Hushed Will Turn Your Old Phone into a Working Phone

|Put a Hushed number on an old cell phone and keep it on the kitchen counter as a cheaper alternative to a “home phone” for kids/babysitters.

If you have an old phone or tablet hanging around your house, Hushed can instantly turn it into a real working phone.

Yup, it’s true — you can use that old dusty phone or tablet for calling and texting, all with your own private Hushed phone number. NO carrier plan required.

Why do people set up Hushed numbers on their old phones and tablets?

Great question! Well, old phones often tend to feel “useless” once you’ve upgraded to a better model, right? They no longer have a service plan so you can’t call or text on them, and you might give them to your kid for watching YouTube videos — that’s about it.

Hushed lets you breathe new life into those old clunkers by making them useful, workable phones once again — WITHOUT paying $40 or $50 a month on a cellular plan. Prepaid Hushed phone numbers start at just $1.99, so they’re a perfect, low-cost solution for that old iPhone or Android hanging around in the kitchen junk drawer.

Some of our customers like to set up Hushed phone numbers on old devices so they can stay in touch more easily with family members who don’t have their own mobile phone, or perhaps live in a group setting where it’s not always easy to reach them on a shared line.

For households who are hesitant to cut the cord on their home phone, but worried that there won’t be a way for children/babysitters to make and receive calls, setting up a Hushed number on an unused phone and keeping it on the kitchen counter is a much cheaper way to still have a “home phone.”

And as for tablets, well, they usually never have a data plan or cell service. But there’s no reason why they can’t be repurposed into back-up phones, too. Hushed works great on tablets, especially for older customers who prefer a larger display.

How does this work?

It’s easy! Just download the Hushed app (available for iOS devices like iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches, as well as Android devices by Samsung, Google, LG, and more) to get started.

Then you can choose from phone numbers in 300+ area codes across the U.S., Canada, and U.K. You can pick a local phone number, or a non-local number. (Always dreamed of a California phone number? Go for it!)

Once you choose your private phone number, you can decide which Hushed plan sounds best.

A prepaid plan will give you a set number or calling minutes and texts (over seven days, 30 days, 90 days, or a full year) and if you run low, it’s easy to top it up with more credits. An unlimited subscription lets you talk and text as much as you want. And if you plan on making international, you’ll want to choose an international plan.

That’s it! Then you’re ready to start using your Hushed number.

What does my Hushed phone number include?

Hushed phone numbers come fully-loaded with built-in features …

  • Custom voicemail: Record custom voicemail messages to greet your callers, then tap “Play” to hear your voicemail messages (no dial-in required)
  • Call-forwarding & call-routing: You can easily forward your Hushed number to another phone number, and make calls using voice minutes from your wireless plan instead of a Wi-Fi or data connection
  • Supreme texting: Set up auto-responses to your text messages, and send gifs, pictures, and audio messages
  • Multiple devices & multiple numbers: Log into Hushed on any mobile device to access your number, call and text on your Hushed number from multiple devices, and manage multiple Hushed numbers within a single account
  • Total privacy & anonymity: Call and text anonymously with no phone records or monthly bill summary (deleting anything, at any time, to leave no trace) and feel confident that no one will know you’re calling on Hushed number, or be able to connect it to your real name/wireless plan

Hushed customers get all of the benefits of a private phone number, with none of the annoying aspects of having a carrier phone number, like expensive monthly carrier plans, long-term contracts, and the inability to jump to different phone numbers as needed.

But my device doesn’t have phone service, so how does Hushed work?

A fun little thing called VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) means our phone numbers all work over Wi-Fi or data connections. So you can call and text using your Hushed number anywhere you can get an internet connection. No traditional phone service required.

What happens if my device just … stops working? Do I lose my number?

No problem! The beauty of Hushed is that you can download the Hushed app and log into your Hushed account on another mobile device, and BOOM! All of your contacts and messages are all exactly as you left them on the other device. You won’t miss a thing.

But my device is *really* old. Can I get a Hushed number?

Hushed works on Android devices, as well as iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches with OS 11.0 or later, and this operating system was released way back in 2017, so your Apple device likely has an even more recent version running. It’s free to download, so if you’re not sure your old phone will support it, just pop over to the App Store or Google Play and give it a try.