Nearly all apps out there will work with your 2ndNumber - there are some exceptions which we'll go in to here.
New legislation was passed in June 2021 that enforces a technology called STIR/SHAKEN (yes, like James Bond's Martinis) to combat robocallers (spam callers) and caller ID spoofing (faking numbers). It targets numbers that live on the Internet, rather than on a SIM card or at the end of a phone line. Therefore some apps are more fussy about accepting Internet based numbers than others. We've studied a few and these are our findings.
Firstly, ALL apps and websites work with our UK numbers. The STIR/SHAKEN legislation doesn't apply. If you have a UK number with us, you can skip this article entirely. If you have a US number, you can use the following:
Dating Apps
- Tinder Some area codes work, some do not. If you're not fussy about area code, do ask us and we'll advise
- Bumble No issues
- Badoo No issues (uses voice authentication, so make sure you have your WebPhone open to receive the call)
- Shaadi No issues
Communications apps
- WhatsApp No issues
- Telegram No issues
- Signal No issues
Brands
- PayPal No issues - check geographic restrictions (see paragraph below).
- Google Depends how an account is created, there is no fixed rule for Google. Some area codes work perfectly, contact us for help regarding this - do be sure to tell us *how* you're signing up to Google (ie. with which product) - also check geographic restrictions (see paragraph below).
- Facebook No issues
Since we are beholden somewhat to the service providers listed above, there may be exceptions to these rules.
App restrictions on 2ndNumbers being used overseas
Some apps, such as PayPal, will check your IP address to see if you are allowed to sign up to PayPal with a 2ndNumber while overseas. For example, if you have a US 2ndNumber and sign up to say, PayPal from the UK or US, the number will be accepted. If you attempt to sign up from say Singapore, it will be rejected. Some apps have regulatory obligations that oblige them to reject non-native signups to their apps with non-native phone numbers. In such cases, you may be required to use a VPN to perform the initial signup.
Final note
One thing to note is that our numbers are not recycled, therefore, if you encounter an issue with a number it will be because of the STIR/SHAKEN legislation, and not a question of whether the number has been used multiple times or not. Do contact us in any case.
