sites cost nothing but show every code on a public page, so they aren’t private.

Do I need a US phone number to set up Google Voice?

You need a phone that can receive texts, because Google sends a setup code by text, and the free plan needs a number to forward calls to. Google’s pages say personal Voice is available only in the US.