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You can also receive SMS messages online. Instead of entering your own number, you use a temporary mobile number, thereby protecting your privacy.
Receiving SMS messages online: What you need to bear in mind
SMS messages can be received online using temporary numbers. Some services require you to register not only with your email address but also with a mobile phone number. If you don’t want to disclose your own number, you can receive SMS messages anonymously online.
- Providers of such services usually make several phone numbers available to the public, from which you can reserve one. Unlike anonymous email addresses, however, some providers do not give you an address that is unique to you.
- Also make sure that you select the correct country. Depending on the website, you may also be able to use different international phone numbers. The range of countries has been expanded immensely, so you can even choose numbers from Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine, for example.
- In some cases, it may take a while for the SMS to appear on the website. This is particularly the case with heavily used free services, as several users often use the same number at the same time.
- Please note that particular caution is advised when receiving SMS messages via online services. Temporary numbers are often the target of spam and phishing messages that are not easy to detect. The providers of temporary numbers are not equipped with spam filters and do not offer blocking functions. Therefore, do not disclose any private information or personal data under any circumstances.
- Since April 1, 2025, Telekom has been promising its users greater security thanks to an SMS firewall that automatically blocks malicious spam and phishing messages. Such security features are not generally available with online SMS services.
- To ensure greater online security and reliability when receiving SMS messages online, you can also use premium services. However, the disadvantage of these is that they are usually subject to a fee.
Receiving SMS messages online: An overview of the best providers
All providers work according to the same principle: you simply select the desired number for the respective country and use it for your purposes. You can then read the text message on the website. There are both free and paid providers.
- SMSOnline.cloud: This provider offers unlimited free SMS verification. Plus, you don’t have to register.
- SMS-Man: This is an international provider that offers virtual numbers from over 200 countries. To try out the service, you can use a free test number.
- seven.io: This service is particularly suitable for companies and developers. The provider provides a separate phone number that belongs exclusively to you, similar to anonymous email addresses.
- Receive-SMS.cc: This provider is completely free and generates a temporary number from different countries for you. No registration is required.
- MyTempSMS.com: Here, too, it is possible to obtain a number without registering. However, the messages are publicly viewable, as the numbers can be used by several people at the same time.
