Calling without a SIM
How to call without a SIM card on a phone, tablet or laptop
TL;DR
Yes: any phone, tablet or computer that is online can call without a SIM card, through an app or a browser tab. To reach landlines and mobiles you need a service that connects to the phone network: a web dialer such as Yolla Web or TwinPhone, Google Voice if you live in the US, or TextNow in the US and Canada. WhatsApp and a personal Google Meet account call people inside the app, not phone numbers, and many services still want a phone number at sign-up.
Key facts
- TwinPhone signs you up with an email or Google account, no phone number[1], and charges $0.02 a minute to US and Canada numbers[2] (checked ).
- Google Voice personal accounts are US-only[3], and sign-up texts a code to a phone number you already have[4] (checked ).
- WhatsApp registers you with a current mobile number[5] and calls other WhatsApp users free[6] (checked ).
- Talk360 and Quo refuse virtual numbers at sign-up[7][8], so a SIM-free number is no safe bet for codes (checked ).
Can you make calls without a SIM card?
Yes, as long as the device is online. A SIM ties a phone to a mobile carrier, so without one the built-in Phone app has no line and the call has to travel over the internet instead. Two kinds of service do that: apps that call other users of the same app, usually free, and services that hand the call to the ordinary phone network, usually for a per-minute price.
| Task | Without a SIM? | What you need instead |
|---|---|---|
| Call someone on WhatsApp, Telegram or Google Meet | Yes, free | Internet plus an account; WhatsApp and Telegram register to a phone number[5][9] |
| Call a landline or mobile | Yes, usually paid | A service that connects to the phone network, such as Yolla Web[10] or TwinPhone[11] |
| Receive calls on a number | Yes | A virtual number that rings in an app or browser tab[12][13] |
| Use carrier Wi-Fi Calling | No | Not possible: it belongs to a SIM line[14] |
| Receive SMS verification codes | Unreliable | A mobile number; many banks and apps refuse virtual numbers[13] |
| Call 911, 112 or 999 | Not through most of these services | A mobile or a landline: TwinPhone and Google Voice both point you to one[15][16] |
Checked on each service's own help and terms pages.
For calls to ordinary numbers, the provider passes your internet call on to the phone network, so the other person's landline or mobile rings as usual[11]. I explain how WebRTC hands a call to the phone network separately.
Which calling apps work without a SIM or a phone number?
Almost every calling app runs on a device with no SIM; the sticking point is sign-up, because most want a phone number. TwinPhone, Zadarma and Sonetel sign you up with an email address. Google Voice, WhatsApp, Telegram and Yolla's app tie the account to a phone number, and Google Voice also checks your ID. I read each service's sign-up rules on .
| Service | Sign-up needs | Calls phone numbers | Incoming calls and caller ID | Emergency calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | Phone number for a text code, plus ID check[17] | US, Canadian and international numbers[16] | Yes: your free number rings in the tab[12] | Not on the free plan[18] |
| TextNow | Google, Apple, Facebook or email login[19] | US and Canada free, other countries on credit[20] | Yes: the free number rings in the browser[21] | 911 with limits, US and Canada[22] |
| TwinPhone | Email or Google; no phone number, no card[1] | Landlines and mobiles, 145+ countries[1] | With a rented US/Canada number, $0.02/min[23] | No: 911, 112 and 999 can't be dialled[15] |
| Yolla | Phone number with SMS check (app); web unclear[24] | Mobiles and landlines worldwide[10] | No: outbound only[10] | No emergency calls[25] |
| Mobile number; web client linked by QR code[5] | WhatsApp contacts and link guests only[26] | Calls from WhatsApp users ring in the tab[26] | No[5] | |
| Google Meet | A Google account[27] | No phone numbers on personal accounts[28] | Meet users only (not verified); no number | Not stated in Meet's help |
On a phone, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
This is not a ranking; I score every service for a reader in the US in my main comparison.
- An email address is enough: TwinPhone takes an email or Google account, with no card[1], and needs no number to place an outgoing call[11]. Zadarma confirms your email[29] and Sonetel needs no card[30], but both are business phone systems.
- A number once, then any device: Google Voice texts a code to a phone number at sign-up[4], and Telegram logs you in on as many devices as you like with your main number[9]. After that, a tablet or computer with no SIM works.
- WhatsApp needs your phone online: for calls on WhatsApp Web, both the computer and the phone holding the account need an internet connection[26].
- Yolla: the app verifies your number by text or call[24]; I could not confirm whether Yolla Web's sign-up requires one[10].
- A Google account for app-to-app calls: Google Meet runs on a Google account[27], so two devices without SIMs can talk, but personal accounts can't dial phone numbers[28].
How do I call a real phone number without a SIM?
Use a service that connects to the phone network, since the person you call answers on an ordinary landline or mobile. US residents can call US and Canada numbers free with Google Voice or TextNow. Without a US address or a number to verify, a pay-per-minute dialer such as Yolla Web or TwinPhone does it from a browser tab and shows the rate before the call connects.
- Get online: Wi-Fi, a hotspot or mobile data on your side is enough[11].
- Choose a service whose sign-up you can finish with what you have: an email address, or a phone number that can receive one code.
- Open it in a current browser or its app. Yolla says a laptop, desktop, mobile or tablet with a microphone and internet is all you need[10].
- Add credit if it charges per minute: TwinPhone's smallest top-up is $10[34], Yolla's $4[35].
- Type the number with a plus sign and the country code, check the rate on screen[11], allow the microphone and keep the tab open until you hang up.
| Service | US | UK mobile | India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | $0[36] | $0.01[37] | $0.02[37] |
| TwinPhone | $0.02[2] | $0.12[2] | $0.08[2] |
| Yolla | from $0.01[38] | from $0.10[35] | from $0.0239[39] |
Per minute, lowest published rate on the date checked. Scroll sideways on a phone.
Google Voice's free US and Canada calls apply when you call from the US[16]. Yolla Web is cheaper than TwinPhone to UK mobiles ($0.10 against $0.12)[35][2] and to India ($0.0239 against $0.08)[39], but it only makes outgoing calls[10].
How do I call without a SIM on an iPhone or Android phone?
Connect the phone to Wi-Fi and use a calling app or a web dialer in the browser instead of the built-in Phone app. That keeps an old phone with no SIM, or one whose SIM is off while you travel, making calls, as long as you can get through each app's sign-up.
iPhone without a SIM
Ordinary calls and Wi-Fi Calling both need a carrier line: Apple's Wi-Fi Calling steps start in Cellular settings by picking the SIM line[14]. With no SIM, use a web dialer in Safari or Chrome, since TwinPhone lists iPhone browsers[1] and Yolla Web lists mobiles[10], or an app such as WhatsApp or Google Voice.
Android phone without a SIM
Android works the same way. TwinPhone names Android among its supported systems[1], Google Voice has Android and iPhone apps on every plan[40], and Yolla's app runs on Android 8.0 or later[24] but verifies a phone number first.
Two phones without SIMs can also call each other if both sign in to the same app with an account that doesn't depend on the missing SIM, such as a Google account in Google Meet[27].
Can I call from a tablet without a SIM?
Yes. A Wi-Fi iPad or Android tablet calls the same way a phone with no SIM does: open a web dialer in the browser or install a calling app. Yolla Web lists tablets next to laptops and phones, and TwinPhone says its dialer works on Wi-Fi tablets without an active SIM.
- Web dialers: Yolla Web[10], TwinPhone[11] and PopTox, which says it works on any laptop, tablet or phone[41], run in the tablet's browser.
- Apps: Google Voice has an iPad app[40] and Yolla's app supports Android tablets[24]; both still ask for a phone number at sign-up.
- Call relay is not a workaround: an iPad can take your iPhone's cellular calls only while the iPhone has an activated carrier plan[42], and Phone Link on Windows relays calls from your own phone over Bluetooth[43].
A laptop never had a SIM, so the same services run there in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari; my guide to calling from a PC, Mac or Chromebook covers the set-up.
Can I get a phone number without a SIM card?
Yes. A virtual number belongs to your account with a provider rather than to a SIM, and calls to it ring in an app or a browser tab wherever you are online. Google Voice gives free numbers to US residents, and TextNow to US and Canadian residents. Paid providers rent numbers by the month, and business phone systems sell them in many more countries, with stricter identity checks.
| Service | Number countries | Price | What sign-up asks for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | US, personal accounts[3] | Free[44] | A phone number for a text code[4] and a government ID[17] |
| TextNow | US, Canada[45] | Free, with ads[46] | Residence in the US or Canada[22] |
| TwinPhone | US, Canada, Puerto Rico[13] | From $3.19 a month[13], plus $0.02 a minute for incoming calls[23] | An email or Google account; no documents[13] |
| Sonetel | 69 countries[47] | From $2.00 a month[30] | Billing address and ID number[48]; business use only[49] |
| Zadarma | 110 countries[50] | US number $1.79 a month, paid yearly[50] | Email confirmation[29]; documents for some countries (not checked) |
| Quo | US, Canada[51] | From $15 per user a month, billed yearly[52] | A real mobile number, a card and photo ID[8] |
Prices as published on ; Zadarma's are before VAT.
TwinPhone, which sponsors this site, lists its number countries and monthly prices on one page. Its numbers ring in the browser tab or the iPhone app, one of which must be open to answer[23], and UK and EU numbers are intentionally not offered[13].
My guide to what a VoIP number is explains how these numbers differ from a mobile number, and getting a second number next to your SIM compares the ways to add one. If Google Voice is the number you can't get, see the services that give you a number instead.
Will a number without a SIM get verification codes?
Don't count on it. Many services reject virtual numbers at sign-up or never deliver their codes to them, and I don't recommend any number on this page for bank or app verification. TwinPhone itself says Telegram, banks and payment apps often refuse virtual numbers, and Talk360 and Quo state outright that they won't accept one.
- Talk360 "does not support registration using virtual, VoIP, or temporary phone numbers"[7].
- Quo won't verify with a landline, a Skype number or a virtual number, only a real mobile number[8].
- Google warns that some third-party services may not accept numbers that began on Google Voice, even after they are ported to Google Fi[53].
- TwinPhone numbers receive texts only from US and Canadian senders and cannot send SMS[13].
Sites that hand out temporary numbers for receiving codes are a different product, and this guide doesn't cover them. When a bank or a government service needs a code, use a mobile number you control and expect to keep.
Can you call without a SIM card and without Wi-Fi?
Not to an ordinary number. Every route on this page needs an internet connection on your side: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, a hotspot or mobile data. A data-only eSIM counts: it gives the device internet without a phone number, which is all the apps and web dialers above need.
Yolla's own eSIM shows the split: its terms say the eSIM provides mobile data only, with no phone number, voice calls or SMS[25].
Emergency calls
Don't plan on reaching 911, 112 or 999 through a web dialer or calling app. TwinPhone says emergency numbers can't be dialled[15], Yolla and WhatsApp exclude them in their terms[25][5], and Google Voice says you can't make emergency calls with it[16]. TextNow's terms say it may hand a 911 call to your device's own calling function[22].
Whether a handset with no SIM can still reach emergency services over a mobile network is a separate question, and my guide to 911 and 112 without a phone line deals with it.
Which no-SIM option fits your situation?
It comes down to who you call and what you can verify. Calls to people on WhatsApp or Google Meet cost nothing. Uncapped free calls to ordinary numbers are for US residents on Google Voice and US or Canadian residents on TextNow, while free web dialers cut calls short. Everyone else pays per minute, and a number for incoming calls is an extra monthly cost.
- Everyone you call uses WhatsApp: WhatsApp over Wi-Fi, or WhatsApp Web, where browser calling is still rolling out gradually[54].
- You live in the US or Canada: Google Voice (US only[3], and it texts a code to a number you already have[4]) or TextNow (US and Canada[22]) gives you a free number you can use in a browser[16][21], so the device needs no SIM.
- You have no phone number, or live outside the US and Canada: TwinPhone, with email sign-up and calls at $0.02 a minute to the US and Canada[2]; Yolla Web costs less to UK mobiles and India[35][39], though its app verifies a phone number[24].
- People need to call you back: a free Google Voice or TextNow number, or a rented TwinPhone number[13]; Yolla Web is outbound only[10].
In this guide
Explainers
What is a VoIP number? Fixed vs non-fixed, and why apps turn it downA VoIP number rings over the internet instead of a SIM. I explain fixed vs non-fixed numbers and why banks and apps refuse them, with their rules read Nov 2026.
Guides
How to get a second phone number: eSIM, free apps or a number in your browserI compared the ways to get a second phone number without a second SIM: an eSIM line, Google Voice, TextNow and rented numbers that ring in a browser tab.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use WhatsApp without a SIM card?
Partly. WhatsApp registers your account with a current mobile phone number[5]. Calls then run over Wi-Fi or data, and WhatsApp Web can call from a browser tab while the phone holding the account is online too[26]. It reaches WhatsApp contacts and call-link guests only[55], so landlines and mobiles that aren't on WhatsApp can't be called.
Does Wi-Fi Calling work without a SIM card?
No. Wi-Fi Calling is a feature of your carrier line, not of the Wi-Fi network: on an iPhone you turn it on for a SIM line under Cellular settings, and Apple says to check that your carrier offers it[14]. With no SIM there is no line to use, so you need an internet calling app or a web dialer instead.
Is calling without a SIM card free?
Calls between users of the same app are free, apart from your data. Calls to phone numbers usually cost money: Google Voice is free to most US and Canada numbers when you call from the US[16], and free web dialers cap use, with Call2Friends giving 120 seconds to the US[56]. Paid dialers such as TwinPhone have no free calls[15].
Can I send texts without a SIM card?
Sometimes. Google Voice's free plan includes texts[44] and TextNow includes free texting to US and Canada numbers[45], both for residents only. A TwinPhone number receives texts from US and Canadian senders but can't send any[57]. WhatsApp and Telegram messages run over Wi-Fi or data, but both accounts are registered to a phone number[5][9].
Can an old phone without a SIM work as a Wi-Fi phone?
Yes, if it still runs a current browser or the apps you need. Connect it to Wi-Fi and use a web dialer or a calling app, but check minimum versions first: TwinPhone asks for current browser versions[1] and its iPhone app needs iOS 17.0 or later[58], while Yolla's app needs iOS 15.0 or Android 8.0[24].
Do I need a phone number to make calls without a SIM?
Not to call out. TwinPhone needs only an email or Google account, and the people you call see a shared number that can't be called back[59]. PopTox needs no account for its free calls[60]. You need a number of your own for call-backs, or for apps that register by phone number, such as WhatsApp[5] and Google Voice[4].
Can I call home without my SIM while travelling?
Is Skype still a way to call without a SIM?
No. Microsoft retired Skype on 5 May 2025 and no longer sells Skype Credit or Skype Numbers, and its replacement, Teams (free), has no paid plans for calling phone numbers[61]. What became of Skype and its credit has the details. Without a SIM, landlines and mobiles are still reachable through the web dialers and number services on this page.
TwinPhone FAQ
Can I use TwinPhone with no SIM card and no phone number?
Can people call me back on TwinPhone without a SIM?
What can't TwinPhone do when I have no SIM?
It can't dial emergency numbers[15], and it has no free calls. UK mobiles and India cost more than on Yolla ($0.12 and $0.08 against $0.10 and $0.0239)[2][35][39], and its numbers can't send SMS[57]. Its pages also disagree on reach: 145+ countries on the calling page, 165 destinations on the rates page[1][2].
Prices are converted to USD at the rate of October 30, 2026 (ExchangeRate-API (open access endpoint)). Hover over a price to see the operator's original price.
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