Burner phones: what they are and how to get one that's actually private
A cheap prepaid phone keeps your real number off forms. Keeping it unlinked from you takes more discipline than most people expect.
A burner phone is a cheap prepaid phone or SIM that is not tied to your name, used for a narrow purpose, and dropped when you are done with it. To keep it private, buy the phone and the prepaid plan in person with cash, never sign it into your Google or Apple account, and never carry it with your main phone or call the same people from both. If you only want to keep your real number off sign-up forms, a second-number app is simpler, though it is not anonymous.
What a burner phone is good for
The Electronic Frontier Foundation defines a burner as a phone that is not connected to your identity, is used for a small set of calls or activities, and can be thrown away if you suspect it is being tracked. That covers plenty of ordinary, legal reasons: selling something on a marketplace, online dating, a short-term job, travel, or keeping your real number away from companies that sell or leak it.
Prepaid phones are sold openly in ordinary retail stores. Tracfone, for one, runs a store locator for its retailers, and EFF notes that burners are often prepaid phones bought with cash. Use one for legal purposes, the same as any phone.
How a phone network still knows it is you
Every SIM has a subscriber ID called the IMSI. Every handset has its own hardware ID called the IMEI, which the FCC tells phone owners to record in case of theft. When the phone connects, the carrier sees both together.
That pairing defeats the most common burner trick: EFF says swapping a SIM between devices offers minimal protection, because the network observes the SIM and the device together and can track either one.
Location is the second leak. A phone that is powered on and talking to a cell tower can be located, and EFF says there is no way to hide from this while the phone is on. If your burner sits in the same pocket as your main phone, the carrier sees two phones taking the same route every day.
The third leak is who you talk to. If you call your sister from your burner and from your main phone, the pattern links them even if the numbers never touch.
How to get a burner phone that stays private
EFF lists the minimum rules a burner user must follow to hide from surveillance: never reuse SIMs or devices, never carry different devices together, never use them in places that link them, and never call the same people from both. Most people need less. These steps keep a number separate from your name.
- 1Buy a basic prepaid phone in a store and pay cash. A basic flip phone usually has no app store account to sign into, which removes one easy link to you.
- 2Buy a prepaid plan card at the register with cash, rather than paying online with a card in your name.
- 3Activate the phone away from your home, and give no more personal detail during activation than the carrier strictly requires.
- 4Do not sign the phone into a Google account or an Apple ID, and do not restore a backup from your main phone onto it.
- 5Leave it powered off, or at home, whenever your main phone is with you. Do not charge them side by side every night.
- 6Use it only for the purpose you bought it for. Do not call friends or family from it.
- 7Refill it on time if you need to keep the number. A prepaid line only works while it has service days on it.
How much a burner phone costs
The phone is the cheap part, so the plan sets the cost. Tracfone, one of the big prepaid brands, lists a 30-day basic-phone plan for $9.99 with 30 minutes, for flip phones only. Its $15 smartphone plan covers 30 days of unlimited talk and text with 1 GB of data. Taxes and fees vary by state.
For a short-term number you will drop in a month, the basic plan is enough. If you need data for maps or a marketplace app, a cheap smartphone plan costs a few dollars more.
Burner phone vs second-number app
A second-number app gives you an extra phone number on your existing phone. It solves the "I don't want to give this person my real number" problem. It does nothing about the carrier, because your traffic still runs through your main phone and its SIM.
Google Voice is the common free option. It runs on your Google account, and its setup texts a verification code to a phone you already have.
| Option | Hides your real number from the other person | Separate from your name at the carrier | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second-number app (Google Voice and similar) | Yes | No. It runs on your main phone and account. | Low |
| Prepaid SIM in your main phone | Yes | No. The network sees your handset's IMEI with the new SIM. | Low |
| Separate prepaid phone bought with cash | Yes | Yes, if you follow the rules above | Medium |
The FCC may require ID for prepaid service
In May 2026 the FCC published a proposal to tighten its know-your-customer rules for voice providers, aimed at robocalls. It asks for comment on requiring providers to collect a name, physical address, government-issued ID number, and alternate phone number from every new and renewing customer, and it asks specifically about prepaid SIM cards sold through third-party stores.
As of November 2026 the rule is still only proposed. Comments were due June 25, 2026 and reply comments July 27, 2026, and the Federal Register shows no final rule since. If it is adopted as proposed, buying an unregistered prepaid line in the US gets much harder.
A separate number protects your exchange accounts too
Your main phone number is printed in data broker listings, old receipts, and leaked customer databases. SIM-swap attackers use that kind of personal information: they find the number tied to an exchange account, convince the carrier to move it to their SIM, and intercept the login codes.
Giving exchanges a number that appears nowhere else makes you a harder target. It does not fix SMS codes as a second factor, though. Move every exchange account to an authenticator app or a hardware key, and read my SIM swap guide for the carrier-side locks. Better still, keep your bitcoin off exchanges entirely with a hardware wallet.
Frequently asked questions
What is a burner phone?
A cheap prepaid phone or SIM that is not tied to your identity, used for a limited purpose, and discarded when you no longer need it.
Can a burner phone be traced?
Yes. The carrier sees the phone's IMEI and the SIM's IMSI every time it connects, and can locate any phone that is powered on. A burner stays unlinked from you only if you never carry it with your main phone, never reuse its SIM or handset, and never call the same people from both.
How much is a burner phone?
A basic prepaid phone plus a plan. Tracfone lists a 30-day basic-phone plan at $9.99 with 30 minutes, and a $15 smartphone plan with unlimited talk and text and 1 GB of data, before taxes and fees.
What is the best burner phone?
I'd pick a basic prepaid flip phone, because it usually has no app store account to sign into and fewer apps leaking data. Buy it and its plan card in person with cash.
Can I get a burner phone number without buying a phone?
Yes, with a second-number app such as Google Voice. It keeps your real number away from the person you are talking to, but Google verifies it through your existing phone, so it is not anonymous.
Do you need ID to buy a prepaid phone?
No federal rule spells out which ID a carrier must collect today. The FCC's current rule only requires providers to take effective measures to know their customers, without mandating specific steps. In 2026 the FCC sought comment on requiring a name, address, and government ID number from every new and renewing customer, including prepaid. As of November 2026 that proposal is not a final rule.