For anyone who needs a UK +44 mobile number to sign up for or keep an account, anywhere in the world.

UK number for apps and online services, by category

Every service page in one place: messaging, social, dating, big-tech accounts, payments, exchanges, AI tools. One honest line each, and how SMS verification really works.

$25

Messaging, social, dating, account, payment, exchange, marketplace, AI and business services, each with a full page.
A real UK +44 mobile line from $25 for the first six months, then $15 per six months. Nothing renews on its own.
It receives SMS and incoming calls, including while roaming. No mobile data, no outgoing calls.
No ID, signup or email required to buy, and payment is in crypto.
Standard SMS verification works, but no provider can promise a given service accepts a given number. There are no refunds if one declines it.
The install QR is single use, and a deleted profile is never reissued.

Buy UK eSIM - $25 How it works →

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Most apps tie an account to a phone number and send a code by SMS to prove you hold it. This hub groups our UK number pages by what the service is. Each entry has one line on what a number does there and a link to the full page.

None of it is a promise. Standard SMS verification works, but no provider can promise that a given service accepts a given number, and we do not. The line is a real UK +44 mobile line from $25 for the first six months, then $15 per six months. It receives SMS and incoming calls, including while roaming, and has no mobile data and no outgoing calls.

Messaging apps

Messengers tie the account to the number itself, so this is where a number you keep matters most. Changing it later usually means moving the account.

WhatsApp: The account is bound to one number, and a code arrives by SMS or call when you register or move to a new phone. Full page: /uk-number-for-whatsapp/

WhatsApp Business: Registration works the same way as the regular app, which makes a separate line a tidy way to keep a business apart from a personal number. Full page: /uk-number-for-whatsapp-business/

Telegram: Sign-up sends a code by SMS, and privacy settings let you choose who can see the number afterwards. Full page: /uk-number-for-telegram/

Telegram, second account: Each account needs its own number to register, which is the case a second line is for. Full page: /uk-number-for-telegram-second-account/

Signal: Registration confirms the number once, and contacts find you by it unless you set a username. Full page: /uk-number-for-signal/

Discord: Discord can ask for a phone number to verify an account, and a number you keep can answer a later re-check. Full page: /uk-number-for-discord/

Social networks

Most social apps use a number for sign-up checks, login codes and account recovery. How often they ask varies by service and by account.

Instagram: Instagram can ask for a number at sign-up or when it reviews an account, and login codes can go to it too. Full page: /uk-number-for-instagram/

Facebook: Facebook can use a number for sign-up, login codes and account recovery. Full page: /uk-number-for-facebook/

X (Twitter): X can ask for a number to confirm an account, and SMS can serve as a login code. Full page: /uk-number-for-twitter/

TikTok: TikTok offers sign-up and login with a number and an SMS code. Full page: /uk-number-for-tiktok/

Snapchat: Snapchat asks for a number at sign-up and uses it for verification and for getting back into the account. Full page: /uk-number-for-snapchat/

Reddit: Reddit does not always ask for a number, but some account checks can. Full page: /uk-number-for-reddit/

LinkedIn: LinkedIn can ask for a number to confirm an account and to send security codes. Full page: /uk-number-for-linkedin/

Dating apps

Dating apps are built around a phone number sign-up, which makes a second number a way to keep the account apart from your main line.

Tinder: Sign-up starts with a number and a code, and the number is also how you get back into the account. Full page: /uk-number-for-tinder/

Bumble: Bumble offers sign-up with a phone number and uses it for login. Full page: /uk-number-for-bumble/

Hinge: Sign-up starts with a number and an SMS code. Full page: /uk-number-for-hinge/

Apple, Google and Microsoft accounts

These are the accounts other things hang on. The number here receives two-factor and recovery codes, so one you still hold in a year is worth more than a cheap one you lose.

Apple ID: An Apple Account can list a trusted phone number that receives two-factor codes by SMS. Full page: /uk-number-for-apple-id/

iCloud: Codes go to the trusted number when you set up a new device or recover access, so it has to still be yours then. Full page: /uk-number-for-icloud/

Google: A Google account can use a number for verification and recovery, which is why one you still hold months later matters. Full page: /uk-number-for-google/

Microsoft: Microsoft accounts can use a number for sign-in codes and recovery, including for Outlook and Xbox. Full page: /uk-number-for-microsoft/

Payments and fintech

Payment services use a number for login and security codes. They also run their own identity checks, and a phone number does not replace those.

PayPal: PayPal links a mobile number to the account for login and security codes. Full page: /uk-number-for-paypal/

Wise: Wise uses a number for sign-in and security steps, and runs its own identity checks that a phone number does not replace. Full page: /uk-number-for-wise/

Payoneer: Payoneer sends security codes to the number on the account, and identity verification is a separate step. Full page: /uk-number-for-payoneer/

Crypto exchanges

Exchanges use a number for two-factor codes and treat identity verification as a separate step. A number never stands in for it.

Binance: Binance uses a number for two-factor codes if you choose SMS. Its identity checks are separate, and a phone number does not replace them. Full page: /uk-number-for-binance/

Coinbase: Coinbase can send two-factor codes by SMS. Identity verification is its own step, and a number does not substitute for it. Full page: /uk-number-for-coinbase/

Kraken: Kraken does not use SMS codes for sign-in, so a number is not the fix most people expect. This page explains the narrow cases where a separate line still matters. Full page: /uk-number-for-kraken/

Crypto exchanges without ID: What a number does and does not do at an exchange, and why it never stands in for the identity step. Full page: /uk-number-for-crypto-exchange-no-id-2026/

Marketplaces, travel and gaming

Shops, rides, stays and game stores use a number to confirm the account and to send order or login codes.

Amazon: Amazon can use a number for sign-in and one-time codes. Full page: /uk-number-for-amazon/

eBay: eBay can ask for a number to confirm an account, with the code sent by SMS. Full page: /uk-number-for-ebay/

Airbnb: Airbnb uses a number to confirm the account and for booking messages. Full page: /uk-number-for-airbnb/

Uber: Sign-up is built on a phone number and an SMS code, and a UK number is handy when you are in the UK. Full page: /uk-number-for-uber/

Steam: Steam can use a number for Steam Guard and for account recovery. Full page: /uk-number-for-steam/

UK number for non-residents: For people who do not live in the UK and want a UK number without a UK address or a contract. Full page: /uk-number-for-non-residents/

AI tools

AI services commonly ask for an SMS code at sign-up, and some ask again when something about the account looks new.

OpenAI: OpenAI asks for SMS verification at sign-up. Full page: /uk-number-for-openai/

Other AI tools: Other AI tools also ask for a phone code at sign-up, and this page covers what to expect. Full page: /uk-number-for-ai-tools-verification/

Developer and business accounts

Store and payment platforms for a business use a number for sign-in security, and often keep a separate identity process for the business itself.

Shopify: Shopify can use a number for sign-in security and codes. Full page: /uk-number-for-shopify/

Stripe: Stripe accounts use a number for security codes, and business identity checks are a separate matter. Full page: /uk-number-for-stripe/

How SMS verification works

A service generates a short code, hands it to an SMS gateway, and the gateway delivers it to the mobile network that owns the number. You type the code back, and the service records that someone with access to that number was present. That is all it proves.

The same number is then used again whenever the service wants to check you later: a login from a new device, a password reset, a security review. So the number is not a one-time key but a long-term address for the account, which is the reason to choose one you will still hold in a year. The full walkthrough is on /sms-verification-number/.

Why some services refuse VoIP and virtual numbers

A phone number carries a type that anyone can look up: mobile, landline or VoIP. Services that fight fake sign-ups often treat VoIP ranges and numbers shared across many accounts as higher risk, and some block them outright. Rented numbers that have passed through thousands of sign-ups are the ones most likely to be flagged.

Each service sets its own rule, and the rules change without notice. The detail is on /why-do-apps-reject-virtual-numbers/, with a list of apps known to block VoIP on /sign-up-apps-that-block-voip-numbers/ and a comparison of the number types on /esim-vs-voip-vs-virtual-number-for-verification/.

What a real carrier line changes, and what it does not

A real carrier line registers as an ordinary mobile number, belongs to one buyer and is not shared. That removes the two causes of most failures with shared and VoIP numbers. It also means a reset code six months later still reaches you, because the number is still yours.

What it does not change is the decision. Every service still applies its own rules, may ask for more than a number, and can decline a number for reasons it does not explain. There are no refunds if a service declines the line. Nor does a number replace an identity check at an exchange or a payment service. The comparison with the virtual alternative is on /uk-esim-vs-virtual-number/.

If a verification code does not arrive

1
Wait a few minutes before resending
Delivery can take a minute or two, and each resend can invalidate the previous code. Repeated requests also trigger rate limits at some services.
2
Check the eSIM line is registered
Look for signal on the eSIM line. Turn on Data Roaming for that line, since registration on the UK network can need it, and allow an hour or two after installing.
3
Read the number back
Dial *132# on the eSIM line to see its number, and check that you typed exactly this number, with +44 and no leading zero.
4
Make sure the right line is switched on
On a dual-SIM phone, an SMS goes to the line that owns the number. If your main SIM is the default for data or calls, the eSIM line can still receive the code as long as it is switched on.
5
Try the voice option or another method
Many services offer a call instead of SMS, and incoming calls work on this line. If the service refuses the number, there is no setting on our side that changes that.

Questions & answers

Which apps work with a UK number?

Most services that verify by SMS can send a code to a UK +44 mobile number, but each one decides for itself and no provider can promise a given service accepts a given number. The categories above link to the page for each service so you can read what it uses a number for.

Will WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram accept it?

A real carrier line registers as an ordinary mobile number, which avoids the problems of shared and VoIP numbers. Whether a specific app accepts it is the app's decision, and we do not promise it. See /uk-number-for-whatsapp/ and /uk-number-for-telegram/ for what each uses the number for.

Why do some apps reject virtual numbers?

Services treat VoIP ranges and heavily shared numbers as higher risk for fake accounts, and some block them. A real mobile line is not in those ranges. Each service sets its own rule and can change it, and the details are on /why-do-apps-reject-virtual-numbers/.

Can the number replace identity verification at an exchange or payment service?

No. Wise, Payoneer, exchanges and similar services run identity checks as a separate step, and a phone number does not take their place. The number only receives security and two-factor codes.

What does the line cost, and does it renew itself?

It costs from $25 for the first six months, then $15 for each further six months to keep it. Nothing renews on its own and no card is stored, so you top it up when you want to keep it.

Can I call out or use mobile data on it?

No. The line receives SMS and incoming calls, including while you roam. It has no mobile data and no outgoing calls, so keep your main SIM for data and for calling out.

What if the code never arrives?

Wait a few minutes, check the eSIM line has signal with Data Roaming on, read the number back with *132#, and try the call option. The steps are above, and the longer guide is in the troubleshooting article linked at the bottom of this page.

What happens if I delete the eSIM or the app refuses the number?

The install QR is single use. A deleted UK profile is not reissued, so contact support before deleting it. There are no refunds if an app declines the number, which is why we say so before you buy.

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