- Google Voice, TextNow, TextFree and 2ndLine each give you a US number for $0 that calls and texts out. You pay in other ways: an ID check and a phone to link, ads, or a number taken back when you stop using it.
- ExpressNumber is free for the first 7 days, with $0 today. It takes calls and texts and never makes them, so it fits a number you hand out that rings the phone you already carry.
- Your mobile carrier sells second lines at its own price, and business phone apps give a free trial of 7 to 14 days before they charge per user.
Free phone number
Here is how to get a free phone number in 2026, and what each free option really costs you.
Every real way to get a free US phone number, side by side, with the catch each one has. Each fact was read on the company's own page.
$0 todayEvery fact about another service was read on that company's own page, linked at the foot of this page.
These are the ways to get a free phone number, side by side.
Checked October 2026 on each company's own pages. ExpressNumber is first.
| Option | What is free | The catch | Calls and texts out | What you need to start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
7 daysA real US number that rings the phone you already carry. $0 today. | Then $9.99 a month for 5 numbers. | No. Receive-only: calls and texts come in, none go out. | A US or Canada mobile for the calls to ring. Live in about a minute. | |
| PlansID checkInactive numbers | A US number at no charge, for personal use. | Needs a personal Gmail account, a phone number to forward calls to and a government ID check. Google may reclaim a number after 3 months without a call or text. | Yes. When you call from the US, almost all calls to the US and Canada are free. | A personal @gmail.com account. US only. |
| PlansInactive numbers | A free local number, with talk and text paid for by ads. | Ads. A number that has not sent a text or made a call in a while is removed from the account. Lock In Number is $1.99 a week. | Yes. Talk and text are free on the Free plan. | The TextNow app, or a TextNow SIM. |
| Free number | A free number with free calls and texts, paid for by ads. | Ads. The number expires after 30 days without a call or text. TextFree Plus is $9.99 a month. | Yes. Free texts, and free calls over Wi-Fi or mobile data. | You live in the US or Canada. No SIM card or phone plan. |
| FAQ | A second number with free calling and messaging, on Android. | Banner ads. The free version recycles your number after a period of inactivity. | Yes. Free to numbers in the US and Canada. | An Android phone. |
Only if your carrier offers an added line at no charge. | It is a line on your plan, priced by your carrier, and tied to your account with them. | Yes. Calls and texts like your first line. | An account with a mobile carrier. | |
| QuoDialpadRingCentral | 7 to 14 daysQuo gives 7, Dialpad Connect and RingCentral give 14. | Priced per user once the trial ends. RingCentral's trial has no SMS. | Partly. Business calling, with texting that varies by trial. | A business sign-up. More on the free virtual phone number page. |
Which one fits you
Pick the free option by what the number has to do.
You need to call and text out from the number.
Use an app that calls out.Google Voice, TextNow, TextFree or 2ndLine.
You want to hand out a number that rings the phone you already carry.
Use ExpressNumber.Free for 7 days, $0 today.
You need numbers for a team.
Start a business phone trial.Quo 7 days, Dialpad Connect 14, RingCentral 14.
Free numbers can be taken back
How long a free number can sit unused before it is taken back.
- TextFree30 days
- Google Voice3 months
- TextNowIn a while
- 2ndLineA period
Each period is as the company's own page states it. TextNow and 2ndLine do not state one.
Each way is built for a different job, so pick by the job.
Start from what the number has to do.
To call and text out from the number, pick an app that calls out.
Google Voice, TextNow, TextFree and 2ndLine all call and text out for $0. Read the catch column first: ads, a number that expires, or an ID check.
To hand out a number that rings the phone you already carry, pick a receive-only number.
ExpressNumber is free for 7 days, then $9.99 a month for 5 numbers. It takes calls and texts and never makes them, so you answer on your own phone.
To give a team a business number, start with a business phone trial.
Quo gives 7 days, Dialpad Connect 14 and RingCentral 14, and all three are priced per user after that.
To keep a second personal line, compare the free apps with a line from your carrier.
A free app keeps your second number inside the app. A line from your carrier is a line on your plan.
To use a number once and drop it, check how each option lets you swap.
TextNow lets you change a number once every 15 days, and TextFree once on its free plan.
To put a number on a website or an invoice, a virtual number is built for it.
A virtual number lives on the carrier network, not on a SIM, so it can ring whichever phone you choose.
This is the ExpressNumber free week on a phone.
- Pick a US area code and the number is live in about a minute.
- Calls ring the phone you already carry, with no app.
- Texts land in your inbox, in the browser, on any device.
- Burn the number in one tap when it starts attracting spam.
9:41
Your numbers
Marketplace
(415) 555-0142
Forwarding
Dating
(212) 555-0166
Texts only
Car dealer
(305) 555-0118
Blocked
Rentals
(646) 555-0187
Forwarding
Deliveries
(332) 555-0168
Forwarding
These are the questions people ask first.
Yes. Google Voice, TextNow, TextFree and 2ndLine each give a US number for $0, and ExpressNumber is free for the first 7 days. Every one has a catch, and the table puts each catch next to its option.
It depends on the job. To call and text out, Google Voice, TextNow, TextFree and 2ndLine all work. Google Voice asks for a personal Gmail account, a phone to link and an ID check, and the other three are paid for by ads. To hand out a number that rings the phone you already carry, use ExpressNumber.
TextFree says its number needs no SIM card and no phone plan, only a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection. Google Voice needs a phone number to forward calls. ExpressNumber rings the phone you already carry, so it works with the plan you already have.
A free number can be taken back when you stop using it. TextFree expires a number after 30 days without a call or text, and Google Voice may reclaim one after 3 months. TextNow removes a number that has not sent a text or made a call in a while, and 2ndLine recycles one after a period of inactivity.
TextNow, TextFree and 2ndLine are paid for by ads, and each sells a way to remove them. The Google Voice pages we read mention no ads. ExpressNumber shows no ads on any plan.
No. ExpressNumber numbers take calls and texts and never make them: you answer calls on your own phone, and you cannot reply to a text from the inbox. To call and text out from a second number, use one of the apps in the table.
A number on a public website is shared: anyone who opens the page can read what arrives on it, so nothing with your name on it belongs there. A number that is private to you, like the ones in the table, is yours alone while it is yours.
Not from these. Google Voice's single-user plans are US only, TextFree is for residents of the US and Canada while they are in the US or Canada, and ExpressNumber numbers are US numbers only today.
There are more guides on the same question.
Every fact about another service comes from these pages.
Read October 26, 2026. Prices move: if something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
- Google Voice Help: identify Google Voice subscription types
- Google Voice Help: identity checks for Google Voice users
- Google Voice Help: keep your number active
- Google Voice Help: calls and costs
- TextNow: wireless plans
- TextNow blog: Lock In Number and Ad-Free+
- TextFree: free phone number
- 2ndLine: FAQ
- Quo: pricing
- Dialpad: pricing
- RingCentral: plans and pricing
Try it for a week. Judge it yourself.
Hand out a number you can burn. Keep the one your family calls.
Try it free for 7 days