Be honest: how many times has this happened to you?
Or how about this?
Ok, so maybe not either of those exactly. The point is: you don’t want to be giving out your personal contact info like Chiclets.
If you’ve watched more than one episode of either Breaking Bad or The Wire, you’ve probably seen a drug-dealer use a cheap, disposable phone called a burner.
Well, burners aren’t just for criminals anymore.
The Burner app allows you to send and receive messages and calls from multiple phone numbers on the same device. For a small price, it supplies you with one or more new numbers in whichever area code you want. You can use these numbers for years, or you can “burn” them after a day. There are at least four really solid reasons—other than drug-dealing—why you might want to invest in some additional phone numbers.
#1. Posting your number
If you’re trying to get rid of a mattress on Craigslist and don’t have time to deal with back-and-forth emails, you’re going to be tempted to leave your phone number in the ad. It usually ends up fine, but there are horror stories out there of people being harassed from posting their personal numbers on Craigslist. Using a burner number is an easy way to save a potential headache.
#2. Signing up online
Believe it or not, your phone number can contain a lot of information about you. Your name, address, and Facebook profile picture are often publicly associated with your number (skeptical? See for yourself). You can either use your burner to sign up for things online, or you can give your burner number out to people who you don’t want to see the information that comes with your real number.
#3. Dating
84% of people don’t feel safe giving their real number out on online dating sites. A burner number is a great way to hedge your bets if you’re just not sure about that guy from eHarmony.
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#4. Work phone
According to The Verge, cops, lawyers, taxi drivers, and teachers make up a large portion of the Burner userbase. Being able to receive texts and calls from students, clients, and civilians without compromising the separation of personal and professional lives becomes a lot simpler when you don’t need to actually purchase two different phones.