# Two mobile phones - same number **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 13, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390 "2014-09-13T14:44:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/1 "2014-09-13T14:44:48Z")
Why GSM wasn’t designed to support two phones with same number? I mean it could be quite useful, at least for me - having one smartphone for normal use and another dumbphone with large battery when my main phone goes dead, both sharing the same number so if someone tries to reach me he doesn’t have to try multiple contacts… Yes, I read that some companies provide two SIM cards with the same number, but using them is cumbersome to say the least - only one device can be turned on at the time, also you have to call special number to “activate” phone to allow it to receive calls - too much fiddling for my liking - I would just prefer to have them both ringing when I receive a call. Which makes me believe it is a GSM limitation, and the solution provided is just a workaround. So why is that? Did they just not think about it when they were developing GSM? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/2 "2014-09-13T15:17:42Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > Why GSM wasn’t designed to support two phones with same number? > > I mean it could be quite useful, at least for me - having one smartphone for normal use and another dumbphone with large battery when my main phone goes dead, both sharing the same number so if someone tries to reach me he doesn’t have to try multiple contacts… > > Yes, I read that some companies provide two SIM cards with the same number, but using them is cumbersome to say the least - only one device can be turned on at the time, also you have to call special number to “activate” phone to allow it to receive calls - too much fiddling for my liking - I would just prefer to have them both ringing when I receive a call. > > Which makes me believe it is a GSM limitation, and the solution provided is just a workaround. > > So why is that? Did they just not think about it when they were developing GSM? I don’t know if it’s a feature outside the GSM-specs, but for twin-SIM-cards in Norway both phones will ring at the same time. ---
**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 13, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/3 "2014-09-13T17:40:18Z")
Another workaround is a service like Google Voice (which is kinda in flux now, so I cannot really recommend it) which provides a single number that can ring multiple devices. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/4 "2014-09-13T22:12:09Z")
Call forwarding can serve this purpose. Also a spare battery would be lighter then carrying a second phone, even a recharge device/case if your phone has a non-removable battery. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/5 "2014-09-13T22:17:07Z")
Yes, Google voice or another call forwarding service is what you want: > **[Set up Google Voice - Android - Google Voice Help](https://support.google.com/voice/answer/115061?hl=en&ref_topic=1707989)** > > This article is for users. If you're an administrator, go to Set up Voice for your organization. > Google Voice gives you a phone number for calls, texts, and voicemails. You can use this number to mak [https://www.google.com/search?q=call+forwarding+service](https://www.google.com/search?q=call+forwarding+service) ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/6 "2014-09-13T22:44:07Z")
Damn, I’m dumb. I never heard (well, never knew it can work like that) about call forwarding. Still, (at least with operators in my country) you have to pay for forwarded calls like it was you who were calling the second number (you people in US are used to paying for incoming calls, so I figure it wouldn’t matter much to you). ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/7 "2014-09-14T03:42:56Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > Damn, I’m dumb. I never heard (well, never knew it can work like that) about call forwarding. > Still, (at least with operators in my country) you have to pay for forwarded calls like it was you who were calling the second number (you people in US are used to paying for incoming calls, so I figure it wouldn’t matter much to you). Almost nobody in the US pays for incoming calls. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/8 "2014-09-14T04:12:55Z")
There are so many prepaid and unlimited plans in the U.S. they don’t even track your minutes or bill you anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/9 "2014-09-14T08:22:01Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Almost nobody in the US pays for incoming calls. Don’t we pay for it on cell phones? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/10 "2014-09-14T08:59:30Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Don’t we pay for it on cell phones? Depends on how many minutes your carrier gives you. If they give you a block of minutes such as 450 or 600 or whatever a month and they bill you monthly, you pay for incoming calls. I’m on an unlimited plan I pay $45 a month for. Since I have unlimited minutes, it really doesn’t make a difference to me. I pay for service in advance every 30 days. I never see a bill. Whether a call is incoming or outgoing I don’t keep track and I don’t even know if my carrier does. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/11 "2014-09-14T23:28:28Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Depends on how many minutes your carrier gives you. If they give you a block of minutes such as 450 or 600 or whatever a month and they bill you monthly, you pay for incoming calls. I’m on an unlimited plan I pay $45 a month for. Since I have unlimited minutes, it really doesn’t make a difference to me. I pay for service in advance every 30 days. I never see a bill. Whether a call is incoming or outgoing I don’t keep track and I don’t even know if my carrier does. Well yeah, that’s unlimited. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/12 "2014-09-15T00:51:30Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Well yeah, that’s unlimited. So I technically don’t have incoming calls count as part of my minutes. I don’t consider that I’m paying for them. It’s like landline phone service. You don’t pay for incoming calls either. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-mobile-phones-same-number/698390/13 "2014-09-15T01:57:58Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > So I technically don’t have incoming calls count as part of my minutes. I don’t consider that I’m paying for them. It’s like landline phone service. You don’t pay for incoming calls either. I do. My landline is metered, through U-verse. I rarely use it, so I didn’t want to pay for unlimited calls. I may drop it.