2ndLine - Second Phone Number

Review by eFreeware

The people most likely to want 2ndLine are those who need a phone number that isn't their main one. If you sell things online, run a small side business, travel between countries, or would rather not hand your personal number to every new contact, a separate line solves a real problem. Paying a carrier for that privilege is expensive, which is why an app that issues a number and routes calls over Wi-Fi has obvious appeal.

What 2ndLine offers is a free number with a US area code you pick, followed by unlimited calling and texting to the US and Canada. It has been on Google Play since early 2017 and now sits past ten million installs with a 4.1 average from more than 139,000 ratings, so it is not a novelty. The trade-off is that the service is funded by advertising, with a subscription available if you would rather not see ads.

I'd treat it as a second line rather than a replacement for a carrier. The developer's pitch is that there are no monthly or yearly fees for the core calling and texting, and that the bill is covered by brand partnerships. That model explains both the price and the ads, and it is worth understanding before you commit a number to it.

A free number with a US area code you choose

The first thing you do is claim a number. Area codes from most US metro areas are available, so you can pick one that looks local to the people you call, or simply one you find easy to remember. That suits anyone who wants a local number for a city they do business in while living elsewhere.

The number works for both voice calls and text messaging, including picture and video messages, so it behaves like an ordinary line for everyday contact. Calls and texts to the US and Canada are free, and the app is built around Wi-Fi calling, which means the connection comes through your internet rather than a cellular plan.

Because the number lives in the app, it stays with your account. The developer notes that message history can sync across the devices you use, which is convenient if you move between a phone and a tablet. Caller ID is included.

Calling and texting inside the app

For day-to-day use, the app handles the basics: placing calls, sending direct messages, and sharing photos and videos to numbers in the US or Canada. Quick Reply is there for firing off a fast response without opening the full conversation, and a home screen widget gives you a shortcut into the app. Small conveniences, but they matter when a messaging app is something you open dozens of times a day.

There is a fair amount of personalization on offer. Text tones, call tones, ringtones, vibrations and phone backgrounds can all be changed, which is more than many calling apps bother with. If you keep two lines on one device, distinct tones are a practical way to tell which number is ringing.

You can also set 2ndLine as your default dialer. Doing so means granting access to your call logs, after which you can find and call contacts from inside the app, review your call history, manage missed calls, and keep your message history in step across devices. That is a bigger commitment than using it as a standalone app, and it is optional.

International calls and who they reach

Calls to Canada are free alongside those to the US. Beyond North America, the app supports low-cost international calling to more than 230 countries, with rates the developer describes as starting below one US cent per minute. For anyone with family or friends overseas, that is the feature that separates 2ndLine from a simple second line.

Rates that low are worth checking against the specific country you call, since pricing by destination is normal for international services. The developer's figure is a starting point rather than a flat rate, and I'd expect the per-minute cost to vary depending on where you are dialing.

The combination is unusual: a free domestic line for everyday use, plus paid international minutes when you need them. Someone who calls abroad regularly would likely use both halves of the app, while someone who only needs a local number can ignore the international side entirely.

What the free model actually involves

2ndLine is free to download and free to use for its core calling and texting, with no monthly or yearly fees attached to that. The developer is direct about how this works: the company partners with brands, and in-app advertising covers the cost of the service.

The developer says ads won't interrupt your experience, which is a claim rather than a guarantee, and how noticeable they are is something each user will judge for themselves. If advertising is a problem for you, a subscription is available to remove it. Paying removes the ads, while calling and texting stay free either way.

In-app purchases are part of the app, so a purchase flow exists, but the only thing the developer spells out as purchasable is ad removal. International calling is priced per minute, with rates starting under a cent. I'd go in expecting an ad-supported free service with a straightforward way to pay for a cleaner version, rather than a tiered product with features locked behind a paywall.

How it compares with the alternatives

The closest alternatives are carrier add-a-line plans, prepaid SIMs, and other internet calling services. A carrier second line comes with a monthly bill but also with a real cellular connection and no dependence on an app. A prepaid SIM gives you a physical number you can move between phones, though it means managing another piece of hardware.

Against those, 2ndLine's advantage is cost and speed. You get a working number without a contract, a store visit or a new SIM, and you can choose an area code from a different city. The cost is that the line lives inside an app and is funded by ads unless you subscribe.

Other internet calling apps occupy similar ground, and 2ndLine is affiliated with TextNow Inc. but not with other texting and calling apps. If you have used one of those services before, the model here will feel familiar: a free number, ad support, and paid extras around the edges.

A second line for sellers, travelers and side projects

I'd point this app at people who need a number they can give out freely. Online sellers listing items with a contact number, freelancers taking client calls at odd hours, and anyone who wants their personal line kept private all fit that description. The ability to choose an area code from another metro area is a genuine advantage for small operations trying to look local.

It also suits people who spend time abroad or on Wi-Fi networks. A free number plus free calls to the US and Canada, with paid minutes for other countries, covers a lot of ground for that group.

The app concentrates on giving you an extra number for calls and texts rather than replacing a carrier plan. The developer's own framing is a second number alongside your main one, and that is the right way to think about it. Judged on those terms, the combination of a free US number, unlimited domestic calling and texting, and cheap international rates is a compelling package, with advertising as the price of admission.

What I'd weigh before installing

A 4.1 average across more than 139,000 ratings indicates a service that has settled into a stable, widely used groove since its 2017 release.

The caveats are equally clear. Advertising funds the free service, and removing it means taking out a subscription. International calls beyond Canada are billed per minute rather than included. And the line is an app-based number, best used as a companion to your main one rather than a wholesale replacement for a carrier.

For anyone who wants a separate number for selling, work, dating or travel without adding a monthly bill, 2ndLine is an easy recommendation. If you need a guaranteed connection everywhere and no advertising at all, a carrier line remains the simpler answer.