I would naively suppose the simplest way to get one is to go to Target or wherever they sell them and pay cash for a phone and a card that is used to put time on the phone.

Is it as simple as that?

Any recommendations?

END OF MESSAGE

you have other options and choices.

ALL those stores will usually want you to get an expensive plan that is only good for the month.  its kind of pricey just to work out the time and little chit chat.  there's better options online.  mine is 10bucks for 3months for 200? mins.  I can't remember how many minutes.  activation is 30?  

is someone going to be suspicious of you having two phones?  Im using an unlocked dual sim card android smartphone.   its easier than having two phones for me and less questions.   when you are about to send a text or call, it will ask what sim card you want to use.  theirs no data fee requirement if you're worried.  you can use wifi only or just add data as a choice instead of mandatory.

another option is that google phone thing.  but I find it to be a hassle.  I suppose you can give skype a try since theirs an appfor that as well.  that would mean a data plan would be needed.

but I went to target, best buy , etc and their choices suck.  Also bestbuy associates are ridiculously rude where I live.

END OF MESSAGE

Dude . . . bro . . .  here is what I did . . .  I went to Wallymart and paid cash for a tracphone.  I picked a model that has a full qwerty keypad for when texting is more convenient than making a phone call which seems to come up more often than you would think.  I think I paid about 25.00.  I can buy additional minutes with cash.  I am not very tech savvy so I would not trust myself to use some hi tech app to be able to use my regular cell phone as a hobby phone, I am afraid I would mess it up somehow. I am much happier having a completely separate hobby phone that I can toss anytime I want and easily replace for 25.00 if I ever need to.  
   
 I concede the point that super hi tech solutions can be great, if you are a hi tech kind of guy.  I personally like the low tech easy solution.  

Also, as Big P said, this topic has been written about ad nausea in multiple threads.  If you spend about 30 minutes using the search feature you can probably learn everything you would ever want to know about hobby phones.  
   
Good luck in all your future endeavors !  
   
AH

I agree Alex. Another reason I like the low-tech throw away phone route is that they don't have GPS functions built in. I prefer that for a few reasons. Just my two cents.
             Regards.....RR

OK, but how does one anonymously order and receive a burner phone online?

I hope you do know that your android, like all cell phones, has an ID code embedded in it similar to the MAC in a CPU.  Changing the sim card does not change that code so your calls can still be traced back to you regardless of which sim is in the phone

phone uses two seperate imei numbers?  that's enough for me.  don't get too parinoid at this stage.   you still have to get verified.

END OF MESSAGE

no you have two ISDN numbers and one IMEI. some cell providers will hand you a contract CDMA or GSM phone if you just pay upfront for the phone and say your name is John Doe, no ID. Two examples are metro PCS and US Cellular. YMMV - depends on how badly you want it. You can use SIP/VOiP service on Android phone (like Skype) to keep your transmissions all encrypted. I like GrooveIP which works with Google Voice. Pretty seamless. Stick the programs inside "AudioControl" which will hide everything. When a call comes in it will just say "AudioControl encountered an error" or something, lol. G'luck!

at Wally World...  19.95 at the time.  A fake name.  The default address is the company address in Fla.  Do not link to an email.  Buy minute/service cards with cash another 19.95 every 3 months.  You add minutes through the handset.  I bought a flip phone which can go in my same belt carrier.  I just switch them out on a date.

I clear the call log when I leave her so it's not got a crumbs to follow.  This means I must have internet access to grab the number.  I don't expect it to ever be found but if it is, it's just an emergency phone.  Even an out of service phone can call 911!
I turn it off when not in use & hide it well.  The hardest thing is to figure a safe way to charge it though the latest one stays quite well since it's off most of the time.  

Minutes roll over if you add a card before you run out of days.  If you let it lapse, you might loose your number.  A lot of gals remember our numbers more than our names.    

So you have the initial cost & $80 a year for service.  If you ever need to, you can throw the phone away & start over...  no big loss.      

One last thing.  This is a secret world.  If you ever find the love of your life or decide to become a monk...  you can walk away with no tracks.  It is much easier to not make the tracks than it is to erase them.  Guys & Gals have occasionally needed to disappear from this world.  It is so much better if they lay the ground work in advance.

-- Modified on 9/29/2013 9:07:47 PM

I told him Johnny.  Last Name C_A_S_H...

It will be shipped to you & forever linked to your address & payment method.  Some things are better in person

The Trac Phone activation instructions say to go to their website or call from another phone.  Do you know if they will accept calls from a blocked number?

Or would it be better to go to their website through an anomynizing proxy server?