Calling Apps for Android: Second Numbers and Voice APKs

Calling beyond your SIM card

A calling app lets you make and receive calls over the internet, often with a number that is separate from your SIM. People use them for several reasons: keeping a work line apart from a personal one, using a local number abroad, protecting a main number from strangers, or calling cheaply over Wi-Fi. The apps in this tag lean toward the second number idea, so they fit those cases better than a general messenger.

• Google Voice APK: Google's calling and messaging service that gives you a number for calls, texts and voicemail.
• 2ndLine APK: an app for getting a free second phone number on your phone.

How to choose

Start with the reason you need a second number. If you want one stable number that follows you, a service tied to an account like Google Voice is a natural fit. If you want a throwaway line for sign ups or short projects, a second line app is more flexible. Think about which countries you will call, because availability and rules for numbers vary by region.

Also decide whether you need video or just voice. If you want face to face calls, go to video calling apps, and for text first conversations look at messengers and instant messaging. The wider communication tag covers everything in between.

What to check before installing

These apps depend on a service behind the scenes, so an APK alone is not enough. Check the Android version on each card, and expect to sign in, verify an existing phone number or accept permissions for contacts, microphone and phone state. Some services are limited by country, so an app that installs fine may still refuse to give you a number where you live.

Be careful with verification codes: a second number is often used for account sign ups, and anyone who controls the number controls those accounts. If privacy is the reason you are here, read the privacy tag too. For more tools, see the apps catalog and our guides.