Your telephone number is as private as your email address or even more. Making it available on the internet and sharing the information with a third party generally puts your phone number at risk of being targeted by robocalls, text messages, and even charges that are not yours. In light of this, Mozilla has recently extended its Firefox Relay masking to phone numbers.
The way that Firefox Relay’s feature to mask phone numbers operates is like its feature to hide emails. The service will assign you an alternative number disguised as the actual phone number you can use and give to people online without putting your phone number on the internet. Texts and calls will be routed to the exact number, and you can even respond to texts sent to the hidden number in case you don’t want to reveal your phone number to others.
How does the Firefox Relay phone number function
As of now, the Firefox Relay telephone numbers are only available only in only the U.S. and Canada. To register, go to ‘relay.firefox.com, where you can register for a free account or sign up for an existing one. It’s important to note that you can access Relay for free. However, there is a limit of five email addresses and other limitations.
Click the purple “Upgrade” button to open the three Relay levels. To obtain a number, you’ll have to subscribe to the ‘Email and Phone protection’ plan, which costs $4.99/mo (or $3.99/mo when you opt for an annual bill). It gives you access to one number mask and will generate a number to be used.
Every month, Relay users can avail up to 50 minutes worth of incoming calls and up to 75 text messages to mask their phone number. Mozilla announced in a blog article that it’s looking into ways to expand the service to include outbound text messages and calls shortly and to bring it to different regions.
Additionally, you’ll need to confirm your phone number by using Firefox Relay so that it can forward texts and calls to you. Once you’ve set it up, you will receive texts and calls from the phone number on your phone, and no additional apps are needed. Additionally, you can utilize Relay to control who can call or text you to limit unwanted calls and messages.