Second number, Canada
What can I use instead of Google Voice in Canada?
Google Voice is not offered to Canadian accounts, and a Canadian phone number cannot be attached to it. What you use instead depends on why you wanted it. For a free second number on your phone, TextNow and Fongo give Canadian numbers through an app. For a number to put on a Kijiji ad, a car listing, or a rental posting that you can drop afterwards, TheLocalRing gives you a Canadian number with no app, forwards texts to your email, and costs C$2.99 for a day, C$5.99 for three days, C$7.99 for a week, or C$14.99 a month with the first 14 days free.
Why Google Voice does not work here
Google Voice is a US product. It requires a US Google account and issues US numbers. Canadians who set it up through a VPN or a US address get a US number that Canadian carriers treat as long distance, and Google can close the account when it notices. There is no Canadian version and Google has not announced one.
The three kinds of alternative
- App-based numbers. TextNow (free, ad-supported, Canadian numbers) and Fongo (free Canadian number, calls and texts over data) live on your phone. They are a second line you keep. They need the app open to ring, and the number is tied to the app account.
- Burner-style apps. Hushed and Burner sell temporary numbers by the week or month inside an app. They work in Canada and cover calls as well as texts.
- A listing number with no app. TheLocalRing is built for a number you publish and can end. You pick a Canadian number, put it on the listing, and texts to it arrive in up to five email inboxes. Replies from email go back as texts from the listing number. On a pass, callers hear a message asking them to text; on Monthly the call rings your own phone. When the pass ends the number stops, and it stays reserved to you for a week in case you need it again.
Which one fits
If you want a second line for friends, work, or dating, use an app number. It rings, it is free or cheap, and it lasts.
If you want a number for a public post that strangers and scrapers will see, use a number you can end. That is the case TheLocalRing covers, and the reason it runs on passes instead of a subscription you forget about.
Pay only for the time you need
A listing number costs less than a coffee.
- 1 day
- C$2.99One payment. Never renews.
- 3 days
- C$5.99One payment. Never renews.
- 7 days
- C$7.99One payment. Never renews.
- Monthly
- C$14.99/monthFirst 14 days free. Cancel anytime.
Questions people ask next
Can I get Google Voice in Canada with a VPN?
People do, with a US Google account and a US number. It is against the terms, the number is a US number, and the account can be closed without notice. It is not a reliable base for a listing.
Is TextNow available in Canada?
Yes. TextNow issues Canadian numbers through its app, free with ads or paid without.
Does TheLocalRing need an app?
No. Texts are forwarded to email and you reply from email. There is nothing to install and no second SIM.
Can I receive calls on a TheLocalRing number?
On Monthly, yes. Calls ring up to five phones you choose, all at once, and whoever answers hears the calling number read out before they speak. Every call is emailed to you, including the ones nobody catches. On a 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day pass, callers hear a short spoken message asking them to text instead.
Can I choose the area code?
Yes. Pick a Canadian city or type an area code, and the number is assigned from that region when your pass starts.
How long can I keep the number?
A 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day pass ends on its own. Monthly renews until you cancel. After any pass ends, the number is reserved to you for seven days.
Is TheLocalRing affiliated with Google?
No. TheLocalRing is an independent Canadian service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google, TextNow, Fongo, Hushed, or Burner.
Related guides
TheLocalRing is not affiliated with or endorsed by Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, AutoTrader, Craigslist, or Google. Published 2026-09-08.