How to Get a US Phone Number From Abroad
Need a US phone number while living outside the USA? How a US virtual number works, what it can do, what it costs, and the steps to get one online.
You can get a US phone number from abroad by renting a virtual number online. It is a real US number that you manage in an app or web dashboard, without a US SIM card. This guide covers how a US virtual number works, what it can do, and how to get one.
Can I get a US phone number if I don't live in the USA?
Yes. A US virtual number is rented online and used over the internet, so you do not need to be in the USA or have a US SIM card. You can manage it from anywhere.
People use one to give US clients, colleagues or family a local number to contact them. It works alongside your existing number.
How does a US virtual number work?
Texts and calls to the number reach your Simnetic account instead of a SIM card. Received SMS appear in your inbox in My Virtual Numbers, and incoming calls can be forwarded to a number you choose.
Forwarded minutes are paid from your Simnetic wallet at the rate shown before you save the forwarding destination. On voice numbers, you can also place calls from the in-browser keypad.
What can a US virtual number do?
It can receive SMS, forward incoming calls and, on voice numbers, make keypad calls. Sending SMS from US numbers is coming soon, and MMS is not included.
What you want to do | US virtual number (October 2026) |
|---|---|
Give US contacts a local number | Yes |
Receive SMS | Yes, on SMS-enabled numbers |
Forward calls to your own phone | Yes, on voice numbers; minutes from your wallet |
Make calls from the keypad | Yes, on voice numbers |
Send SMS | Coming soon |
Receive picture messages (MMS) | Not included |
We do not guarantee that WhatsApp, banks, one-time-code services or social apps will accept a virtual number. Each of those services decides which numbers it accepts.
Simnetic tip: To keep the same US number long term, choose monthly auto-renewal. A fixed term does not renew, and we email you 7 days before it ends.
How much does a US phone number cost?
US numbers start at $4.99 per month, checked on 15 October 2026. The exact price depends on the number type, such as mobile, toll-free or business.
You can pay for 1, 3 or 12 months at once, saving 10% on 3 months and 20% on 12 months, or choose monthly auto-renewal to keep the same number. See the pricing page for current prices.
How do I get a US phone number online?
Choose the United States on the pricing page, pick a number type, review the terms and pay. The number appears in your account once it is connected.
- Open the virtual number pricing page.
- Sign in to your Simnetic account.
- Select the United States and a number type.
- Choose a fixed term or monthly auto-renewal.
- Pay, then manage the number in My Virtual Numbers.
What happens when my US number expires?
On monthly auto-renewal, the number stays yours until you cancel; after you cancel, it works until the end of the month you paid for. A fixed term does not renew, and we email you 7 days before it ends.
Some numbers can be extended by a month before they end, and some cannot. The checkout for each number tells you which applies.
Do I need a US eSIM as well?
Only if you are travelling to the USA and want mobile data there. A US data-only eSIM gives you data and has no phone number, while a US virtual number gives you a number but no data.
Travelling soon? Read our guide to an eSIM for the USA from the UK, or learn more about what a virtual phone number is.
About the author: Written by the Simnetic team at Domaxit LTD, a London-based provider of prepaid travel eSIM data plans for 217 countries and virtual phone numbers. We check every price and plan detail in our articles against the live Simnetic catalogue before publishing.