How to Get a US Phone Number From Outside the US: 5 Ways Compared, Including One That Rings in Your Browser

"How do I get a US phone number from outside the US?" is really three different questions wearing one coat. Some people want to keep the number they had before they moved. Some want a US number that receives bank and app verification texts. And some just want a number that people in the US can dial at local rates and that reaches them wherever they are. The right answer is different for each, and most guides blur them together. This one separates them, then compares the five routes that actually work in 2026.

The quick answer: If you need to keep your existing number, port it to Google Voice before you leave or park it on a low-cost US plan. If you need SMS verification codes, you need a real US carrier number, which means a SIM, an eSIM-based virtual number or Google Voice; a browser number will not do it. If you need a US number people can call that rings where you are, and you are already abroad with no US address, a Kinvo virtual number can be bought from any country, rings in your browser, costs $0.04 per minute for incoming calls and nothing for missed ones.

First, decide which of the three things you need

• Keeping a number you already have. Only two routes preserve it: porting it into Google Voice, or keeping it alive on a cheap US plan. Everything else gives you a new number.
• Receiving SMS verification codes. Banks and apps send codes only to numbers that look like carrier mobiles, and many refuse VoIP numbers outright. This rules out browser-only numbers and, for some services, Google Voice too.
• Being reachable on a US number from abroad. For calls, this is the easiest of the three to solve and the one where a browser-based number is the least fuss.

The five routes compared

Competitor rows describe who each service serves and what it includes as of September 2026; check each provider for current prices. Kinvo's rate is the one the product bills.

Route 1: keep a US SIM alive on a cheap plan

This is the only route that keeps your number and keeps receiving carrier SMS. Move the number to a low-cost US carrier before you leave, put the SIM in a second slot or a spare handset, and let it ride. The catch is that most US carriers write their terms for people who live in the US: lines used exclusively abroad for months can be suspended, international roaming may be charged per day or not offered at all, and Wi-Fi calling from abroad works on some plans and not others. Read the roaming terms of the specific plan before you commit, and keep a US-registered payment method on file.

Route 2: port the number to Google Voice

Google Voice is free for personal use, includes SMS and voicemail, and rings its app and web client anywhere in the world. Its problem is the front door: you need a US phone number and a US address to create the account, so the porting has to happen before you leave, while you still have both. Once it is set up, it is the best-value option on this list for a US resident who is moving abroad. It is not an option for someone who is already abroad with no US number to start from, and a growing number of banks refuse to send verification codes to Google Voice numbers because they are classed as VoIP.

Route 3: an eSIM virtual number

Several eSIM providers now sell a US number that lives inside their app: install the eSIM or the app, pay a monthly fee, and the number receives calls and, usually, SMS. This is the closest thing to a real US mobile line that can be bought from abroad, which makes it the right pick if verification codes are the whole point. The compromises are that the number lives in that provider's app rather than in your phone's native dialer, that "usually receives SMS" is not "always", and that the monthly fee continues whether or not you use it.

Route 4: a business VoIP subscription

Dialpad, RingCentral, CloudTalk and their peers will happily sell a US number to a business almost anywhere, with SMS, voicemail, call queues and an app for every device. If you run a company that needs a US presence, this is the professional answer. For an individual it is overkill and priced per seat per month, and most of them want business details at sign-up.

Route 5: a browser number from Kinvo

A Kinvo virtual number is a real US number (also UK, Canada or Australia) that you can buy from an account in any country, with no US address and no existing US number. Calls to it ring in the browser tab you dial from, on a laptop or a phone, and show the caller's real number. It costs $0.04 per minute for incoming calls with no connection fee, a missed call costs nothing, and the number is your caller ID when you ring back, so people in the US see a US number and pay a local rate to reach you.

Be clear about what it is not. It does not receive SMS, so it will not pass verification codes. It has no voicemail: a missed call is an email and a history entry. And it rings only while the Kinvo tab is open. If your need is "people in the US can call me and I can call them back from the same number, without a US address or a carrier plan", it is the least fuss on this list. If your need is verification codes, use route 1 or 3.

Which route for which person

• US resident about to move abroad, wants to keep the number: port to Google Voice before leaving; keep a cheap SIM alive as well if your bank rejects VoIP numbers.
• Already abroad, needs a US number for bank and app codes: an eSIM virtual number.
• Already abroad, wants US clients or family to be able to call: a Kinvo browser number, bought in a few minutes with no address check.
• Company that needs a US presence for a team: business VoIP.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a US phone number if I live abroad?

Yes. eSIM virtual-number providers, business VoIP services and Kinvo all sell US numbers to people outside the US. Google Voice and US carrier SIMs do not, because both require a US address at sign-up.

Can a foreigner get a US phone number?

Yes, and without ever visiting the US. The routes that work for non-residents are an eSIM virtual number, a business VoIP subscription, or a Kinvo browser number. The choice comes down to whether you need SMS (eSIM or VoIP) or only calls (Kinvo).

Can I get a free US phone number from abroad?

Realistically, no. Google Voice is free but requires a US number and address. Ad-supported apps such as TextNow serve the US and Canada only. Every service that will sell a number to someone abroad charges for it, because the carrier that provides the number charges them.

How do I keep my US number while living abroad?

Port it to Google Voice before you leave, or move it to a low-cost US plan whose terms allow long-term use abroad. Do the paperwork while you still have a US address; neither can be started from overseas.

Will a virtual US number receive verification codes?

It depends on the number's type. Carrier-backed numbers from SIMs and most eSIM providers do. VoIP numbers, including Google Voice and Kinvo, are blocked by many banks and some apps, and Kinvo numbers do not receive SMS at all.

Can I get a US number on an eSIM?

Yes. Several providers sell a US number as an eSIM or app-based line that can be activated from abroad and receives calls and, usually, texts. It is the right route when verification codes are the point.

Bottom line: Keeping a number needs Google Voice or a cheap SIM, arranged before you leave. Verification codes need a carrier-backed number, which from abroad means an eSIM virtual number. Being reachable on a US number, from anywhere, with nothing to install and no address check, is what a browser number from Kinvo is for. Start at kinvophone.com.