jockstrapdaddy

Poor communication 

This is a great point. The fact that they block certain words points out the fact that they don’t encrypt end-to-end. WhatsApp, iMessage, Signal and Telegram all do.  That’s why I use my Burner number for WhatsApp. 
 

This level of paranoia is where I am. Like to the point I’m not planning on leaving the country any time soon. 😬

Actually that reminded me, Android now has something called Private Space where you can partition apps away and with a different Google login so it's treated like a separated account and can't share.  At least i think that's what it does.  Haven't tried it myself. 

I think Burner also looks for certain words and blocks them. For example, if I use the word "outcall" it sometimes doesn't go through and the guy thinks I never responded.

I find it's gets tricky with the address book / contacts list.  On the same phone, one misclick on contacts permissions and your 'fun' contacts get shared to the rest of your apps and LinkedIn is recommending them as people you may know and probably vice versa.  
Burner app I think keeps its own contacts list, but others not sure (WhatsApp I think asks for contacts lists to work). 
Separate phone comes in handy.  
 

Also curious if anyone has met him

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Good summary; you didn't just phone it in.

Of course not… I have them hire their replacement first then I fire them.

TextNow
Android
IOS

This level of paranoia is where I am. Like to the point I’m not planning on leaving the country any time soon. 😬

SUMMARY of the responses I’ve seen:

1) Primary Phone - “I’ve got nothing to lose” or “I don’t see any real danger in it”

2) Burner App - seems to be THE preferred option by a good contingent!
3) Prepaid Number - Third option appears to be a prepaid sim to use for texting
4) Whatsapp Business - Using a Burner or Prepaid number to setup a whatsapp business as a secondary whatsapp messenger. 
There were a few other one-offs so I apologize if I didn’t identify yours, but these seemed to be the front runners! 

This level of paranoia is where I am. Like to the point I’m not planning on leaving the country any time soon. 😬

is this for real? 😅

Everything everyone upthread said about the Burner APP (not a generic burner phone) is true. I like it and don't seem to be in trouble!  Used to have an entirely separate burner phone because I was worried about having a hobby app on my real phone, but I reconciled that quandary!!  It occasionally asks me to verify the phone number and I just use the app number, not my real number. Very happy. Occasional voice delay during live phone calls can be a little frustrating.  Admittedly, only a couple or three providers know my real number. Still cautious!!

I have my personal assistant make all my arrangements.  So much easier than burner phones. Bad experience, no problem. Hire another assistant.

I have always had to use my phone for work and didn’t want text bubbles about meeting at some hotel that afternoon to pop up on my screen.
I used to have a crappy burner; now I use the Hushed app on my phone. It provides a phone number with domestic calls and texts for something like 50 bucks a year. It allows me continuity without using my actual phone. Works like a charm. (After reading about it here, I do wonder what Mr. Number says about that number.)
I used to have WhatsApp tied to the burner number. Now it’s attached to my personal number and I don’t use it for “the hobby.” I have considered trying WhatsApp Business with my alternate number but haven’t bit the bullet.
I recently signed up for Signal, which is purportedly the most secure, but none of the providers I’ve tried to contact are registered. 

None of the above- I message only via RM.  If the provider insists on communicating via phone or WhatsApp, I move on.

I just use my real phone/number. When i was new to hiring, i got a lot of "i ignore Google Voice/VOIP numbers". And i also saw/knew providers generally aren't using encrypted apps like Signal because most of them either still require a real number or it's so secure/encrypted that everyone has to be using the same app because it doesn't support SMS (like Signal now). So eventually i gave up and just started using my real number. But the Burner app mentioned in this thread sounds promising. I might give that a go as my go to for new providers and then save my real number for trusted regulars.

I have two separate phones. For providers and unpaid hookups I use WhatsApp that I set up in an old prepaid number which expired long ago, and for which I no longer pay anything. Messages come and go through WiFi, no problem. That way I don’t disclose my personal number and keep my “two lives” neatly apart. The only hassle -not too cumbersome, though- is to carry both phones with me. 
I also use Telegram exclusively for my “fun”. No need to disclose your number there, you have the option to hide it when you add a contact. An added advantage is that you can link several devices to the same account, so I get my messages in my two phones and my iPad. Everything travels via internet. 
Schizophrenia, maybe? 😇

I use TextNow. I paid for the upgraded version for one week so I could set up WhatsApp.  As long as you use it once a week you keep your number.

Regular phone. 
I have nothing to hide and I want anyone I contact to feel comfortable.
I’ve never had a problem and if I do, I’ll deal with it 🤌🏼

This. I don’t want unsolicited pics or phone calls on my real number. And let’s be honest, sometimes you just need to block someone. Not necessarily bona fide providers, but maybe a social media friend you may or may not have hooked up with, a bad hire, etc. it just happens, and the burner app is a good buffer.
I’ve a couple seeking arrangement (the burner app is worth its weight in gold there) buddies and a few providers who have all “graduated” to my real number…based on long term stability and multiple live meets.

I use a VoIP number app that only requires an email to register an email I created solely for this purpose. If I see someone multiple times and become a regular, then they’ll get my real number. I have no interest in giving every provider I try my personal phone number. For the same reason, first meetings are always at their place or a hotel, I don’t want every provider I meet to know where I live.