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Send a text anonymously on PC, iPhone, or Android
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Communicating in an increasingly virtual community can be fun and daunting at the same time. There are times when you may want to communicate anonymously. Normally, when you send a text message , the recipient will receive your phone number and possibly other personal information. If you'd like to send a text, but keep yourself anonymous , there are many third-party services that allow you to do that. It should be noted that if you use these services for illegal activity, law enforcement can still subpoena these services and track your activity. This wikiHow article teaches you how to send an anonymous text.
Things You Should Know
- There are numerous mobile apps and web services that allow you to send anonymous text messages.
- You can also use email to send anonymous text messages.
- Law enforcement can subpoena anonymous text services if you use them for illegal activity.
Steps
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Download an anonymous text message app. There are quite a few apps that will create a new, fake number from which you can send messages. You can download any one of these apps for free from the App Store on iPhone or iPad , or from the Google Play Store on Android . Some apps may be free to download but require a paid subscription or require you to purchase credits. The list below provides a few examples of possible apps.
- Pinger
- TextPlus
- TextNow
- Burner
- Wickr Me
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Open the app you downloaded. Once the app has finished installing, you can either tap Open in the App Store or tap the app's icon on your Home screen or Apps menu.
- The first time you open one of these apps, you may be asked if you want to allow the app to access certain features, like your microphone. Tap Allow to allow the app to access your microphone.
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Register for an account. When you open the app, you'll be asked to log in or sign up. Tap on the option to sign up, then enter your phone number. Keep in mind that you'll have to enter your real phone number in this step. You'll likely receive a text from the app with a confirmation code.
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Select a phone number. After you register for an account, most apps will ask you to select a phone number. This will be your fake, burner number. Tap an available number to select it.
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Select the option to compose a text message. Look for the option to send a text message. It may say "Text," "SMS," or have an icon that resembles a chat bubble. Tap the option to compose a text message.
- Additionally, some of these apps allow you to place anonymous phone calls .
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Compose your text message. Enter the message you want to send in the field where you enter the text message. It will likely be the large box in the center of the screen.
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Enter your recipient's phone number. It will likely be the field at the top of the page that says "To" or "Recipient." Enter the phone number of the person you want to send an anonymous text.
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Tap the option to send . After you have finished composing the text message, tap the "Send" icon. It may have an icon that resembles a paper airplane, an arrow pointing up, or a button that says Send . This sends an anonymous text to your recipient.
- For added privacy, consider using a VPN .
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Navigate to an anonymous texting website. There are a variety of websites you can use to send anonymous text messages. You can search for them using Google or another search engine. The following are a few websites you can use:
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Read the rules of the website. Basic rules usually prohibit you from using the service to commit fraud, stalking, or other crimes. Additional rules may include those regarding fees, frequency of use, and privacy, among other concerns.
- Some free text messaging services have actually been known to shut down due to abuse. Verify that the service you are using is still active and pay close attention to the Terms of Service listed on the website.
- Be aware that these services have the ability to track you down based on your IP address. In other words, if you do use the service for something illegal or shifty, you can get caught.
- If you really want to protect your privacy, it's recommended you use a VPN .
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Select a phone number. Most of these websites have a drop-down menu that allows you to select a fake number. Some allow you can select "Anonymous," or something similar. If asked to do so, use the drop-down menu to select how the sender will be able to view your information.
- Some services ask you to enter a phone number instead of selecting one.
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Type the recipient's phone number. This information is required in all cases. Type the intended recipient's full ten-digit phone number, including the area code.
- Some anonymous texting services will also ask you to specify the mobile carrier or select what country the recipient is in.
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Write your message. It will usually be the large text box on the page. Use this space to compose your text message.
- Some free texting services have character limits. These character limits usually reflect character limits common to texts sent via cell phone, and they can range from 130 characters to 500 characters.
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Click the Send button. It's usually a large button that says "Send" below the large field where you enter your text message text. Click or tap this button to send an anonymous text message.
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Create a new e-mail account. It's easy to create a new Gmail account for free. You don't want to use your personal account since the sender will be able to view your personal information (name, e-mail address, etc.). Instead, choose a completely new, free e-mail provider (Google, Yahoo, etc.) and set up an entirely new e-mail account without any of your personal information. [1] X Research source
- For added security, you can use an anonymous email service , such as ProtonMail, or Guerrilla Mail.
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Get the person's phone number. Make sure to find out and confirm the phone number of the person you'd like to send an anonymous text to. [2] X Research source You can use their phone number to send them a text message via email.
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Discover the person's carrier. The person you want to text has a phone carrier, like AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Metro PCS, or others. All of these carriers make it possible to send a text to the person's phone via e-mail. To find out a person's phone carrier, you can either ask your contact directly or try to look up their carrier at https://www.carrierlookup.com .
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Combine your contact's phone number with their phone carrier's e-mail domain. Each mobile carrier has a domain name you can use to send an email as a text message. You will need to combine the recipient's 10-digit phone number with the carrier's domain name to send an email as a text message. Some carriers have a different domain for text messages (SMS) and for multimedia messages (MMS), which is what you would use to send images and media files. The following is a list of carrier domains: [3] X Research source
- AT&T —SMS: @txt.att.net, MMS: @mms.att.net
- T-Mobile —SMS/MMS: @tmomail.net
- Verizon —SMS: @vtext.com, MMS: @vzwpix.com
- Sprint —SMS: @messaging.sprintpcs.com, MMS: @pm.sprint.com
- Metro PCS —SMS/MMS: @mymetropcs.com
- Alltel — SMS/MMS: @message.alltel.com
- Virgin Mobile — SMS/MMS: @vmobl.com
- Boost Mobile — SMS/MMS: @myboostmobile.com
- Cricket —SMS: @sms.mycricket.com, MMS: @mms.mycricket.com
- Nextel —SMS/MMS: @messaging.nextel.com
- SunCom —SMS/MMS: @tms.suncom.com
- US Cellular —SMS/MMS: @email.uscc.net
- VoiceStream —SMS/MMS: @voicestream.net
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Compose a new e-mail from your new e-mail account. Once you've gathered all of the necessary information about the person you'd like to text, log into your new e-mail account and compose a new e-mail. Enter the person's 10-digit phone number and their carrier's domain name in the "To" or recipient line. For example, the email address you would use to send a text message to someone on AT&T Wireless would look something like "1234567890@txt.att.net."
- To make the e-mail appear more like an actual text message, leave the Subject line blank.
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Click the Send button . It's usually an icon that resembles a paper airplane or an arrow pointing up. Click the send button to send an anonymous text using your anonymous email address.
- For added security, consider using a VPN .
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Download the Google Voice app. Google Voice is a voice-over-IP (VOIP) service that allows you to select a phone number and use it to make phone calls and send text messages . The Google Voice app is available for free on both iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. You can download it using the App Store on iPhone and iPad, or using the Google Play Store on Android.
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Set up your Google Voice account. You need to have a Gmail account to set up Google Voice . It is recommended you create a new Gmail account that doesn't have any personal information associated with it. Use the following steps to set up Google Voice:
- Open the Google Voice app.
- Select or sign in to the Gmail account you want to use with Google Voice.
- Read the Terms & Conditions and tap Continue .
- Tap Search .
- Enter your zip code or area code.
- Select a phone number.
- Verify your existing phone number.
- Select if you want to use your Google Voice phone number with your phone.
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Open the Google Voice app. It has a green icon with a white phone receiver. Tap the Google Voice icon on your Home screen or Apps menu to open the Google Voice app.
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Tap the Messages tab. It's the third tab at the bottom of the screen. It has an icon that resembles a text bubble. Tap this icon to view your Google Voice text messages and to send text messages.
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Tap the pencil icon . It's the green button that has an icon that resembles a pencil. It's in the lower-right corner.
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Enter the recipient's phone number. You can either select one of your contacts or enter the phone number of the person you want to text in the field at the top that says "To" at the top of the screen.
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Enter the text message you want to send. Type the message you want to send in the bar at the bottom of the screen.
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Tap the Send icon . It's the icon that resembles a paper airplane next to the text field at the bottom of the screen. This sends your message using your Google Voice number.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionAm I able to see the responses of the person I am anonymously texting if I use an email or website?Community AnswerNo, that's why apps are preferable. Also, many sites charge to send anonymous texts, whereas apps are free.
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QuestionSomeone has been sending my child threatening anonymous text messages using a fake phone number. I need to know if they can be traced.Community AnswerYes, you can track them down. You need to go to the police station so that they can help you track down the IP address of the phone, and they will have the resources needed to do this effectively.
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QuestionWhen somebody sends an SMS using a fake number, will the fake number get a "sent SMS" record?RLMARIO003Community AnswerIt shouldn't. The 'Sent' message record is kept on the sending phone's records. The only time a message is returned to a sending phone is when it fails, destination is unreachable, etc.
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Tips
- Consider using a VPN when using an anonymous messaging app or service. This has many privacy benefits.Thanks
- There are legitimate reasons to send anonymous text messages. For instance, you could use anonymous texting to report illegal activities to the authorities, report fraud to your company's management, or to similarly tell someone important information that you cannot state if that person knows who you are.Thanks
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Warnings
- Do not use anonymous texting, in any form, to stalk, threaten or harass someone, send scams or viruses, or perform other illegal activities. You can be tracked down if necessary even though a service or method is otherwise considered “anonymous.”Thanks
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References
About This Article
Article Summary
X
1. Download an anonymous text messaging app and sign up for an account.
2. Select a new fake phone number.
3. Open the app and select the option to send a text message.
4. Enter the recipient's phone number.
5. Enter the text of your text message.
6. Tap the option to send the message.
Keep reading to learn how to send text messages through email!
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,050,678 times.
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