Using WhatsApp Without a SIM Card or Phone Number

You might be curious if it is possible to use WhatsApp without inputting a telephone number. While complicated, it is possible. I have a short guide here illustrating heavily tested methods of bringing up WhatsApp on a tablet, laptop, or your smartphone that has no SIM card.

Hello everyone! It is Frankie here again – the instant messaging expert and hacking technique enthusiast. Welcome to my blog.

Let’s get right to the point – today’s guide is all about using WhatsApp on your device when you do not have a phone number or SIM card to use to sign up.

You might be thinking of all the possibilities of this new information, from just keeping your contact information private to conduct work conversations, or just to play a harmless prank on someone you know. It’s all at your fingertips now.

I should be clear from the start, though. WhatsApp requires a phone number to activate an account and they do not have any feature available to hide that phone number when communicating to others.

Don’t worry.

There are some tricks that allow you to use WhatsApp without a phone number or SIM card in your device. You can create a ‘fake number’ and use this to chat without exposing your actual information to anyone.

This guide is going to show you how to use WhatsApp on both your iPhone and Android devices using a landline phone number or a generated virtual number from a service called TextNow.

Before you begin there are a few things you need to do:

• Download the latest version of WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business (the same chat application but designed for businesses with a few more amenities and functions.)
• Remove your phone number on WhatsApp. If you already have the application installed on your phone, uninstall it and then reinstall the application.
• Before pressing the “Accept and Continue” prompt, which I will explain a little better shortly, put your phone in airplane mode.

All set to get started?

Then let’s begin.

Method #1 – Using Your Landline to Communicate on WhatsApp Business

This first method I will describe is the easiest for users to do.

The only thing that you need to have is a dedicated landline number to use – and your house number is fine. The only thing about this is that those you chat with then see your landline number instead of your mobile one. This method works on more than just smartphones, though, you can also use it on tablets and PCs.

NOTE: For some time, this technique has only worked on WhatsApp Business. The normal version of WhatsApp corrected the use of landlines and when you attempt to use one of these numbers it will generate an error message telling you that a mobile phone number must be used.

So here is what you do:

1. Download and install WhatsApp Business on your phone
2. Select your country
3. Enter the landline number you want to use, click ‘Next’
4. Wait until the verification process is successful, which can take several minutes at times
5. Press ‘Call Me’, answer the call to the landline and use the PIN verification code the automated voice provides on your phone. When entered in the app, choose ‘Next’
6. Finish the WhatsApp Business set up process

And just like that, you have a functioning WhatsApp account without using your mobile phone number. Thanks to this method, you will not need to uninstall WhatsApp or disconnect it from your private phone number. So, you end up with two different WhatsApp applications on your device connected to different numbers.

For more on how to verify your WhatsApp Business profile, you should take a look at the official guide provided by WhatsApp to help.

Method #2 – Link to WhatsApp with a Virtual Number from TextNow

Another way that you can use WhatsApp on your mobile phone without your actual phone number is to use the TextNow app.

This is an application that is available for Google platforms and iOS systems. It allows you to create a virtual number for free you can use to call and send text messages through with a consistent internet connection.

So, you activate your smartphone on WhatsApp using this new virtual numbers instead. Now, you hide your actual personal number and can still use WhatsApp on a mobile phone – even without having a SIM card.

Let’s walk you through the steps:

1. Download/install TextNow app. I have a link for Android devices here and a link for iPhone devices here.
2. After installation, you now have a TextNow virtual number.
3. Open WhatsApp and start the setup process. Enter your virtual number when account verification is required and choose ‘Next’
4. Wait a moment until options for Resend Code or Call Me appear. Tap ‘Call Me’
5. You get an automated call with a 6-digit code you must enter.
6. Input this information on the WhatsApp setup page.
7. Voila! You now have WhatsApp installed without a SIM card

Now, you see how easy that was to activate WhatsApp without phone number or SIM card?

But I have even more goodies for you – here is a tip I think will come in handy.

You can also use WhatsApp on a PC without associating it to your personal mobile number.

You do this through the use of an Android emulator program available for Windows and Mac computers. There are several to choose from, but I would personally steer you towards:

• Bluestacks
• Remix OS Player
• Nox App Player

I should explain more. These programs, which are completely free, simulate a mobile phone operating system on your PC or Mac. You then can create an independent WhatsApp account without your personal cell number to have on this computer. I would say that might be pretty convenient for some of you reading this.

Are any apps alternatives to TextNow?

Much like most successful software and programs, there are several duplicate services out there. You can try esempio, Talkatone, Nextplus, and more. Any of them are good. I recommend TextNow to people because it is simple to use, it is completely free (even though it does have a pad version you will not need) and works in all countries.

BONUS – ChatSim for WhatsApp

Yet another solution that can allow you to use WhatsApp without a phone number is buying a SIM card for WhatsApp or other several popular instant messaging applications at a relatively low cost.

One of the most popular options in this regard is ChatSim, which has been designed to facilitate the use of chat services like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, LINE, and Telegram in over 150 countries without ever experiencing international roaming charges.

Before you learn more about ChatSim, you should understand that this is not exactly cheap. The card costs €15 and you have to add €5 for shipping and €10 for an annual fee to obtain the appropriate credits to use the service. Now you have spent €30 euros.

If you do not recharge this SIM when time expires, it is deactivated. You should also know that there are traffic limitations and restrictions you can’t exceed. Before you proceed with any purchase, you should make sure that you are getting the right information together.

Carefully evaluating ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of ChatSim can leave some of you considering this a good purchase. If so, you can get it on the official website for the service and through Amazon.

Once you receive your SIM card in the mail, you must follow steps to activate it. You connect to a designated page, enter the SIM card identification number and the phone number associated with the SIM card, and tap on the green button to proceed and complete the process. The last thing you need to do is insert the SIM into a compartment that uses it, configure the APN with instructions from the ChatSim website, and you are good to go.

The Take Away

Now, you realize there are two solid methods to use WhatsApp without phone number or SIM.

The first of these is using a landline phone number and WhatsApp Business. The second utilizes virtual numbers to verify accounts. You can grab your virtual number using a service called TextNow (available for iPhone and Android.)

There is also a bonus method I shared where you can use a service like ChatSim. This provides a SIM card exclusively for chatting on services like WhatsApp and other messaging applications that require phone verifications. It is not free, but can be a helpful tool.

That’s all I have for you right now – I wanted to make sure you had all the useful information on the topic. I want to remind you that all of these methods I suggest or encourage have been personally tested and verified by me. So have confidence in them.

If you do have any questions or concerns, or maybe you have found another way to use WhatsApp without a personal phone number, you can share it as a comment on this post.

You can also follow my YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Pinterest account for more information, tips, and messaging hacks.

Regards,

PS – Readers might be interested in a similar topic I’ve written a guide about, How to Use Two WhatsApp Accounts on One Smartphone.