How to get a US phone number from outside the US without a SIM
Five ways to get a US phone number when you don't live there, checked on two points: can you sign up from abroad, and will the number receive a verification code?
To get a US phone number from outside the US, you have five options: a temp number for one code, a rented number you keep for days or months, a second-number app, a plan from a US carrier, or a business phone line. The first two work from any country and take a couple of minutes. The other three depend on where you live and what you already have.
This guide compares all five on the two points that matter when you're abroad: can you sign up at all, and will the number receive a verification code? Then it shows how to get a US phone number step by step.
One thing to know first: 1001SMS sells US numbers, which covers two of the five options. So we stuck to facts you can check yourself, read on each provider's own pages as of 10 November 2026. Prices change, so check before you pay.
Key takeaways
- A US phone number is +1 followed by ten digits: a three-digit area code and a seven-digit number.
- Google Voice personal plans are US only, so they don't help if you live elsewhere.
- Many second-number apps give you an internet (VoIP) number, and some sites won't send codes to those.
- For a single code, a temp US number is the quickest and cheapest route. For repeat logins, rent a number.
- A number you get online receives SMS only. Don't use one for your bank or for anything you can't afford to lose.
How to get a US phone number: five ways compared
| Option | Can you sign up from abroad? | Receives codes | Calls | How long you keep it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp number online | Yes, from any country | Yes, one code | No | 20 minutes |
| Rented number online | Yes, from any country | Yes, from any app | No | 12 hours to 12 months |
| Second-number app | Depends on the app | Not always: often VoIP | Yes | While you subscribe |
| US SIM or eSIM plan | Depends on the carrier | Yes, it's a mobile number | Yes | While you pay for the plan |
| Business phone line | Often needs a business account | Not always | Yes | While you subscribe |
Google Voice is the first thing most people try, so let's deal with it now. Google's plan comparison lists the free plan, the $10 a month Starter plan and the $20 a month Standard plan as "US only", each for a personal Gmail account. The free plan also needs a phone number to forward calls to, and during setup Google texts a code to your phone to check it works. If you're outside the US, that's the end of the road.
There is a Google Voice for teams. It's an add-on to a paid Google Workspace subscription, from $10 per user a month, and Google says it's available in 14 countries or regions. That's a business phone system, and more than most people need for a sign-up code.
Second-number apps are a mixed bag from abroad. Burner, for example, says it's only available in the US, Canada and Australia, and that you can use the app only if your main mobile number is from one of those countries. Other apps have their own lists. Check the app's country page before you pay for a subscription.
A US carrier plan gives you a normal mobile number with calls and texts. Whether you can buy one from abroad, and how you pay, differs from carrier to carrier, so read the terms first. Don't mix it up with a travel eSIM: most travel eSIMs, ours included, are data only and come with no phone number.
An online number is the only option that doesn't care where you live. You get the number on a website and read its SMS in your browser. The trade is simple: it receives SMS, and that's all it does.
What a US phone number looks like
A US phone number has ten digits after the country code. NANPA, the body that runs the numbering plan, writes the format as NXX-NXX-XXXX: a three-digit area code, then a seven-digit local number. N is any digit from 2 to 9, so neither part can start with 0 or 1.
You'll see the same number written a few ways:
- +1 (415) 555-0132
- +1 415 555 0132
- 415-555-0132, inside the US, without the +1
The number above is an example, not a real line.
+1 is not only the US
NANPA says 20 countries share country code 1. Besides the United States and its territories, the list includes Canada, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago. Only the area code tells them apart.
This matters at sign-up. If an app wants a US number, a Canadian number may be refused even though both start with +1. So look at the country a number is sold under, not just at the +1.
Does the area code matter?
For a verification code, almost never. The app wants a US number, not a number from one city. Pick an area code only if people will see the number and you want to look local, for example to clients in one state.
Will a US phone number receive verification codes?
It depends on the kind of line behind the number, and you can't tell that from the digits. In the US, mobile and landline numbers use the same area codes, so apps don't guess. They look up the line type before they send anything. If the answer is VoIP, some of them stop there. Our guide to VoIP numbers explains how that check works.
Google is open about what this means for its own numbers. Its help page says some websites, such as banks or subscription services, won't send text messages to Google Voice numbers, and that you may need to use your mobile carrier number instead.
A number on a mobile line passes that check like any other phone. On 1001SMS, US numbers are +1 mobile numbers on real SIM cards that stay with us, not VoIP lines. That still isn't a promise. An app can refuse a number for other reasons, for example because the number was used there before. No provider can promise that every app will accept a number, and we can't either. What we can do is return your money when no SMS arrives.
How to get a US phone number for one verification code
If you need the number once, for one sign-up, a temp number is enough. Here's how it works on 1001SMS:
- Open the US temp number page and choose the app that will send the code.
- Check the price and the current delivery rate. Both are shown before you pay.
- Copy the number and paste it into the app's sign-up form. Choose "United States (+1)" as the country.
- Request the SMS. The code appears on your order page, usually within seconds.
The number is reserved for you alone for 20 minutes and takes one code. You're charged only when a code is delivered. If nothing arrives within 20 minutes, the full price goes back to your balance automatically, and you can try another number.
After that, the number goes back into use for other people. So in the first minute after you sign up, turn on two-step verification in the new account and add a recovery email. Then the account no longer depends on the number.
How to get a US phone number you keep for weeks or months
Some accounts ask for a code again: when you log in on a new device, after a reinstall, or when the app wants to check it's still you. For those, a number you used once is no help. Rent one instead.
A virtual US phone number on 1001SMS is a +1 mobile number that receives SMS from any app for the whole term you pay for. Prices as of 10 November 2026:
| Term | Price |
|---|---|
| 12 hours | $8.37 |
| 1 day | $13.97 |
| 7 days | $31.82 |
| 30 days | $39.17 |
| 6 months | $167.97 |
| 12 months | $279.96 |
The price covers the whole term, and there's no subscription. Nothing renews by itself and nothing is charged when the term ends. If you renew before it ends, you keep the same digits.
If no SMS reaches the number within 120 minutes of buying it, we cancel it and return the full price to your balance. Every message lands in your account in the browser, so there's no app to install. We rent numbers in 18 countries, if you need more than a US one.
New to all this? Our step-by-step guide on how to get a virtual phone number walks through the countries and terms.
What a US phone number from us will not do
It's better to know the limits before you pay.
- No calls and no outgoing texts. Our numbers receive SMS only. If clients need to ring you, you need a phone app or a carrier plan.
- Not for banks. Don't put a rented or temp number on a bank, a payment app, or anything that checks your identity or a US address.
- Not permanent. A rented number is yours for the term you paid for. When you stop renewing, it can later be given to someone else.
- No guarantee for every app. Delivery varies by app and by day. That's what the refund is for.
For any account you want to keep after the number is gone, add a second way to sign in: two-step verification, a recovery email, or both.
Questions and answers
Can I get a US phone number for free? Not one that stays yours. Free SMS websites list public numbers. Everyone can read the codes sent to them, and anyone can use them after you, so they're a bad idea for an account you want to keep. Google Voice has a free plan, but Google lists it as US only. A number reserved for you alone costs money.
Does a US phone number work on WhatsApp and other messengers? A mobile number can receive the sign-up code like any phone. Messengers often ask for a code again on a new device, so rent the number for as long as you'll use the account, and turn on two-step verification on day one.
Can I receive calls on it? Not on a number from 1001SMS: it receives SMS only. For calls, choose a second-number app that works in your country, or a carrier plan.
Do I need a US address? No. For a temp or rented number on 1001SMS you need an account and a balance, which you can top up by card or cryptocurrency.
Which area code should I pick? For a verification code, any US area code will do. Choose a specific one only if people will see the number and the city matters to them.
Get a US phone number on 1001SMS
Need a US phone number today, wherever you live? For one sign-up, get a US temp number: it's yours for 20 minutes, and you pay only if the code arrives. If you'll log in again, rent a US number for 12 hours to 12 months. Every SMS shows up in your account, and you get your money back if nothing arrives in the first 120 minutes.
