It's one thing to keep someone as a Facebook contact and chat occasionally, but it's completely different to share our phone number. For many people, that's essentially the ultimate boundary. Yet there's always the chance that the number ends up in the wrong hands. Burner is an iOS and Android app that generates disposable phone numbers, and although it hasn't crossed the Atlantic yet, it has some very interesting features.
Unsolicited service offers, the stalker who won't take no for an answer, annoying forms that ask for a contact number, and the classic relative who calls at all hours are a few examples of why it's a good idea to keep our phone number under a layer of privacy. There are several ways to handle this. The most popular is directly blocking the incoming number, whether through the device, with an external app, or with help from your provider. Another, more extreme option is changing your number (I was forced to do that with my landline, for example). But there's a third path: generating disposable numbers. That's when apps like Burner come in.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/06k5bfTlvBkHow Burner Works
Burner creates fully functional phone numbers, compatible with calls, texts, and voicemail. Want to make some online sales and prefer a single number for potential buyers? Burner lets you do that. Does a new service provider need your number as a reference? Generate one with Burner and hand it over. Burner lets you manage all those numbers and "burn" their operation with just a couple of taps on your smartphone. Another feature, currently in development, is GhostBot, a chatbot trained to respond to unwanted text messages. Needless to say, Burner also works "in the other direction," meaning you can not only protect your real number from others, but also create numbers meant for quick calls you might never repeat.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZMVutBvHwrILimitations and Pricing
Limitations? Several, to be honest. First, Burner only operates in the United States and Canada. We're still waiting for a more "international" version, but it doesn't seem to be a priority for the developer. Second, some companies can already detect that numbers created under Burner are virtual, and there are reports of rejections. Finally, Burner adopts a freemium model. The free number lasts 24 hours, five minutes of voice, or 15 text messages (whichever comes first), and then you have to load credits to create more numbers. In short: Burner is a very attractive technology (one we'd like to see more widespread), assuming we live on the other side of the Atlantic.
