How to Use a Temporary Phone Number for Verification

A temporary number gets you a verification code in under a minute — no SIM card, no sign-up, no cost. Here is the whole process, step by step.

Step 1 — Pick a number

Open TempNumber and choose a number from the list. Pick the country the service accepts — for example a US number for an American website or a UK number for a British one. The newest numbers are listed first, and they are the least likely to be blocked. Use the country chips or the search box to narrow the list down.

Step 2 — Copy the number

Click Copy on the number card. The number is copied with its country code, for example +12363267797. Do not add the country code again when you paste it — the +1 is already part of the number.

Step 3 — Enter it in the sign-up form

Paste the number into the website or app that asks for a phone number, and ask it to send the verification code. Do this in the same minute you picked the number, so the code lands while you are watching the inbox.

Step 4 — Open the inbox

Click View Inbox on the same number card. The inbox opens below the list and refreshes itself every 15 seconds, so you rarely need to press Refresh. New messages appear at the top, newest first.

Step 5 — Read the code

The SMS appears at the top of the inbox, usually within a few seconds to a few minutes. Copy the 4–6 digit code and paste it into the website or app. That is all there is to it.

If no code arrives

Wait two or three minutes first — some services are slow. If nothing shows up, try a newer number or another country from the top of the list. Do not keep requesting codes on the same number: repeated requests only get it blocked faster. And remember that WhatsApp, Telegram, Google and similar platforms often block shared numbers entirely. If the code never arrives for one of those, use your own SIM card number instead.

What not to do

• Never use a temporary number for banking, payment apps, email or password recovery — the inbox is public and anyone can read the next code.
• Never use it for an account you need long term — the number is shared and can be retired at any time.
• Never send anyone a code you received — real services never ask for it.

More countries

Need a country that is not in the main list? Scroll to the More countries section on the home page. It lists numbers from a public directory that covers 20+ countries — open a number there to read its inbox on the source site.

More questions? See the TempNumber FAQ or read about TempNumber.