For the most part, we purchase phones to keep them as long as possible; however, sometimes people buy “burner phone” for short-term use. So, why are people buying phones with the intent of not using them for a long?
Let’s take a look at the concept of burner phones, and how you may use one in the future.
What Is a Burner Phone?
When someone shops for a burner phone, they usually look for the cheapest deal that offers the absolute basics. Phones with 4G and touchscreens are great, but these features tend to hike up the price and offer nothing special to a burner phone.
As a result, burner phones are usually cell phones that look like models from the early 2000s; as long as they can make calls and receive texts, it’s perfect for the job.
Honest Reasons to Use a Burner Phone
Usually, burner phones are associated with shady jobs. Criminals buy burner phones, use them to perform illegal actions, then get rid of them before the police can trace them. However, there are plenty of legal reasons why owning a burner phone is a good idea.
-
Redirect Spam Messages Away From Your Main Phone
If you’re a long-time owner of a smartphone, you’ll know how annoying spam is. Once marketers have your phone number in their database, they begin sending barrages of unwanted texts and robot calls to encourage you to buy everything from new windows to injury compensation.
Fortunately, a burner phone gets around this problem. When you need to supply your phone number to sign up for a service, you can give them your burner phone number. Then, when your burner phone begins ringing off the hook, you can either swap out the SIM card, turn it off until you need it next, or get a new one.
-
Visit Another Country Without Roaming Charges
When you go abroad, it’s a good idea to have a cellphone on you in case of an emergency. Unfortunately, some SIM carriers don’t play ball with other countries, offering either a very high roaming charge or no data whatsoever.
However, you can avoid these problems using a burner phone. Before you travel, grab a cheap phone and load it with a SIM card compatible with a carrier at your destination. You can then use this phone to call businesses and taxi services within the country without racking up a huge bill.
-
Adding Additional Numbers to Your Main Phone
If you don’t want to buy a second phone, you can add an additional number to your main one. Unlike buying a new phone, adding a number won’t protect your main one from damage or theft. However, it’s an easy and cheap way to create and dispose of numbers without changing phones.
If your phone has a dual-SIM setup, you can add another SIM card to it. This gives you a second number that you can freely give out, then throw away when it has done its job.
Alternatively, you can grab a burner phone app. These allow you to create and delete phone numbers quickly and easily without needing to swap phones or SIM cards. If you’re interested in this method, be sure to try the best apps for a temporary burner phone number.
Also Read: Awesome Mobile App Design Tools
Keeping Your Primary Phone Safe
Whether you’re on the dating scene or climbing a mountain, there are plenty of reasons why you should get a burner phone. Now you know what they are, how to use a burner phone, and where to buy one of your own.
-
Also for Other Privacy Issues
Although somewhat extreme, a few tech-savvy people use a burner phone to access apps that they need but fear might be stealing private information. In this case, the burner phone is a smartphone for only certain apps and does not have to be a pay-as-you-go phone. For example, people might use an iPhone all the time and occasionally an Android burner phone, or vice versa. The burner phone is never used to log onto financial websites that contain sensitive data.