Having all your work and personal life linked to one phone number might sound like a good idea, but it can make your affairs disorganized. It would be best to get a different phone number to keep your regular life separate from your business.
Besides this work and life separation, the need to verify the second account you opened on one social network, or privacy, are valid reasons to get a second phone number.
Regardless of why you want one, Canadians can use many trustworthy apps to get a free virtual phone number.
How to Get a Free Phone Number In Canada
To use a free Canada number, you need Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. With VoIP, you can send SMS and make and receive phone calls over the internet.
Canada has reliable internet provisions, so VoIP is convenient for everyone to use. In addition, using this technology is cheaper than making regular calls because Canada has one of the highest telecom prices worldwide.
You will need a free phone number app from a trusted company to access this technology. When you download the app, you have to register and provide some personal information before being assigned a Canadian phone number.
Note that some of these virtual phone number apps offer free trials before requiring you to pay to retain the number.
Best Free Canadian Phone Number Apps
You will see many of them online when looking for a free Canadian phone number app. However, some of them are made by scammers looking to steal your personal information. So, ensure you pick one that is legit.
Here is a list of the best free phone number apps for Canadians:
1. OpenPhone
This modern business line allows Canadians to make calls, send messages and carry out CRM activities. OpenPhone users can share their phone numbers with their colleagues so multiple people can access their inboxes and conveniently make calls from that line when not in the same location.
Aside from business purposes, individuals can use OpenPhone for their private matters.
The platform has attractive features like call recording, automated voicemail, screen sharing, web browser extensions, and more. It is available for Android and iOS devices and Mac and Windows computers.
OpenPhone has a free trial, after which you will have to pay $10 or $20 monthly for their standard and premium plan, respectively. There is an enterprise plan, but you need to contact their representatives to get a quote.
OpenPhone allows international calls to many countries at different rates, but this feature is unavailable to users on the free trial.
2. Fongo
Fongo is a low-cost cloud-based telecom provider based in Waterloo, Ontario. This company provides Canadians with free phone numbers through its application, which is available on iOS, Android, ChromeOS, and macOS devices.
The number will allow anyone in Canada to make unlimited nationwide calls and access fongo-to-fongo texting and group chats, caller ID, and voicemail.
Fongo has different subscription plans. Fongo Mobile and Fongo Works are free, while Fongo Home Phone and Fongo Works pro cost $4.95 and $10 per month, respectively. Fongo World is a plan designed for users outside Canada and has a $4.99 one-time cost.
The subscription plan provides a Canadian phone number to call anyone in the country. With Fongo, you can make international calls to the United States, United Kingdom, and China for 2 cents per minute.
The company also offers unlimited high-speed internet at $45/month, which is only available in Quebec and Ontario.
3. TextNow
TextNow is an app allowing Canadians to get a free phone number for unlimited calls and texts over WiFi. While the Waterloo-based company offers its wireless carrier service to its customers in the United States and elsewhere, it is limited to WiFi in Canada.
This is because of its failure to secure a partnership with any of the country’s big three wireless carrier network providers.
You can get a second phone number from TextNow or transfer your existing number to the platform at no cost. International calls to the US, UK, Mexico, and within Canada are free, but it costs $2/min and 1.9 cents/min to call people in China and India, respectively.
TextNow is free to use but displays ads to generate revenue for itself.
4. DotMobile
DotMobile is a cloud-based mobile virtual network operator that has its service available through its mobile application. However, DotMobile users will have to order a SIM card via their mobile application before they can use the service.
To get the physical SIM card made from recycled and biodegradable material for free, use the promo code “FREESIM” when ordering it. If your phone is eSIM-compatible, you can integrate a DotMobile eSIM with it.
DotMobile offers voice calls and text messages through their app. You can choose between getting a new phone number or porting an existing number to their service before ordering (or picking up) your SIM card. With the eSIM, you will get instant access to DotMobile.
The company allows connectivity to the wireless networks they have partnered with to improve its user experience.
DotMobile lets you use “Data on Tap”, meaning you can choose the exact amount of data you want to buy, pause or cancel your subscription, and transfer your excess data to a friend whenever you wish.
DotMobile has a free plan, but you need to subscribe to the Basic plan, which costs $7/month (or $60/year) to get a Canada number for WhatsApp and other instant messaging applications. They also have the Full subscription plan that costs $14/month (or $120/year) and has additional features.
5. Talkatone
With Talkatone, you can get Canadian and US phone numbers even if you are not in the country. The Talkatone app can give you a free Canada number for WhatsApp and other instant messaging platforms. You can also use the number to make in-app calls via mobile data or WiFi.
Talkatone is available in certain countries, and calls or texts to other Talkatone numbers in any other supported countries are free, unlimited, and have no roaming charge. However, regular international calls have applicable call rates.
The service is free but comes with ads. To use Talkatone without ads, you have to pay $1.99/month. But if you want access to more features like voicemail transcription, call forwarding, and more, it will cost you $3.99.
Related: How to get free gift cards
6. FreeTone
This Android and iOS application offers unlimited free calls and SMS to legit Canadian numbers. Users can also get a free phone number online after downloading the app on their devices. After signing up, you can pick any Canadian area code you want and make calls or receive calls directly on your phone.
You can also use that free phone number for verification on any website that demands a phone number from you. Also, FreeTone supports video calls and an option to make international calls. The international call rate to countries outside Canada and the US is currently unclear.
However, calls within Canada and the US are free. Outgoing calls are free, while incoming calls are free for the first 8 hours of talk time, after which you have to pay an extension fee.
It costs $1.99 to download FreeTone from the Apple App Store. This comes with a 7-day ad-free service and a catalogue of in-app purchases that range between $1.29 and $104.99 for premium features.
Related: Learn how to get free Google Play codes and credits
7. TextPlus
TextPlus is a free phone number app that enables Canadians to send SMS and MMS and make and receive calls to people in the country and overseas. The text message service is free, while most international calls cost 2 cents/minute unless initiated from one TextPlus user to another through the app, making it free.
TextPlus allows calls and messages to many countries worldwide with varying call rates that can be viewed from the app before making a call.
TextPlus users mainly make international calls to the United Kingdom and Mexico, costing 2 cents/minute. Singapore and China are also popular call destinations, but the network provider charges callers 3 cents/minute and 2.2 cents/minute, respectively.
The TextPlus app sends messages and initiates calls through WiFi and mobile data connections. It is free for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
The app does not currently support call waiting and conference call features. However, the voicemail feature is active.
8. Dingtone
Dingtone gives users a free phone number for SMS and calls to people within Canada and the United States. The service works from an app downloadable on Android and Apple devices.
With the Dingtone app installed, you will have a second number to run your affairs. The app allows you to mask your current number with a second one to ensure privacy.
You can make calls and receive texts over the internet with your free virtual phone number on the Dingtone app without a SIM card or phone plan. In addition to Canadian numbers, users can also get authentic US, UK, and Australian numbers with the local area code of their choice.
Dingtone also has business-friendly features like call forwarding, voicemail, and blocking unwanted numbers from calling.
For international calls, there are different call rates for various call destinations. However, calls are free when initiated from one Dingtone number to another through the app.
9. Google Voice
Google has a free virtual phone number service called Google Voice. Although they have a free plan for an individual’s personal use, that plan is not available in Canada, just in the United States. To use Google Voice in Canada, you need to have a Google Workspace account (which is for businesses).
The cheapest Google Workspace plan costs $7.80CAD/month, and the highest is $23.40CAD/month. Once active on Google workspace, you will need to pay $10USD/month per user for the Starter plan that lets you register up to 10 users.
The Standard plan costs $20USD/month per user for an unlimited number of users. Then, the Premier subscription plan lets you register unlimited users across different international locations for $30USD/month per user.
Note that Google Voice in Canada does not allow you to send text messages, just calls. Its coverage is only in 14 countries, and Google has different call rates depending on the kind of call you want to make.
Related: Here’s how to apply for a Canadian passport
Pros and Cons of Free Phone Number Apps
When making a free phone number search, here are some pros and cons you should have in mind.
Pros
- They ensure privacy.
- They provide a different number for account verifications.
- They help you separate your personal life from work.
- Most of them are easy to use.
Cons
- Scammers create some of these apps to steal your information
- Since the services are free, you might be forced to view ads.
- Some reliable apps require payment after a free trial.
How To Get a Free Phone Number FAQs
You have to download one of the free Canadian phone number apps mentioned above, follow the signup process, and you will get a new phone number. Some of the applications will demand payment after their free trial expires, so choose the entirely free ones.
As a Canadian, you can get a virtual phone number by registering on one of the service providers mentioned above that do not need physical SIM cards.
Fongo has both free and paid services. Fongo Mobile and Fongo Works are free in Canada, but Fongo Home Phone and Fongo Works pro need you to pay $4.95/month and $10/month, respectively.
Yes, WiFi calling is free in Canada if the router you are connected to already has an active subscription.
If the phone number assigned to you has been unused for a long time, you will be notified and given a date when the number will be reclaimed. If you ignore that notification, the service provider will reclaim the number when the date passes.
Thank you for this article. I assu,e, though not stated explicitly, that these apps provide one with a number that is not traceable to a home address, for example, unlike a cell phone number. Can you confirm that?
Hushed, or Hush, is not mentioned. Have they stopped providing?