So after a few years of using google voice I woke today and found out my account had been suspended. I am appealing it but am not hopeful it will be restored. I had that same burner number for years so it sucks to lose it.
I know some people here use textnow or textfree. Any recommendations as to which is the easiest to use and most reliable?
Adding some detail as I know I will get questions. I think I got banned because I found a way to load the app twice on my phone in a secondary fake OS. I wanted 3 numbers, my normal one, one burner for selling stuff on craiglist and giving to businesses, and one for the club and SBs. Going forward it looks like you doing a workaround to get GV twice is a bad idea.
TLDR - I had a problem with TextNow but that’s the one I use.
I have both TextNow and Textfree. I almost exclusively use TextNow, but only because I got the number first. I had a problem one time where I could see the alerts of messages coming in but then the message would disappear from the app and I couldn’t read it. In fact, that was why I got the Textfree number. After some testing by texting myself from from real number and the two burners and confirming the problem, I eventually deleted and reinstalled TextNow. I just logged back in and kept the same number I had previously. Knock on wood, it’s been fine in the years since.
@jimmymcnutty - Which app is easier to use or has a better interface?
They are about the same and do everything I need. The advertising on Textfree is big and covers half the screen but goes away when you are typing. Not a big deal but may bug you. They both have the ability to turn notifications on/off like any other app, send phone calls directly to a voicemail separate from your real number, and require you use the number at least once every 30 days to keep it. Six of one...
If you use the Google Voice app, you can have multiple GV accounts. I have about 5, plus a textfree number. Every time I've had reason to start using a new phone, whether work, or moving, or whatever, I've created a new google voice account and tied it to that number. As long as I send and receive a text once in a while, they've stayed active.
Of course, if the reason for your "secondary fake OS" was security, then this option won't work. Probably won't work anyway; it is google after all.
^^^ makes a lot of sense to me. Need to manage what Google and any of these service providers can see of you. Most important is that they not be able to link together things you don't want to have be seen as linked.
I am not going to disclose how many accounts I have with all the major email providers.
SJG
I have used Burner for 5 years, no complaints and easy to never hear from someone again if you so desire.
Also you can have multiple lines if you want, you can mute your burners, you can use it internationally, it will make you pancakes in the morning if you want.
Burner works great for me.
I’ve started using google voice lately. Works ok.
coverme
Good news, Google looked into my appeal and lifted the ban!
Did they tell you why you were banned in the first place?
Of course not.
Did you ask? :)
I've heard Burner is good, thanks for confirming PSD
Don't know much about these things, have no idea why they would suspend your account.
Could you just make a new gmail account and then activate whatever services of their's you use?
Could WhatsApp meet you needs?
I take it Google Voice worked with a Burner number, but it does not by itself alleviate the need for Burner?
SJG