Need a separate phone number for work, what’s the best way?

[Praline55]

I am soon going to need a separate number from my personal one for work purposes, is it easier to buy a second cheap pay as you go phone, or use one of these apps like Phoner? I’m not very tech savvy and I did upload the Phoner app but it was a bit weird and seemed to cost a similar amount to having a pay as you go, if you wanted to keep the same number. Any tips very welcome. Thanks!

If you have a phone with 2 sim slots you can simply add a second sim to your phone. It shows which sims is ringing when called and you can choose which number to call out on.

I would get a completely separate phone and number so that work doesn't follow you everywhere

Thanks, I don’t think my phone has two SIM slots otherwise that would be a great solution. Maybe a separate phone is the answer. I’ll start looking for a decent inexpensive one.

Couldn't agree more.

You don't need a phone with two physical SIM slots to have two numbers on one phone. Search for phones that have the capability for an 'eSIM' - I know the newer iPhones (12 onwards) do. Then you also need a network provider that does eSIMs. I know Vodafone do, and there's a couple of others too. O2 maybe?

So then you have one number on the actual physical SIM, and one number on the virtual eSIM. You can set differnt ring tones for each number, and assign which contacts default to which number (e.g. so when you message your family it comes from your personal number, and when you message colleagues it comes from your work number).

With iPhone, anything from XS onwards has eSim capability:
support.apple.com/en-gb/HT209044

Thanks rbe78, that sounds good, I have an iPhone 11 so I’ll look into it. I’ve also dug out an old iPhone 5 which still works and I could get a GiffGaff sim and use that, as it’s only minimal use I’ll need it for.