What Is a Burner Telephone?

For those who’ve watched a good bit of TV and movies, you could have heard the time period “burner telephone” being thrown round. A personality wants a fast getaway, so that they choose up a burner telephone on the best way and chuck it after use. Typically, they take away the battery or snap the telephone in half earlier than they trash it.

Though carriers have provided pay as you go telephones because the ’90s, the time period burner telephones or “burners” basically turned standard within the 2000s as a consequence of its use within the celebrated HBO sequence The Wire, wherein characters used burner telephones to keep away from getting caught by the police. Though typically portrayed as such, burners usually are not solely meant for use by criminals. With privateness issues rising, you may think about using a burner telephone your self.

So, what precisely is a burner telephone, and the way does it work? Beneath, we clarify every little thing you might want to learn about burners and how one can get one.

What’s a burner telephone?

Merely put, a burner telephone is an inexpensive pay as you go telephone with no commitments. It comes with a set variety of pay as you go name minutes, textual content messages, or information and is designed to be disposed of after use.

Burners are contract-free, and you may seize them off the counter. They’re known as burner telephones as a result of you possibly can “burn” them, i.e., trash them after use, and the telephone can’t be traced again to you, which makes them interesting to criminals. Burner telephones are sometimes used while you want a telephone rapidly, with out intentions of long-term utilization. 

Burners are totally different from getting a daily, contract-bound cellphone plans that require plenty of your info to be on file.

Why do you have to use a burner telephone?

Burner telephones are a straightforward solution to keep away from pesky cellphone contracts or spam it’s possible you’ll be getting in your major telephone quantity. Burners usually are not linked to your id, so you possibly can keep away from getting tracked down or contacted if that’s what you want.

Nevertheless, you don’t need to eliminate it after use — you possibly can simply add extra minutes and proceed utilizing it. Burner telephones can nonetheless perform as common telephones, minus the trouble of getting a telephone with a contract.

You too can get a burner telephone as a secondary telephone for a selected function, like having a spare telephone quantity for two-factor authentication texts, for enterprise functions or to keep away from roaming fees whereas touring. You will get a burner telephone for any privateness causes you could have.

Learn extra: The Information Privateness Ideas Digital Safety Specialists Want You Knew

Burner telephones, pay as you go telephones, smartphones, and burner SIMs: What’s the distinction? 

Burner telephones are sometimes low-cost characteristic telephones and often don’t include the bells and whistles of a smartphone. Since these are designed to be low-cost and disposable, you solely get the necessities and quite simple designs. The flip-phone type issue is a standard sight within the burner telephone market.

All burner telephones are pay as you go telephones, however not all pay as you go telephones are burners. What units a burner aside is that you’ll not have to present away any private info to get one, and it gained’t be traceable again to you. Additionally, it will likely be low-cost sufficient to be trashed after use.

Learn extra: Finest Pay as you go Telephone of 2024: Worth Picks for Cheaper Plans

Pay as you go smartphones are usually low-end fashions to start with, and burners are the most cost effective pay as you go telephones you will get. Nevertheless, you need to use any unlocked smartphone with pay as you go SIM playing cards if you wish to, basically making it a pay as you go telephone.

If you wish to get a burner, you don’t essentially have to purchase a brand new telephone. You will get a burner SIM and use it with an present telephone as effectively. Burner SIMs are pay as you go SIMs you will get with no contract or making a gift of private info.

The place can you purchase a burner telephone?

Burner telephones can be found in any respect the most important stores. You’ll be able to choose them up from Walmart, Goal, Finest Purchase and different large retailers. They’re additionally typically accessible at comfort shops like 7-Eleven and Ceremony Support, native supermarkets, fuel stations, and retail telephone shops like Cricket, Metro and others.

You will get a burner telephone with money; a typical burner ought to price between $10 and $50. It could price extra for those who get extra minutes and information with the telephone. For those who’re getting a burner telephone particularly to keep away from having the telephone traced again to you, it is smart to pay with money as an alternative of a bank card.

For those who simply need a pay as you go secondary telephone, you possibly can pay for one with a bank card. Bank cards will depart a paper path that leads again to you, however that shouldn’t be a difficulty except you actually don’t need the burner telephone linked again to you.

There are additionally many apps that allow you to get secondary telephone numbers, together with Google Fi and the Burner app. Nevertheless, these can’t fairly be known as burners within the perfect sense, since these suppliers will sometimes have at the very least a few of your private info.

For those who’re simply seeking to get a stable pay as you go telephone with out anonymity, you possibly can take a look at our full information for the finest pay as you go telephone plans accessible at present. We even have a information for the finest low-cost telephone plans you will get.