What is a burner phone and how does it work?

Despite all the fanfare surrounding the latest iPhone 12 models, more people are turning to a cheap, bare, and low-cost type of cell phone - something quite the opposite.

"Burner phones", or what they are called, aim to provide consumers with a different type of experience.

That experience in short, is known as "phone number privacy".

Let's look at what is a burner phone and how does it work, plus also explore why it can help to provide phone number privacy.

What exactly is it? - What is a burner phone and how does it work

If you have not seen what a burner phone is, they are these really inexpensive phones made by companies like Nokia, ALC, Light Mobile etc.

You can usually see them hanging on the shelves at places like Walmart.

The burner phones come with a no-frills type of packaging which is some see through plastic and not even a box.

Burner phones usually come with no contract but rather prepaid Texts and Minutes.

Why is it called a burner phone - What is a burner phone and how does it work

They are called burner phones because they allow you to 'burn' the number and phone once you are done with it.

If that does not make any sense, we completely understand. Most of us are used to having one phone number, tied to one cell phone.

But just imagine that this is a device that gives you a new phone number. A number that is temporary.

You can use it to call and text someone for just a few days, or even a few hours.

And when you are done, you just burn the number by tossing the whole phone away altogether.

What is a burner phone used for? - What is a burner phone and how does it work

So let's go a little into what it is actually used for.

Hopefully by the end of this article you will have a good idea what is a burner phone and how does it work.

A burner phone is helpful in situations where you need a new phone number for a short period of time (temporary number).

There are various situations where you will find yourself in that need.

For example, if you were blocked by someone.

Or, if you wish to call a shop or company regarding an enquiry but do not want them to see your number.

The ways that a burner phone can be used today for is endless.

How to pick a burner phone - What is a burner phone and how does it work

How do you pick a burner phone? The main consideration for picking a burner phone is to pick something cheap enough that can still perform the basic functions of calling and texting.

I know what you are thinking. You recall seeing refurbished iPhones that cost around $200. That is what you could use it as a burner phone.

That is honestly a bad idea. Throwing away an iPhone seems like too much of a waste. Also, $200 is not something you can just throw every week.

Therefore, your best bet is to stick with the cheap phones that are designed exactly to be burner phones.

Our recommendation for burner phone - What is a burner phone and how does it work

The Nokia 1.3, is a good example. It only retails for less than a hundred bucks on online stores like Amazon.

It looks to have a pretty good battery life and a usable camera, but these are things that you do not really need for a burner phone.

When you get the Nokia 1.3, it even come with a prepaid phone plan with a SIM card right in the packaging.

Are burner phones illegal - What is a burner phone and how does it work

Burner phones are not illegal today as of October 2020.

The police is particularly keen on pushing burner phones to be illegal.

The reason is, due to its anonymous features, a small group of users use burner phones to aid in their illegal activities.

For example, burner phones are now the favorite tool for spammers and scammers.

They could text their victims with very little consequence. When something looks in disarray, just dispose of the phone your worry goes away.

Another recommendation - Burner phone apps

If you do not plan on carrying two phones around all the time, there is a solution to this.

You can actually add additional phone numbers to your main one, on your same phone.

To do this, you should use a burner phone app.

Apps like Phoner - Second phone number (see here for iOS and Android) lets you buy new phone numbers that you can call and text from.

You can just select from over 30+ countries, choose the local area code you want, and hit purchase.

Unlike buying a new phone, using a burner phone app is a super convenient way to create and burn cell phone numbers without changing phones.

Conclusion - What is a burner phone and how does it work

We hope that you have learnt exactly what is a burner phone and how does it work.

Our preference is to use Phoner and other Burner phone apps which is the most convenient way of getting an anonymous burner number today.