How to Verify Signal Without Your Own Phone Number
You can't register Signal with no number at all, because Signal ties every account to a phone number that can receive one SMS (short message service) or voice call. What you can do is register with a number that isn't your personal SIM: a landline, a second SIM, a Google Voice-style number, or a rented virtual number. The catch is that the number only has to work once, at signup, but you'll want to keep control of it afterward.
Quick answer
Signal needs a number that can receive a six-digit code by SMS or a voice call. Use a landline (choose the call option), a spare SIM, or a rented virtual number. Avoid a free public inbox: anyone can read the code, and you risk losing the account. Without number access later, re-registration can fail.
Why people end up stuck here
Two situations account for most searches like this. Either you don't want your personal number tied to a messaging account, or you don't have a number that can receive texts right now (no SIM, a phone abroad, a tablet, a number that's on a different network).
Those are different problems with different fixes. Mixing them up wastes time.
Which problem do you have? A 30-second check
Open Signal and start registration. Enter a number, tap the button, and watch what happens.
- You have no usable number at all: you need a substitute number (see below).
- You have a number but the code never comes: the problem is delivery, not ownership.
- You see "Code not received" and a countdown: wait for it to finish, then choose the voice call option.
- You see a rate-limit or "try again later" message: you've requested too many codes. Stop and wait several hours before another try.
If the code never arrives to a number you own, skip ahead to the delivery fixes. If you simply don't want to use your own, keep reading.
The main fix: use a number that isn't your personal SIM
Signal doesn't care whose name the number is under. It only checks that you can receive the code. That gives you several legitimate routes.
Option 1: a landline
This is the least known and often the most reliable. Enter the landline number, wait for the SMS timer to run out (Signal shows a countdown of roughly a minute), then tap "Call me instead." An automated voice reads the six digits. Have a pen ready, because it repeats only a couple of times.
A candid limitation: landlines can't receive messages, so you can't use the number for anything else in Signal's recovery flow except calls. That's fine for signup.
Option 2: a second SIM or cheap prepaid
A prepaid SIM costs a few dollars in most countries and works like any other number. Put it in any phone, receive the code, and register. After that you can often remove the SIM, but keep it somewhere safe and top it up occasionally so the carrier doesn't recycle the number. Recycled numbers are how strangers end up with access to old accounts.
Option 3: a rented virtual number
A virtual number is a number delivered over the internet, so there's no SIM. Services such as PVACodes rent numbers that receive SMS for a set period. Availability varies by country, and check current terms before paying.
Here's the honest part. Signal sometimes blocks or fails to deliver to number ranges that belong to VoIP (voice over internet protocol) providers. Some work on the first attempt, others never receive anything. Non-VoIP numbers, which are real mobile or landline ranges, tend to succeed more often. If a rented number doesn't receive a code within a few minutes, don't keep hitting resend. Cancel and try a different number.
What a free public inbox does to you
Free websites that show incoming texts for anyone to read are tempting. Don't use them for Signal. The same number is shared by thousands of people, so the code is visible to everyone, and the number is often already registered. Even if you get in, anyone who later requests a code for that number can try to take the account over. Signal's registration lock PIN protects against this, but only if you set it up immediately.
Other causes, briefly
Your own number, no code. Check signal strength, turn off airplane mode, and make sure the number is typed with its country code and without a leading zero. A UK mobile written as 07700 900123 must be entered as +44 7700 900123, not +44 07700 900123. That one slip causes a surprising share of failed attempts.
Carrier filtering. Some carriers drop messages from short codes or unknown senders. The voice call option bypasses that filter completely.
Too many attempts. Repeated requests lock you out temporarily. Waiting is the only fix. Restarting the app doesn't reset it.
Old install or dual SIM. On dual-SIM phones the code can arrive on the second line, so check both. If you're also fighting codes from other services, the same logic applies in guides like FedEx OTP not received, where carrier filtering is a common culprit.
After you're in: protect the account
- Open Settings, then Account, and set a Signal PIN you'll remember.
- Turn on Registration Lock so nobody else can register your number without that PIN.
- Set a username under Settings > Profile so people can find you without seeing your number. Signal lets you hide your number from contacts.
- Keep the number reachable for a while. If you lose it and later reinstall, you'll need another code.
The username feature is the closest Signal comes to what many people actually want: using the app without handing out a phone number to everyone you talk to. You still need one number to sign up, but strangers never have to see it.
When nothing works
If a landline, a second SIM and a virtual number all fail, step back. Check that your Signal app is up to date and that your phone's date and time are set automatically, since a wrong clock can break registration. Try a different network, such as Wi-Fi in place of mobile data, or the reverse.
If you're in a country where Signal is blocked, registration can fail regardless of the number. That needs a different workaround, and Signal's own support pages cover censorship settings. For anything involving a lockout on an account you already had, contact Signal support instead of trying new numbers repeatedly.
Similar blocks show up elsewhere too. If you're curious how other apps treat borrowed numbers, verifying FedEx without your own phone number shows a case where the rules are looser.
FAQ
Can I use Signal without any phone number?
No. Registration always requires a number that receives a code. After that, usernames let you chat without sharing it. There's no email-only or anonymous signup option at this time.
Does the number have to stay active?
Not for daily use. Signal keeps working once registered. You'll need the number again if you reinstall, switch phones, or Signal asks you to re-verify, so don't let it lapse right away.
Can I register with a landline?
Yes. Request the SMS, wait for the timer, then choose the voice call option. The code is read aloud. It works with most standard landlines, though some office phone systems can't enter extensions or handle automated calls.
Will Signal ban me for using a virtual number?
Signal doesn't publish a ban policy for that. The more common outcome is that the code simply doesn't arrive. Accounts can also be lost if the rented number expires and someone else registers it, so set the Registration Lock PIN immediately.
Is a free online SMS site safe?
No. The inbox is public, so anyone can see your code, and the number may already be tied to other accounts. For anything you care about, use a number only you control.
Can I change my number later?
Yes. Go to Settings, then Account, then Change Number. You'll verify the new number and Signal moves your chats and contacts across. You need access to both numbers during the switch on some setups, so do it before the old one expires.
Why do I get "Verification failed"?
Usually a mistyped code, an expired code (they time out after a few minutes), or a new code requested in between that invalidated the first. Enter only the most recent one.
Does Signal work on a tablet or computer without a SIM?
Signal Desktop links to a phone account. On Android and iPad you can register the tablet itself with a number that gets a code elsewhere, since the SIM in the device doesn't matter.
What to do next
For most people, a landline or cheap prepaid SIM is the cleanest answer, and a rented virtual number is a fair backup when neither is handy. Skip public free inboxes entirely. Pick one number, register, set your PIN and Registration Lock straight away, then switch on a username so your number stays private. If you only want privacy from contacts, you don't need to hide the number at signup at all.