# How can I get second phone number that would take everyone straight to voice mail? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2014, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-second-phone-number-that-would-take-everyone-straight-to-voice-mail/698502 "2014-09-14T22:04:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-second-phone-number-that-would-take-everyone-straight-to-voice-mail/698502/1 "2014-09-14T22:04:12Z")
I’m looking into ways I can give people I do not want to talk to a phone number that would always go straight to voice mail. The best idea I’ve had so far was to get a cheap phone and never answer it. I’m just wondering if anyone knows of a way to do this where I don’t have to pay for a second phone line? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-second-phone-number-that-would-take-everyone-straight-to-voice-mail/698502/2 "2014-09-14T22:31:29Z")
Get a service like Vonage. Use one line (assuming you want a landline) and if you install a phone on the other, turn off the ringer. Voicemail will reach you by email with a WAV file and a good TTS conversion, and you can retrieve and manage it via web. The only reason I suggest you have an active phone on the VM line is to return calls with that caller ID. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-second-phone-number-that-would-take-everyone-straight-to-voice-mail/698502/3 "2014-09-14T22:37:01Z")
Get a [Google voice](https://support.google.com/voice/answer/115061?hl=en) number and set it to “Do Not Disturb.” ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-second-phone-number-that-would-take-everyone-straight-to-voice-mail/698502/4 "2014-09-15T00:38:40Z")
I second Google Voice. It will even attempt to transcribe the voicemail and email you the results. That can sometime be useful, sometimes not, but occasionally hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-second-phone-number-that-would-take-everyone-straight-to-voice-mail/698502/5 "2014-09-15T01:31:24Z")
Thirded on Google Voice. It is a great service. ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-second-phone-number-that-would-take-everyone-straight-to-voice-mail/698502/6 "2014-09-16T15:52:20Z")
Fourthed on GV. And if you decide someday down the road that you want to use it as a land line for free US/Canada calls, just add an [Obi adapter](http://www.obihai.com/googlevoice). (Previously it was believed that Obis would stop working with GV sometime after May 15, 2014, but apparently [they’ve worked that out](https://plus.google.com/+CheeChew/posts/DRi3GxJ5hWK).) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-second-phone-number-that-would-take-everyone-straight-to-voice-mail/698502/7 "2014-09-16T16:11:15Z")
Another option that I use involves personalized ringtones. Anyone I don’t wanna talk to I give a silent ringtone. They go to voicemail. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-second-phone-number-that-would-take-everyone-straight-to-voice-mail/698502/8 "2014-09-16T23:01:26Z")
I’ve an LG TracFone that does that. It was a gift set up that way. All I know.