This Genius App Will Give You A New Anonymous Phone Number In Seconds (2024)

This Genius App Will Give You A New Anonymous Phone Number In Seconds

Brian Keaper

February 18, 2021

Who's It For

This Genius App Will Give You A New Anonymous Phone Number In Seconds (1)

It goes without saying that Hushed is for people who want privacy and anonymity with their phone and don't want their phone number spreading throughout the world. That being said, this isn't necessarily an app for sketchy people -- Hushed can be used for facilitating deals on Craigslist, Airbnb, a blind date, or any situation in which you're not keen on using your real number. Hushed is perfect for the kind of contacts that only need your number once and protects your real number from being spread around.

I spent a day on the app to get the feel of Hushed and see what all the hubbub is about. While I didn't have any secretive texts to send, I found it very easy to use and actually kind of fun. The first thing you notice is the ease in going from downloading the app to sending your first message. I messaged one of my best friends from high school telling him I was going to kidnap his pet fish. He wasn't totally thrilled about that, because he obviously had no clue who I was. I then permanently deleted those messages, and "burned" my old number. I asked another friend to call my new number and listen to the custom voicemail I set up. I think it was something along the lines of "I can't talk right now, as I'm currently engaged in a covert mission somewhere in Bermuda." He didn't believe me, but you get the gist the it.

Overall, I liked Hushed -- it may not be the most original app out there, with the CEO of a similar app called Burner calling it an "obvious clone" -- but it certainly gets the job done.

Why We Love It

Offers free private texting to other Hushed users.
You can create and do whatever you want with Hushed PINs -- you're free to share it or "burn" it after you're done.
Messages and pictures are auto-deleted shortly after they're received, eliminating any evidence from being found.
Hushed offers a customizable voicemail and call-forwarding
Choose from a short or long-term contract, including Pay-As-You-Go. You can add minutes and other numbers easily.
Works for iPhone and Android

What They're Saying

This Genius App Will Give You A New Anonymous Phone Number In Seconds (2)

"Hushed is a lot like Burner, but available in over 40 countries. If you're worried about the minutes left on your actual mobile phone contract, Hushed goes for VoIP, meaning it'll default to making calls over Wi-Fi rather than the data network, when available. Text communications between Hushed users is all free, and they auto-delete after being read." -- PCMag

"The Hushed app, live now on Google Play, is a fully integrated voice client for Android phones, which allows users to buy a 7-day, 30-day or 90-day phone number. Each number comes with incoming and outgoing capabilities as well as voicemail, making it a viable, more lightweight alternative to something like Google Voice, for example." -- TechCrunch

"If your goal is something a bit more permanent, Hushed charges $29.99 for a one-year plan. (Interestingly, StackSocial currently has a deal running that gives you a lifetime Hushed subscription for $25.) Whatever you choose, options include a custom voicemail message and support for call-forwarding." -- CNet

"Hushed can be used for any scenario where you need to receive calls or text messages privately, or just want to organize them by topic. You can create phone numbers specifically to post publicly if you're renting a room or selling something, and corral all of your calls and messages together accordingly. If you're traveling abroad, you can buy a number in the country you're visiting so you can be easily contacted by locals. Each Hushed number comes with voicemail, so you don't have to dump those calls into your normal voicemail inbox. When you're finished with a number, just delete it and it's gone forever." -- LifeHacker

"Possibly even more cool are the options for choosing your phone numbers. Pick a country (want to open a "branch office" in Paris? Done!), state and area code, and you're good to go. Using VOIP technology all inbound and outbound calls are routed over the Internet using either your iPhone's WiFi or 3G/4G/LTE connection for use anywhere in the world without using up your mobile minutes or incurring voice roaming charges. The app also features a PIN-lock to restrict access to the app, securing all your phone numbers, call histories and texts." -- GoTechHaven

The Drawbacks

There have been reports of connectivity issues, with one user saying "I found that while I could hear the other person on the line, they often could not hear me."