this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2024

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104

How to sign up services without phone number? (lemmy.world)

submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

39 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Hello all, recently wanted to signup for temporary permanent legit emailmid in gmail. It was asking me Phone number in process, i tried to use multiple numbers from regular online resources ( more than 30) but nothing worked. I don't want to give my personal phone number in real life to someone's unless Its I want to.

How do I sign up services where phone number is required ? Is there throw away phone number I can get ? Is there way to skip it all together ( not on Gmail for sure ) Your help be appreciated.

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[–] [email protected] 80 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I gotchu bruv

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

SAVED!

[+] [email protected] 41 points 9 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] [email protected] 15 points 9 months ago (3 children)

I use a 'burner' number with a prepaid provider that I pay $6 a month for, for all my "needs your phone number" bullshit. It's not a true burner since I'm holding it long-term, but it's a secondary number that I don't use unless I get a call or message on that number. Keeps my main/'real' number safe, from both data breaches and the weird manager at the pizza place or whatever.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago

If you can get away with a non North American number, most countries will give you a SIM for free or next to nothing and you pay only once for pre-paid service, no monthly fee.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (2 children)

What service do you use? Been thinking about doing the same sort of thing.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Tello. $5 for baseline call service and minutes, unlimited text. $1 for some backup data if my primary carrier doesn't have service in an area. Runs on the t-mo network. Deprioritized to qci7 so data might not be reliable in areas where they have over-subscribed their towers, but that's only for data, so it's a footnote.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Same. Curious to hear of some options

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

I use the cheapest Redpocket prepaid plan on ebay at it's $2.50/month so one time free $30 annually.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133196831828

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

I used to use that RP plan, and for some reason I decided to switch... and then they took literally 4 months to get back with me with my porting information. I had to try information by other users on /r/nocontract to try and port away myself, which worked. Wouldn't you know it, the very next day, "oh no we are soooo sorry for the inconvenience, but I see you have ported away successfully" like yes mf what the actual shit were you doing for 120 days that you couldn't look up two values and email them back?

Tello's cs is actually quite good.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Why did you switch may I ask? You switched to tello? How you like it?

I haven't bad the need to switch my redpocket number so it's a non issue for me. It's cheap and it works unless you see another reason why I should make the switch. I'm open to hearing you out.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It's been a couple years so I don't remember why I wanted out; it might have been concern about renewal, losing the number, or something like that, I just can't remember. But I've been happy with tello, and I remember I had to contact cs once a while back, they got back with me within the day, and I've needed no other help. The site is pretty user-friendly, even for porting in/out. Data allotments recently doubled with no charge, which is nice. The number I was assigned doesn't have any issues with spam, and the price has remained the same (for my plan selection), even when I've hopped around on other MVNOs the last few years. It's a pretty nice place for cell service, assuming your area/tower isn't strained for data bandwidth.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Yeah just checked them out and I think I'll stick with RP. It's the cheapest you can get and it works. Tello's plan is a bit more expensive for less of what I'm getting

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

See above comment =)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

$6 a month is much more than my actual phone plan holy shit, that is a shit ton of money for such a subscription.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

...its a full cell phone plan?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I mean, my full plan with more internet and minutes than I need is around $4. Paying $6 for something you don't even fully use is a ripoff.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

You can technically get that here in the states, but it's veeeery limited: Redpocket, and a couple of by-the-minute recharge plans afaik. This $6 plan only supplies 300 minutes, and 1gb of data. The typical rate for most people's service is $50-$60 here ('unlimited* data, messages, and minutes'), with my main line costing $85 plus bs fees. $6 as a backup/secondary could be a rounding error.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You could always get a PAYG SIM as a secondary number.

This is what I do. It costs me 50 cents every few months to keep alive. I only loaded it with $5 of credit, so I can ditch the SIM and get a new one at any time. The provider I went with didn't ask for any personal details and only wanted payment.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

What provider? And where did you buy the SIM?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

My country is probably different to yours. But I just visited their store. You can order them online from their stores too.

PAYG is a little confusing these days because every network provider is advertising it as if it's a pre-paid monthly plan. Ie. Top up $10 every month to get x bundle. But they're just the same as back in the day; they just massively emphasize the deals you can get when you top up every month because they want as much money as possible.

If you read their terms and conditions, they state that the regular price for a text, a call, a MB of data is y when you haven't qualified for a bundle. Don't get me wrong, the out of bundle prices are shockingly expensive but if like me, you want it to mainly receive and very rarely send it's not that bad at all.

I use my PAYG SIM as a secondary SIM. It would be too expensive to use as my main SIM. For the same allowance, the best PAYG bundle I could find was twice the price as my regular monthly contract.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

Mozilla relay might work ~~https://relay.firefox.com/#pricing~~ Ladrius

or mysudo ~~https://mysudo.com/mysudo-plans/~~ bl4kers

also may i ask what's stopping you from using proton mail as the temporary/permanent legit mail?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Relay doesn't. Got it for this purpose and it wasn't accepted anywhere needing a number for verification.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

I don't recommend MySudo because it requires a Google account to subscribe

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

Sometimes if you go to a school, library, cafe, etc you might be able to create those accounts without phone number. This also might be because you're on VPN. I created a new google account at school for whatever reason. Haven't had the need to use it yet but it's there.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You could just buy a prepaid throwaway SIM. Pretty sure those are super cheap.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Unfortunately doing so anonymously is not an option for many countries.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Ah i had no idea, that sucks

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

It's possible to skip on gmail if you create the account with a pixel without a simcard.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Heard that you can create google accounts without phone numbers with an old android 5 phone. But have not verified it

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago (3 children)

It is possible to create Google accounts without phone number on Android. I can confirm.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I tried on an Android VM in a browser, but stopped at the phone number requirement. So does it need to be in a Google app specifically?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

It needs to be a real android not a VM or emulator. Google will detect the device through play services. you can easily create 4-5 accounts without the numbers.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Any idea on android version restrictions?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Ive been able to create two on grapheneOS when opening up play store in separate profiles and clicking create account on the log in screen

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

https://kycnot.me/search?q=sms&type=

There are providers that sell sms activation access, full cloud phone numbers, etc.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Use a service like IronVest that gives you masked email addresses, masked (virtual) credit cards, and a masked phone number. $39/year $6/month. There might be better cheaper alternatives. https://ironvest.com/

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Anyone have feedback on this option?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

The email masking is free and pretty solid, I use it for many/most of my accounts.

The phone number making is all right and has worked well enough for me to pay for premium a couple times.

The card masking is too pricey and complicated for me, so I generally don't use it unless absolutely necessary. There are better options.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 9 months ago

Don't sign up. Or better don't be anonymous.