If you are looking for an alternative way to set up a new messaging app, WhatsApp, Signal, Line, Telegram, or any other service that uses a mobile number. This article will show you how to set up any of these services using a virtual number, a number that is fully online and not tied to a physical phone or sim.
Related: How to link devices to your Signal account. Add devices to Signal.
Messaging services like WhatsApp, Signal, Line, Viber, Telegram, and a dozen or so more, all require a mobile number to set them up on your device. Although this is a pretty standard request and nothing at all out of the ordinary, there may be times you want to use an alternative number, one that isn’t tied to or linked to any traditional service.
This is where virtual numbers step onto the scene and offer quite a unique variation on traditional phone numbers. If you haven’t heard of them before, virtual numbers are entirely online phone number services and aren’t linked to any particular sim card or phone. They can be accessed from the web and allow you to text and call just like a traditional phone number would.
The first thing you need to know about virtual numbers is that they aren’t free and usually incur a similar cost to normal phone services. It’s also a good idea to stay away from any free services, especially if you will be using the number for any 2FA (Two Factor Authentication). Below you can find a few of the most popular virtual phone number services, though some are region specific so double-check before signing up.
Google Voice
Phone.com
Freshworks.com
Mightycall.com
Grasshopper.com
Can you use a virtual phone number for Signal, WhatsApp, Line, Telegram, Viber, etc?
Yes, you certainly can use a virtual number to sign up to services like Signal and WhatsApp. Just make sure the one you sign up to has full text messaging and phone support and you won’t have any problems. Make sure you spend a decent amount of time browsing through the services provided by each as well as the cost, as there is quite a lot of difference between them. A lot of them are also limited to use within the United States.
How do you set up WhatsApp, Signal, and other services when you have a virtual phone number?
If you have or want to use a virtual phone number to setup up a messaging app like WhatsApp, Signal or any of the others getting around, the process is almost exactly the same as if you were using a standard mobile device. The only difference is that you will have to manually enter your confirmation code into your app. It won’t automatically be captured by the app as it will be going directly to your phone.
Important: Not all services allow you to manually enter set up codes. Signal is one such example of an app that requires automatic input.
The most important thing to remember when setting up a messaging service like WhatsApp or Singal using a virtual number is the virtual number service you use. So make sure you read through all of the supported and non-supported features before taking the plunge. You don’t want to pay for a service that isn’t going to work with your chosen device or app.
