When going abroad, it’s time to consider purchasing a “burner phone,” especially when entering the United States. This is because, according to some accounts, US Customs and Border Protection personnel are examining personal devices more aggressively. To protect sensitive and private data, several companies outside of the US are now advising their staff to utilize burners.
But crossing borders isn’t the only use for a burner. You may reduce the number of unwanted calls or even prevent distractions by using a phone with a simpler UI or one that doesn’t include all of your personal information. Recently, comedian Conan O’Brien commended his burner as a means of avoiding being overwhelmed by alerts and instant messaging.
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Even though prepaid phones have been available from carriers since the 1990s, the phrase “burner phones” or “burners” gained widespread use in the 2000s because of their usage in the acclaimed HBO series The Wire, where characters utilize burner phones to evade police detection. Burners are not only popular with criminals, despite the fact that they are often depicted as such. You may think about using a burner phone yourself now that privacy worries are growing.
What is a burner phone, therefore, and how does it operate? Everything you need to know about burners and how to purchase one is covered here.
A burner phone: what is it?
In a nutshell, a burner phone is an inexpensive, no-obligation prepaid phone. It is intended to be thrown away after usage and comes with a predetermined amount of data, text messages, or phone minutes.
Burners may be purchased over the counter and are not subject to contracts. These phones are known as burner phones because you can “burn” them—that is, throw them away after using them—and they can’t be linked to you, which makes them attractive to criminals. Burner phones are usually utilized when you need a phone right away and don’t plan to use it for a long time.
Burners are not the same as standard, contract-bound mobile phone plans that need a lot of personal data to be stored on file.
What are the benefits of using a burner phone?
A person is holding a phone in his hand with an unknown number calling.
You may easily dodge annoying phone contracts and spam that may be coming to your main phone number by using burner phones. Since burners are not associated with your identity, you may avoid being located or contacted if you need it.
However, you may add extra minutes and keep using it instead of throwing it away after usage. Burner phones still have the same functionality as ordinary phones, but without the inconvenience of a contract.
A burner phone may also be purchased as a backup phone for a particular need, such as avoiding roaming fees when traveling, having a backup phone number for two-factor authentication SMS, or for commercial reasons. For whatever privacy concerns you may have, you may get a burner phone.
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What distinguishes burner phones, prepaid phones, burner SIMs, and smartphones?
The features of a smartphone are frequently absent from burner phones, which are mainly low-cost feature phones. You just receive the necessities and really basic designs since they are meant to be inexpensive and disposable. In the burner phone industry, flip phones are a typical appearance.
While not all prepaid phones are burners, all burner phones are prepaid phones. The unique feature of a burner is that it can’t be linked to you and you won’t have to provide any personal information to get one. It will also be inexpensive enough to throw away after usage.
Burners are the least expensive prepaid phones available, and prepaid smartphones are often low-end versions to start. Any unlocked smartphone may, however, be used with prepaid SIM cards if desired, thereby turning it into a prepaid phone.
You don’t have to purchase a new phone in order to acquire a burner. You may also utilize a current phone with a burner SIM card. Burner SIMs are prepaid SIM cards that don’t need a contract or the disclosure of personal data.
Where can a burner phone be purchased?
All of the main retail stores carry burner phones. Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and other large shops carry them. Additionally, they are often offered in neighborhood supermarkets, petrol stations, retail phone shops like Cricket and Metro, convenience stores like Rite Aid and 7-Eleven, and others.
The average burner should cost between $10 and $50, although you may purchase a burner phone using cash. If you use the phone for additional minutes and data, the cost can go up. Paying with cash rather than a credit card makes sense if you’re purchasing a burner phone particularly to prevent the phone from being linked to you.
You may use a credit card to get a prepaid secondary phone if that’s all you desire. Unless you really don’t want the burner phone connected to you, credit cards will create a paper trail that may be traced back to you.
Numerous tools, such as Google Fi and the Burner app, also allow you to get secondary phone numbers. These providers usually hold at least part of your personal information, so they can’t really be said to be burners in the ideal sense.
Check out our comprehensive guide on the top prepaid phone plans presently offered if all you want is a reliable prepaid phone without anonymity. We also provide a guide to the finest low-cost phone plans available.