Privacy

Keep your personal number out of sign-up forms, marketplaces and data brokers — practical privacy habits built around a second number.

• Which Phone Number to Give on Dating Apps (and Why Not Yours) — Your personal number tells a stranger more than you think. Here's which number to use for your dating app account, which one to give a match, and when to move from chat to a call.
• Which Phone Number to Use When Selling Online — Selling on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or eBay? Keep buyers in the platform's chat, and when a phone number is needed, give a second number instead of your personal one. Here's how to set it up safely.
• How to Use Telegram Without Sharing Your Phone Number — Telegram needs a mobile number to sign up, but nobody has to see it. Hide your number, go by a username, and keep your personal line out of Telegram entirely with a second number.
• What Can Someone Do With Your Phone Number? — With just your phone number, someone can target you with scams, look you up and try to steal your verification codes. Here's what's realistic, what's a myth, and how to protect yourself.
• What Is a Second Phone Number — and Why You Might Want One — A second phone number lets you receive verification codes and take calls without handing out your personal number. Here's how it works and when it's worth it.