6 Reasons You Should Get a 'Burner' Phone Number

Burner numbers might seem like a plot device best left to the writers on cheesy cop shows, but a fast-growing startup--aptly named Burner--is proving there are everyday use cases for a secondary set of digits that you can access through your existing phone via app. Online Dating: In an era when people might swipe right and swap numbers before they meet, having a secondary number can offer daters a sense of control and privacy. "We say if you give your number to someone on Tinder, they shouldn't be able to figure out who you are," says Burner CEO Greg Cohn. On Tuesday, the company announced a new feature for these users: a text bot that will ghost unwanted wooers through their burner line. Craigslisting: Phone numbers, relative to the phones they're associated with, are pretty dumb, Cohn says.