How to receive SMS online with a virtual number

Receiving an SMS online means using a phone number that is not on your own SIM card. The verification text is delivered to that number, and you read it in your browser. You need an account, a small balance, and the name of the app that will send the code.

The whole process usually takes under a minute:

• Create a free account and confirm your email address.
• Top up your balance. USDT on a supported network (shown when you top up) is credited automatically; other payments can be sent as a manual deposit request.
• Open Buy, search for the app (for example WhatsApp or Telegram) and choose a country that is in stock.
• Check the price, which is shown before you buy, and press Buy. The number appears straight away.
• Enter the number in the app and ask it to send the code.
• Watch your dashboard: the code appears there as soon as the SMS lands, usually within seconds to a few minutes.

Most apps accept numbers from many countries, but they do not deliver equally well everywhere. Each service page and the Buy page show, for every country, whether numbers are in stock and what share of recent numbers actually received their code. Start with a country that has a high recent success rate.

If an app asks for a number from a specific country (a local marketplace, for example), pick that country even if another is cheaper.

Cancel the number from your dashboard and the full price returns to your balance. Cancelling opens two minutes after purchase, so the app has time to send. Then try again, ideally with a different country. Our guide to codes that do not arrive lists the usual causes.

A one-time number is meant for a single code. Many numbers can receive a second code later for a small extra price. If you need a number that keeps receiving messages for days or weeks, see one-time numbers vs rentals.