There are certain services that are only available to people who are living in the US or have phone numbers that have an origin in the US. People living outside the US can try those different digital services using a proxy, VPN or smart DNS service. However, there is some digital service that requires you to verify your phone number during the first-time registration process, or while you sign up for the first time. In that case, you need to provide a valid US phone number which can receive text and calls. You can also keep US-designated phone numbers so that when you won’t have to pay extra to make calls to your knowns who are residing in the US.
So, if you are thinking about how to get a US-based phone number even if you are living outside the US, here we have some information about the same follow through the article to know more.
Some VoIP services allow users to sign up for an account from anywhere in the world. Once you have signed up and logged inside the service, you can see options to select virtual US-based phone numbers for free which is based on a specific area or ZIP code. These virtual numbers can be easily used for verification purposes, as well as for sending and receiving calls and texts. Most of the time it is free to receive calls and texts, but sometimes you may need some extra credit for that.
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Get a US Phone Number
So if you want to get a US phone number that can be used to receive calls and texts, or for verification purposes, here is a quick tutorial on how to get a virtual US phone number without being in the US.
TextNow- Free Calls to USA and Canada
TextNow provides us with a VoIP service that allows us to send and receive calls and texts using the internet. You won’t be getting an actual physical sim to use the US phone numbers. Instead, all you have to do is just sign up with the details and during the signup process, they will ask for the area pin code, enter the appropriate area Pincode of where the phone number should belong, because based on that area Pincode the virtual phone number is being created. Using this virtual phone number you will be able to receive OTP for verification purposes and also receive calls and texts from other people as well who will be having your virtual phone numbers. Additionally, you can even make or receive calls to anyone living in the US and Canada for free. But, to make calls outside the US using the virtual phone number, additional international call charges would apple, so make sure to add credits before you make international calls using the number.
Not to mention the TextNow service also offers some of the cheapest plans which can be used to make international calls. the plans at TextNow starts at $18.99 per month, which gives you 500 MB of 3G/4G data, unlimited 2G data and unlimited calls and texts to phone numbers within the US and Canada. International call rates vary from country to country depending on where you call.
TextNow app is available for both Android as well as iOS along with that you can also use Textnow on web and windows phone.
Officially this app is only available for people living in the US only. But if you are living outside the US and wants to try this app then you can use the web version, or try the different workaround methods below to install the app on your mobile device.
Workarounds to Get TextNow service outside US
So if you are an ios user using an iPhone or an iPad then you need to create a new Apple ID which must be US-based and then log in to the device using the same Apple ID. Once, you have logged in to your Apple ID go to the app store and search for TextNow, you should be able to download and install the app on your device, make sure your device’s region is set to the US.
For Android users, you need to install the TextNow app by downloading the APK from any of the third-party websites.
For Windows users, you also need to change the device region to the United States from the settings menu, once the region is changed, restart your device, make sure the region is still set to the US, now head to the store and then search and download the app.
Pinger textFree
Pinger Textfree is yet another VoIP service that can work for people outside the US. It is very much similar to the above-mentioned TextNow and this one can also be used for OTP verification and receiving calls and texts purposes. To get your own virtual US phone number using Pinger Textfree follow the quick tutorial written below.
- Sign up for a new account on their website at pinger.com/textfree.
- here you need to fill in the required details and then create your account.
- Finally, enter your age and a valid US Zip code, from the area, your phone number should belong and then choose the number from the given list.
Your virtual phone number based in the US is now ready and you can use it to receive calls and texts from the US or any other part of the world.
Pinger Textfree app is free for US users and is only available for US users only, so if you want to install the app on your mobile device and you are outside the US, follow the same methods as mentioned above in the tutorial of Textnow to get the app installed and running on your Android, iOS and Windows phone devices.
To conclude
So this was a quick tutorial and workarounds to get a virtual US phone number working for you even if you are not living in the US, this comes in handy for signing up for some region-specific services and needs OTP or some other kind of mobile verification. The best part is you can use it to make calls simply by adding credits and voila you have a fully functioning phone number from the US or Canada.