If you've ever watched a movie or TV show that deals with the underside of crime in modern society, then you've heard of a "burner" phone. While Hollywood might suggest that burner phones are only used by criminals and other shady characters, ordinary law-abiding people can also benefit from them.
ContentsWhat is a "burner" phone? PrivacyEmergenciesAvoiding spamAlternatives to a Burner PhoneBurner phones are usually cheap, no-contract prepaid phones that can be thrown away when no longer needed. On shows like Breaking Bad and The Wire , burner phones are used when criminals want to avoid detection by the police. The term "burner" comes from the idea that when the phone is no longer needed, it can be "burned" along with all the other evidence of the crime.
As we mentioned earlier, while burner phones are synonymous with criminals, there are legitimate reasons why a law-abiding citizen might also consider using a burner phone.
One of the most obvious uses for a burner phone is for privacy. That is, after all, why so many telecriminals use them. However, everyone, criminal or not, can benefit from a little privacy these days. Buying a cheap phone with a SIM card that isn't tied to your identity can afford you some anonymity in today's hyper-connected world. This can be useful in a number of different scenarios.
For example, if you use dating apps, you might not want to give out your primary number, at least initially. Instead, give your match your burner phone number. That way, if things go wrong, you can just get rid of the phone and say goodbye to that bad match forever. Another situation could be that you want to protect your true identity. It doesn't have to be for nefarious reasons – you might want to call in to give an anonymous tip or act as an informant.
In many countries around the world, calling emergency services (like 911 in the US or 000 in Australia) does not require an active service plan. This means that you can use any phone, whether or not it has a SIM card, while asking for help. That being said, there must be network coverage for your call to go through.
Additionally, you may want to keep a burner phone on hand in case of a natural disaster. Extreme weather events like tornadoes, floods and wildfires can leave you without access to electricity for long periods of time. Many modern smartphones struggle to get through the day on a single charge, which can leave you without a way to communicate.
Due to the fact that many burner phones are "dumb" phones that omit many of the bells and whistles of today's smartphones, their batteries offer much better battery life. Dumb phones can last weeks on standby and offer hundreds of hours of talk time. Having one could save your life if your smartphone is bothering you. So grab a super cheap phone, charge it up and put it in your first aid kit.
Unsolicited calls and texts have been the source of many abusive tirades. With a secondary burner phone, you don't have to worry about spam flooding your primary phone. If you need to provide a phone number for a service, like finding a place to live, chances are your number will end up in the hands of unscrupulous marketers.
Or maybe you need to post your number on an online marketplace, like Craigslist, to facilitate a sale, but you don't want anyone to see your primary number. In these situations, using a burner phone can protect you from exposure to robocalls and other spam.
If you don't want to buy another phone, you can just buy a secondary SIM card. Inserting the second SIM card into your main phone gives you a whole new number. You can then use the "burner" SIM card to avoid spam or persistent matches from Tinder that can't understand. Once the SIM has served its purpose, you can simply throw it away and replace it with your main SIM card.
Alternatively, you can also try an app like Burner. The app creates a secondary mobile number that you can give away. When calls or texts are sent to this number, the Burner app redirects them to your main number. This protects your personal number and ensures that it remains private. If you're using an Android phone, check out these apps to get a virtual phone number.
Have you ever used a burner phone? What did you use it for? Let us know in the comments!
