6 Reasons You, A Regular Person, Might Want A Burner Phone

Burner phones aren’t just for nefarious intentions, like you see on TV. They can actually be a handy tool for people who get distracted easily (because we all know how easy it is to turn off “Focus” mode).

Emmy-winning talk show host Conan O’Brien even uses one. He admitted on an April 2025 episode of his podcast ”Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend” that he has a flip phone for calling friends. “You have the security of knowing, ‘I can call these key people and find out what’s going on,’” O’Brien said about his phone, per CNET. “I really like not being tempted to look at the texts, not being tempted to look at the emails.”

Even tech experts have been noticing a return to low-tech burner phones lately.

“What we now call a ‘burner phone’ used to just be a phone,” Steven Athwal, CEO and founder of The Big Phone Store, the fastest-growing U.K. refurbished tech retailer, told HuffPost. “You had your Nokia 3310, sent a few texts, made a few calls, played Snake, and that was it. … It was the norm before smartphones.”

Now, the phones are coming back in a big way. Rocky Cole, co-founder of iVerify and former mobile security analyst at NSA, said, “We’re seeing more people turn to burner phones or secondary devices, especially for travel or when they want a little more privacy.”

“The shift away from landlines plays a small part, but it’s really more about people realizing how much personal info lives on their main phone,” he added. “Using a separate device can help limit exposure in certain situations.”

Tech experts shared several reasons you might want to consider one for yourself, from the silly and fun to the serious and practical.

It seems like everything requires a phone number for verification, discounts and more. Using a burner phone is an easy way to keep all the extra stuff off your main number, according to Cole, who says people might “use a burner to avoid giving out their real number when signing up for apps or services.”

Many people, including entrepreneurs or those who want help maintaining a work-life balance, may choose a burner phone for work. This helps separate business and personal life, according to Nizel Adams, CEO and principal engineer at Nizel Corporation.

“Nowadays, it’s more common for people to give out a virtual number than their real phone number,” he said. “This helps separate co-workers and acquaintances from friends and family members and makes it so that people can be easily removed from your life if you ever need to change your virtual number due to stalking, harassment, stolen identity, etc.”

Additionally, having another “layer of insulation” between you and your employer helps keep employees from accidentally sharing private information or having company data leaked.

At Athwal’s store, he sees many customers cite mental health as “the most common reason” for a burner phone. “People are tired of being constantly plugged in,” he said. “They want something more basic with no notifications, no doom scrolling, no endless feeds of videos and pictures.”

“There is something that feels very free about having a phone that only lets you call and text,” Athwal added. “Some basic phones have simple cameras too, but that’s about all they do … there’s no constant noise.”

A burner phone may also be “helpful for staying focused by using a simpler phone just for calls or texts without all the distractions,” Cole said.

With the rise of many “vintage tech” options — old school digital cameras, record players, camcorders — it’s no surprise that “dumb phones” are making a comeback as well.

“We’re seeing more and more people buying them again,” Athwal shared. “Some really love the retro look, especially since styles from the early 2000s are becoming popular again: [the look of] ‘Y2K.’”

Since 2023, Gen Z has been filming videos on TikTok of their new flip phones, per CNN. This shows that the trend is only getting more popular.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is legally allowed to seize your phone and other electronic devices to inspect them when crossing the border, although the organization stated that in fiscal year 2024, less than 0.01% of international travelers entering the U.S. had their electronic devices searched by CBP.

Cole says people might want their main phone offline when traveling, “especially in places where device searches might happen at the border.”

He adds, “For high-risk travel, a clean device can be a smart move, and that’s part of why we rolled out a new solution recently at iVerify to help secure phones in those kinds of situations.”

People may want to avoid other countries spying on them through their devices.

“I hear from people every day, whether they be administrative assistants, executives or a maintenance worker, that tell me they use burner phones when traveling to foreign destinations,” Adams said.

“In the information age countries and organizations that spy on people have been exposed,” he continued. “This new awareness has led people traveling or living in those countries to resort to burner phones to avoid being spied upon. You access a cell tower in these countries and the government immediately has access to whatever data you’re transmitting or even access to your phone.”

More simply, some people are just worried about losing their phones. “Some don’t want to risk losing or damaging their main phone,” Athwal said. “People use them to keep work and personal life separate, as a backup for weekends away or festivals.”

Even though President Donald Trump has backed off on his China tariffs, bringing its 145% tariffs on Chinese imports down significantly, the U.S. economy is still struggling. And the astronomical price of groceries might have people second-guessing their decision to upgrade to the latest iPhone.

With basic prepaid phones starting at just $29.99 at Best Buy and Target, it’s understandable that people would opt for this option.

If you are using a burner phone for added security, there are a few things you should keep in mind before you start.

“Burner phones are a security measure to protect sensitive data and privacy, but they aren’t the end-all, be-all,” Adams said. “Remember, criminals use burner phones, and they get caught every day. Security itself is a wholesale solution that is incorporated into your entire lifestyle.”

He recommends eventually trashing a burner phone, as they are meant to be temporary. “Getting a new phone and changing all of your passwords (or deleting, then making entirely new accounts) every few months is expected once you start using burner phones for security purposes,” Adams recommended. “This is usually coupled with not writing anything down as well.”

If you are just using it as a work phone, Adams said you only need to do a factory reset to wipe it about once a year to keep your phone running optimally. And if you use it for traveling, just reset it and throw it away when you get home.

Cole said, “It’s not just about buying a second phone. You have to think about how you use it. If you log into all your usual accounts, you’re basically connecting it right back to your main identity.”

If you want privacy, Cole recommends not using personal logins, getting a new SIM card, and avoiding linking it to your cloud services. “And even with a burner, there’s still a risk of tracking or compromise, so it’s important to stay aware of the basics around mobile security,” he added.

There are many options for a phone, from flip phones to smartphones. Athwal said, “If you’re thinking about getting [a burner phone], just check what features you need. Some come with WhatsApp or a basic web browser, and some don’t. And make sure it works with your phone company and/or network.”

He added, “It’s not about being secretive. For most people, it’s just about life being less busy.”