How to Get a Virtual Phone Number for WhatsApp

WhatsApp is the most popular service among other online messaging apps. It has around two billion active users monthly. This is because it's a free and convenient application, suitable for both business communication and interpersonal use. The messenger works on any multiple devices and has end-to-end encryption. Additionally, there is WhatsApp Business, which allows you to represent your company and publish a product catalog. In any case, virtual phone numbers can come in handy to increase anonymity or create additional profiles.

Here's why virtual numbers are typically used:

• Anonymity and Security. Virtual SIM cards allow you to communicate on the messenger without using your personal phone numbers. This helps protect personal data, enhance confidentiality, and remain anonymous.
• Overcoming Regional Restrictions. In some countries, you cannot register on messenger, or its functions may be limited. A virtual number for WhatsApp from another country can help overcome this obstacle.
• Marketing. A large number of numbers helps avoid blocking the main number. At the same time, you can efficiently and quickly send messages to many WhatsApp accounts.
• Business. Since the app allows you to create business profiles, you can separate personal communication from communication with clients, making it much more convenient.

You can obtain temporary numbers for comfortable anonymous communication using special services, such as SMS-Activate. It provides online numbers for activating and renting any services, including WhatsApp. This article will detail how virtual numbers work, their benefits, how to obtain a virtual number for WhatsApp, and which services can help you do this.

What is a Virtual Phone Number for WhatsApp?

A virtual phone number for WhatsApp is an online SIM card. It works via the internet and can be used to receive SMS, make phone calls, and authorize in applications. They are often used to enhance profile security and register for online services.

Here's how a virtual number differs from a regular one:

• A regular number is tied to a SIM card, which is associated with a device, such as a smartphone. A virtual number for WhatsApp works over the internet and can be used on any device that works through mobile internet or Wi-Fi.
• A regular number is usually tied to a specific region. When buying a virtual number, you can choose any country, regardless of where the user lives.
• A regular number can be used for receiving voice calls, receiving and sending SMS, and mobile internet. Virtual phones are suitable for incoming SMS and calls. They are also used for auto-responders, automated services, and registration in various applications.
• A regular number is less confidential because it is registered to a specific person using their passport data. You don’t need to provide a passport to purchase a virtual number.

Virtual numbers can be used for smartphones, tablets, computers, laptops, IP phones, and smart devices.

Benefits of Using a Virtual Phone Number for WhatsApp

Virtual numbers help maintain personal confidentiality in both business communication and one-on-one communication. It's a convenient way to create many accounts for marketing — this allows you to cover a larger portion of the market. At the same time, virtual numbers are much more economical than buying physical SIM card — you don't need to pay a subscription fee, and you can choose any region for registration. If you create multiple users profiles for business, customer service will be faster and more efficient.

Enhanced Privacy and Security

Security of communication is one of the most important features of messengers. WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, where all messages are available only to the two people in the dialogue, meaning they are not accessible to third parties.

However, there is no privacy for personal numbers. To add a contact in WhatsApp, you need to know the person’s phone number. Also, the virtual phone number on which the profile is registered is visible in the messenger. That means scam calls won't get to you. They can collect private phone number into a single database and start sending spam. Thanks to virtual numbers for whatsapp, scammers won’t know your personal number.

Improved Customer Communication and Personalization

Virtual numbers are a convenient way to create a personalized experience for customers. WhatsApp is the most popular messenger in the world. Many users prefer to communicate via messaging rather than calls. To engage customers and help meet consumer needs, you can:

• Automate welcome messages;
• Create quick replies based on templates;
• Segment customers using CRM data and personalize their experience;
• Create personalized chatbots;
• Create various user interaction scenarios;
• Send dynamic content with personalized offers;
• Inform users about loyalty programs, discounts, and promotions;
• Collect feedback;
• Track and analyze user behavior to learn from collected data and offer more benefits to customers.

All this helps improve communication with customers.

Enhanced Marketing and Business Reach

Using WhatsApp can increase the return on investment in marketing through personalization.

Use all the messenger's features to improve customer communication and increase business revenue. Use advertising tools and all available content. Here are some examples:

• Personalize communication. Create personal messages based on customer data — behavior, purchase history, preferences. Customers receive information that interests them, increasing the likelihood of conversion. If you respond quickly to user messages, you can improve customer satisfaction.
• High open rates. Unlike email campaigns, the open rate for messages in WhatsApp is much higher, meaning users are more engaged and ready to buy. To make communication more attractive and interactive, use promotional messages with images, videos, audio, and call-to-action buttons.High open rates. Unlike email campaigns, the open rate for messages in WhatsApp is much higher, meaning users are more engaged and ready to buy. To make communication more attractive and interactive, use promotional messages with images, videos, audio, and call-to-action buttons.
• Respond quickly. To do this, set up chatbots and automatic responses to frequently asked questions. This way, you can free up human resources that can be spent on more creative tasks.
• Analyze data. WhatsApp allows you to collect information about customer interactions. This enables you to analyze marketing effectiveness and optimize it. Test different formats and message texts to understand which ones boost sales.

Flexibility and Multi-Device Synchronization

Virtual number for WhatsApp allow you to communicate and run marketing campaigns in different languages. This is very useful if you are working in an international market. You can also adapt communications to local features.

Since virtual numbers are easy to add and distribute among different teams, setting up and managing business communications for remote teams is easier. At the same time, all employees and customers remain anonymous, as their real personal numbers are not disclosed.

Virtual numbers also allow for centralized management of customer interactions. This approach makes it easier to collect and analyze customer information. Different numbers can be used for different purposes. For example, separate them by departments: technical support, sales, marketing. This way, you can reduce the flow of incoming messages and process them more efficiently. And customers will receive faster responses to their questions.

Cost-Effectiveness

Communicating and doing business account on WhatsApp is cost-effective, reducing call expenses. You don't need to pay for mobile communication or a subscription fee. All communication in WhatsApp is done via the internet — WiFi or mobile network. So, you only spend on internet traffic. This is especially beneficial for calls and correspondence with overseas clients. If you called them on the phone, you would spend a lot of money due to roaming. Thanks to WhatsApp, you get free virtual phone number for domestic calls. At the same time, you don’t need multiple phone lines or special equipment. As a result, you have minimal costs for international calls.

Integration Capabilities

WhatsApp can be integrated with various platforms to expand its functionality. This makes communication with customers even more comfortable and efficient. Integrations help automate processes, analyze data, improve service quality, and enhance marketing interactions.

Here are a few examples of integrations:

• CRM Systems. They help gather essential information about customers, their purchases, and interactions with the company in one place. Information from CRM can be used to create personalized messages and increase conversion rates.
• E-commerce Platforms. These allow you to communicate directly with customers about their orders, send notifications about order statuses, changes in delivery, and handle exchange and return issues. This increases customer trust, satisfaction, and loyalty. Additionally, it simplifies the purchasing process.
• Marketing Platforms. They can be used to collect feedback, create and send targeted messages, segment users, and track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

How to Get a Virtual Phone Number for WhatsApp

You can buy a number for WhatsApp registration from a virtual number providers. It's straightforward — you don't need to leave home or provide passport details. Just a few clicks, and the number is yours. You need to go through the registration process on the provider's website and choose the phone number for the required service — in this case, WhatsApp. You can also choose the country code and rental or activation duration, which will determine the pricing plans — activation is cheaper. Then, buy the number, copy it, and use it to create an account on WhatsApp. The activation code will be sent to your personal account.

Step 1: Choosing the Country and Type of Phone Number

Services selling virtual number for WhatsApp offer the option to choose a country. This is crucial for obtaining global accessibility. You can choose a country that best suits your interests and needs. For example, WhatsApp cannot be registered in the UAE, China, Morocco, and some other countries. But business clients may be in other countries where WhatsApp is a popular messenger. In this case, a business can buy a virtual SIM card for local presence. So, if you live in the UAE and your clients are in America, you can buy a US virtual phone number, register in the messenger, and communicate with clients.

There are also different types of phone numbers, such as free virtual number and national numbers. National numbers are suitable for registration on government websites that only accept local numbers. Free phone number are suitable for testing service functions.

Step 2: Choosing a Subscription Package and Payment

There are different subscription packages for numbers: monthly, yearly, and pay-as-you-go. On the SMS-Activate website, a number can be purchased for activation or rented for up to four weeks.

Choose an option depending on your needs. For example, if you only need to verify your profile and will use the account for a short time, you can buy activation. Tariffs with long-term rental and monthly or yearly payments are needed if you plan to use the service for a long time. There are also subscription packages for the number of SMS messages — the more SMS in the package, the lower the cost per message.

You can use various methods for online payments: cards, e-wallets, and cryptocurrency. A virtual number for WhatsApp can be used immediately after payment.

How to Set Up WhatsApp with a Virtual Phone Number

Creating an account on WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business account with a virtual number is as simple as with a regular phone. First, download the messenger to your device. When you open the app, it will immediately require a phone number to verify the account.

To continue registering without a personal number, use a special service selling virtual numbers, such as SMS-Activate. Visit the website, sign up, top up your account using a convenient method, and buy a number. Select WhatsApp. If necessary, choose the country to which the SIM card belongs. You can also select the duration needed for the number — several minutes for activation or rental from four hours to four weeks.

After buying the number, copy it in your personal account and paste it into the WhatsApp app. Request the verification code. It will come to the SMS-Activate personal account. Copy it and use it. Now you have a WhatsApp account without a personal number. The same method can be used to create a profile on WhatsApp Business, but you will need to provide more company information, such as working hours and address. You cannot create both a personal and business profile on one number, so you must purchase two different numbers.

Watch a detailed guide in the video:

Using Virtual Phone Numbers for WhatsApp Business

A personal WhatsApp profile is only suitable for communication, while the WhatsApp Business API is a powerful tool for business. It allows you to integrate many useful features, such as managing conversations, automating tasks, and customer analytics. You can also integrate other tools we mentioned earlier: CRM, e-commerce, and various marketing tools.

These tools help optimize workflows, increase efficiency, and gain valuable insights into how old and new customers interact with the company. This can help increase conversions and sales.

Managing Multiple Virtual WhatsApp Numbers

WhatsApp offers features like:

• Centralized Management. This allows you to manage multiple virtual numbers from one interface, making it quick and easy to administer and switch between numbers.
• Task Distribution. Each phone number can be assigned to a specific employee or department, helping to divide responsibilities.
• Analytics. For each phone number, you can track actions such as the number of incoming and outgoing messages and response times. This helps evaluate team performance and optimize it.
• CRM and Other Tools. These are useful for synchronizing customer data and automating communication processes, call monitoring.
• Access Control. The business panel includes an access control feature, allowing the administrator to assign different levels of rights to different employees or departments.

Team Collaboration and Chat Management

The business application has several features that help with team collaboration and effective chat management, such as:

• Tags and Labels. Used to mark chats and contacts, helping to quickly navigate messages based on priority or status.
• Message Templates. Help speed up existing customers interactions. These can be responses to frequently asked questions or standard information. Templates save time, allowing employees to focus on more productive work.
• Collaboration. Several employees can work on one account, responding to requests more quickly and effectively. Each employee can see which messages have already been processed or need responses.
• Short Links. Unique links that allow customers to start a conversation with the company immediately.
• Product Catalog. A company website is not necessary. You can add products with descriptions and prices to the WhatsApp app.
• Statistics. Helps employees see how many messages were sent, delivered, and read. This data helps understand how effective communication with customers is and if personalization is needed.

Considerations When Choosing a Virtual Phone Number

When purchasing a virtual phone, consider the following features:

• Purchase Duration. You can buy an online SIM card for a short period to authorize in the app. After receiving the SMS, the number will become unavailable, but you can request reactivation. If you need the number for a long time, purchase rental services. Numbers are available from four hours to four weeks.
• Region. Some applications do not work in certain regions. Before buying a number, check if it is valid in the country where you are registering.
• Prices. Activation prices are much lower than the cost of a physical SIM card and its subscription fee. SMS-Activate also has a loyalty program — the higher the balance top-up amount, the bigger the discount on numbers. You can also try free temporary phone numbers to understand how the service works.

Before buying a temporary number, research the market — read company reviews, learn how long they have been in business, and what services they provide. Decide which tariff suits you — activation or rental. Choose only reliable providers who protect your personal information securely and are ready to help 24/7.

Conclusion

Virtual phone numbers are a safe and inexpensive way to create accounts on WhatsApp for personal and business communication. They increase anonymity and confidentiality and provide more work opportunities, such as using WhatsApp integration. With virtual phones, you can create accounts in any application and provide better customer service.

Explore the possibilities of virtual number for WhatsApp for personal or business needs: they can take communication to the next level, make it faster and more efficient, and help manage teams.

To receive SMS online, you don't need to provide passport details or leave home. You can buy a virtual number online and receive an activation code message in your account on the number rental service.

FAQs

Can I use WhatsApp Business without a phone number?

To use WhatsApp Business, you must verify the account with a phone number. Without this, it won't work. This is needed to enhance security and increase customer trust and loyalty.

Does WhatsApp accept virtual phone numbers?

Yes, you can use virtual numbers from any country where WhatsApp is available for communication and work. This is a convenient and cost-effective way to create multiple accounts and increase work efficiency.

Can I use a virtual number for incoming phone calls and business calls?

Yes, this is especially effective if you use it for messenger registration. It allows for anonymous and free virtual phone number for communication, especially when using WiFi.

Are virtual phone numbers legal to use for WhatsApp Business?

Yes, virtual numbers are a legal and convenient way to use WhatsApp for multiple functions. You can also use virtual numbers in countries where WhatsApp is banned, helping you bypass regional restrictions.