We dare you to find someone who enjoys the eye roll-inducing terror of a robocall or spam text. Giving your phone number out has never been so fraught with danger as it is today. But the answer to the problem is surprisingly simple: Don’t give out your number.
Okay, you might not want to withhold your number from family and friends. You may actually want to talk to people from time to time. But one place where giving out your number is both treacherous and not totally necessary is online. How? With Burner. Get the app, create a second number, and you’re set to brave the internet. Not sure why you would want to? Here are five reasons why a Burner number should be the only one you use online.
Trackers are watching
In many cases, your phone number is the glue that holds together all of the bits of info hundreds of companies have about you. While any individual purchase or site visit might not be used to identify you, your phone number definitely can. But when you use a Burner number, that goes out the window. Your number’s only useful to marketers if it’s active. So when you “burn” a number—removing it from your account—that profile will go up in smoke with it.
Insecure sites and networks can be sniffed
Our official guidance is to only use private Wi-Fi networks and make sure you see a padlock icon on any site you visit. But you’re only human, and slip-ups will happen. That’s why it’s extra important to get in the habit of only using your Burner number online. Any time you’re on an insecure site or open network, your info can be “sniffed” while it’s being transmitted. Don’t give them the chance to gather anything useful—make your Burner number your default online, and you can keep yourself out of harm’s way.
Text messages can get expensive
If your cellular plan doesn’t have unlimited texting, you’re probably aware of how overage charges can rack up. What does that have to do with giving out your phone number? Simply put, the more you give out your real phone number, the more likely it is to end up on a spammer’s list. Use a Burner number, though, and you can easily turn off notifications—and tune out the pests.
People are strange
Sure, most of the time, people are just fine. But the internet can be catnip for scam artists and creeps. Erring on the side of caution is the way to go. Luckily, a Burner number makes it easy to keep your real contact info out of questionable hands. And if anyone calling or texting your Burner number gets out of hand, you can block their number forever with a few taps.
Your number shouldn’t be public
In some cases, you may need to have a number available to anyone online. Say you’ve got a business and want to put contact info on your website. Putting your actual number online could be an invitation to spam and robocalls. Use your Burner number, and you’ll shield your personal number from unsavory types. Plus, you can turn on Do Not Disturb at the end of the day to keep work calls on work hours.
So if you use the internet…
Can we assume you get a good amount of use out of this world wide web thing? It’s not always the safest place, and privacy should be top of mind when you’re online. And that’s why getting a second phone number from Burner to use on the internet is such a good idea. Get yours today, and keep your online self a little bit safer.
