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How do Phone Calls and Text Messages Work?

Lucas
Lucas
  • Updated

Using Cloaked Phone Numbers

As part of Cloaked's Identity Generation, Cloaked allows you to generate Cloaked phone numbers. These are fully functional phone numbers that allow you to use them for any and all phone number needs while protecting your real contact information.

To learn more about why we suggest you create Cloaked contact information, feel free to read the following FAQ.

Table of Contents:

1 What are Cloaked phone numbers?

2 How do I make calls?

3 How do I send text messages?

4 What is the Cloaked Routing Number?

1 What are Cloaked phone numbers?

Cloaked phone numbers are real, working, phone numbers that you can use for giving to people, organizations, or websites if they require a number to register an account. These numbers can be used for everything from authentication to dating. You can call and text with your own mobile messaging app or you can text through our mobile app or web dashboard. No matter what option you choose, your personal phone number will never be revealed by us. This will enable you to interact with the digital world and the real world without the need to sacrifice your privacy.

2 How do I make calls?

To make a call you first open the identity that you want the call to be made from > tap the "Call" button > enter the phone number you want to call > tap the call button > confirm you want to open your phone app > tap the call button.

This can be seen at minute 2:30 in the following Onboarding video:

The call will be made from your phone to a "routing number" (also called a "caller-identity number") and directed to your intended recipient. See section 4 for more info. The call that they receive will be from your Cloaked identity's number.

3 How do I send text messages?

To send a text message in the app, first open the identity that you want the message to be sent from > tap the Text button > enter the phone number you want to send a message to > tap the Next button > confirm you want to open the messaging app > compose and send your message.

This video shows how to send a text message from the mobile app:

The text will be sent from your phone to a "routing number" (also called a "caller-identity number") and directed to your intended recipient. See section 4 for more info. The text that they receive will be from your Cloaked identity's number.

You can also send text messages from the Dashboard:

4 Why is there an insecure number and a Cloaked number?

To make sure that your personal phone number is kept private at all times, Cloaked uses up to 4 different numbers together each time you make or receive a phone call, or when you send and receive text messages via forwarding. The numbers in use are:

1. The number of your recipient.
2. The Cloaked Generated number, specific to this identity.
3. Your personal number, enabled for Forwarding

Likely to be the most confusing:
4. The number that you see calling you on your phone or in the app. This is the Cloaked Routing Number, or the caller-identity number.

This fourth number is an essential component of how Cloaked keeps your personal number safe, even while utilizing forwarding for phone calls and text messages. This can be seen below:

mceclip2.png

The Routing Number serves as a point of contact that you can interact with directly from your phone number while still reaching the intended recipient. Because each caller-identity combination is given a unique cloaked number to identify it, you can save the number in your phonebook and when they call again you will know both who is calling, and which identity they have called.

If the same caller were to call another of your identities - Identity B - they will be assigned a different Cloaked Routing Number which will be used each time this caller calls Identity B.

mceclip3.png

Another benefit of the unique caller-identity cloaked number is that you can contact it directly from your own phone, without the use of the Cloaked app, and your personal number will still be protected. Whether you do this or place a call from within the cloaked app, there will always be 4 numbers in use as illustrated below:

mceclip4.png

 

You can find out how to set your phone Notifications and Forwarding Options by clicking here.

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