Message and call without sharing your phone number

Why most messaging apps ask for your number

Many popular messengers use your mobile number as your account. That makes it easy for friends to find you, but it also means anyone you chat with can end up holding the number that is tied to your bank, your SIM and your other accounts.

That is a problem when you are talking to someone you don't know well yet: a new date, a buyer or seller, or a new client.

Ways to chat without giving out your number

• Usernames on phone-number apps. Some apps let you hide your number behind a username, but you still need a phone number to sign up. Signal, for example, added usernames in 2024 and still requires a number at registration.
• Random account IDs. Apps such as Threema and Session give you a generated ID instead of asking for a number.
• One-time links or QR codes. SimpleX Chat connects people through invitation links rather than any user ID.
• A private in-app number. Apps such as Vaultlix give you a number that works only inside the app, so you can share something that feels like a phone number without exposing your real one.
• Second phone number apps. Services that sell a real extra phone number can text and call ordinary phones. They solve a different problem: the number is still a phone number, and it usually costs money.

The right choice depends on who you are talking to. If the other person won't install anything, a real second number may suit you better. If you both use the same app, an in-app number keeps your real contact details out of the conversation entirely.

How Vaultlix works

1. Create your identity. Choose the username people will see. Vaultlix gives you a permanent Vaultlix number.
2. Share your Vaultlix number. Give people your Vaultlix number, not your personal one.
3. Accept the connection. The other person enters your exact number and sends a request. A conversation appears after you accept.
4. Message or call. Talk one-to-one by message, voice or video.

What Vaultlix doesn't ask for

• No phone number
• No email address
• No contact upload
• No real name
• No SIM card

What to know before you start

• It isn't a cellular number. Your Vaultlix number cannot receive SMS or ordinary calls. The people you talk to use Vaultlix too.
• Nobody can look you up. Vaultlix does not search contacts or suggest people. Someone needs your exact Vaultlix number to send a request.
• One-to-one only. Vaultlix is built for conversations between two people, not groups.
• Keep your recovery details safe. You sign in with your Vaultlix number and password. Losing both your device and your recovery code permanently loses your Vaultlix number.

Privacy and safety

Messages are end-to-end encrypted with keys held by the people in the conversation. Voice and video call media is encrypted between participant devices, so Vaultlix cannot listen to or record your calls.

You stay in control after a conversation starts: erase a conversation for both people, protect the app with an independent App Lock, hide the active conversation with Quick Lock, or use Report and block. Read the Privacy Policy for exactly what Vaultlix stores.

Common questions

Can I use Vaultlix without a SIM card?

Yes. Vaultlix doesn't need a SIM or a phone number. You get a Vaultlix number when you create your account.

Does the other person need Vaultlix?

Yes. Your Vaultlix number works inside Vaultlix, so the person you talk to needs a Vaultlix account to send or accept a connection request.

Can someone find me by searching?

No. There is no contact search or people suggestions. Only someone with your exact Vaultlix number can send you a request, and you decide whether to accept it.

Where can I use Vaultlix?

Vaultlix works on the web at vaultlix.com. See Get Vaultlix for the current status of the iPhone and Android apps.