- *67 and #31# hide caller ID for calls - they do nothing for texts.
- Free anonymous-SMS sites show no delivery status and monetize your message.
- Second-number apps (TextNow, TextFree, Burner) are pseudonymous: the app still knows you.
- Prepaid SIMs now require ID at purchase across most of the EU and beyond.
- A browser sender needs only an email: sender name yours where allowed, 149 countries, from $0.004 per text.
Can you send a text anonymously at all?
Yes, you can send a text anonymously toward the recipient with several routes that deliver a normal SMS without your number on it.
Toward everyone else (the provider, the law), no route on this page promises that, and any site claiming otherwise is selling something. Your text still passes through the SMSRoute route you pick, and those systems retain logs. Most options only conceal the number from the person who receives the message. Select based on exactly who must not see your identity attached. The rankings that follow show each leak clearly so the choice matches your real risk.
The 7 methods, ranked by what they hide
The seven methods rank by what stays hidden and from whom, never by cost. That single filter decides which route fits your message.
Most searchers waste an evening on the first three before they see the leaks. The remaining four work, each with its own privacy trade. Choose according to the party that must never see your number, not the free label.
| # | Method | Hidden from recipient? | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | *67 / #31# phone switches | Calls only - not SMS | The texting myth: no carrier applies it to texts |
| 2 | Email-to-SMS gateway | Partly | Your email address rides along; carriers are shutting these down |
| 3 | Free anonymous-SMS websites | Yes, if it arrives | No delivery status; ads; your message text is their inventory |
| 4 | Second-number app (TextNow, TextFree) | Yes | App + account; US/CA numbers; the app knows you |
| 5 | Disposable-number app (Burner) | Yes | Subscription; still an account; US/CA focus |
| 6 | Prepaid SIM | Yes | ID registration at purchase in most of the EU and many countries |
| 7 | Browser SMS sender | Yes - sender name is yours where carriers allow | Per-text price (from $0.004); one-way by design |
The phone-switch myth, killed in one paragraph
The phone-switch myth dies because star-six-seven in North America and hash-three-one-hash on GSM networks only hide your number on voice calls, not texts. SMS never had that switch built in at all. The sender number sits inside the message envelope carriers exchange between themselves, and no phone dialing prefix can touch it once the text leaves your device.
Every send anonymous text iPhone trick piece that opens with those voice codes is answering the wrong question. Texting was never controlled by the same caller ID suppression that works for calls. That whole mixup receives full coverage in the hide-my-number guide so you stop wasting time on handset tricks that leave your number fully visible on any SMS.
Free sites vs apps vs the SMSRoute browser route - which one fits whom
Apps suit ongoing back-and-forth, free sites suit almost nobody serious, and the browser route suits single one-way texts that need delivery proof across many countries.
For repeated texts that need replies choose a second-number app such as TextNow free with ads or Burner for a disposable number. One-way single messages make free sites seem ideal but they deliver blind and monetize the content. The browser sender does the same quick job with published pricing, delivery status and reach well beyond US and Canada. Signup stays email only with no identity documents ever. Even where prepaid SIMs work most of the EU now requires ID from the buyer at the counter.
- Recipient sees
- a shared or alphanumeric sender, never your number
- Account required
- email address only (no identity documents)
- Payment
- BTC, ETH, USDT, XMR, LTC, SOL
- US price
- $0.0125 per message (floor $0.004)
The one honesty check before you send
You can achieve anonymity from the person reading your text, but you cannot stay anonymous from a court order on any route listed here. That is the check you run before typing a single word.
If the message is a threat or harassment, every provider on this list including us logs enough to answer lawful requests. Send accordingly. Courts receive the records when they issue proper orders. Pick methods that hide your number from the recipient alone. Tips, heads-ups, and marketplace replies work fine this way. Illegal content does not stay hidden from authorities under any option. Only send messages you can stand behind later.
Technical details
from the recipient: methods 3-7 all work
from the app/site: only 6 and 7 skip the account trail (SIM: ID at purchase; browser: email only)
from legal process: none - every route answers a court order
the myth: *67 / #31# were never about textingFrequently asked questions
How do I send an anonymous text from my iPhone or Android?
Star-six-seven and hash-three-one-hash only suppress caller ID on voice calls, never on SMS. For an anonymous text from your iPhone or Android, install a second-number app such as TextNow or TextFree. Skip the install entirely by using a browser sender in Safari or Chrome; it takes minutes and supports custom sender names where carriers allow.
Is there a completely free way to text anonymously?
Second-number apps are free with ads inside the US and Canada, though they usually force an app install linked to your device. Free anonymous-SMS websites exist but deliver without status and monetize the message. Free always means paid in ads or data. The honest version of free is a $0.004 text with a delivery receipt.
Can an anonymous text be traced back to me?
The recipient cannot trace the text back to you on methods 3 through 7 because your number stays hidden. Law enforcement with legal process can on every method, since providers keep account and connection records. Anonymity is privacy from people, not immunity from courts. Email-only signup still produces those logs that answer court orders.
What does the recipient see with each method?
With second-number apps and prepaid SIMs the recipient sees an unfamiliar real number. Free sites deliver from a random gateway number. A browser sender shows the custom name you choose where carriers support it, while US and Canada routes substitute a numeric ID, and the default shared pool covers other cases.
Method 7 in practice: browser open, number typed, sender name set, delivered - from $0.004 with the price shown first.
Send one from the browserdeeper: the four apps compared · the free-site trap in full