Dingtone Review: When Your Second Line Becomes a Spam Magnet

Introduction

Dingtone is a VoIP‑based second‑line app with more than 100 million downloads worldwide. By allowing users to earn call credits by watching ads or completing tasks, it removes the paywall that many other second‑number apps impose. Yet that convenience comes at a hidden cost: the influx of robocalls and scam texts that flock to its number pool. As countless Redditors and app‑store reviewers have discovered, a Dingtone number can become a spam honeypot the moment it’s activated. In this review we dissect why that happens, analyze user complaints, and offer guidance if you need a long‑term, clean second line.

What Exactly Is Dingtone?

At its core, Dingtone is a free calling app that assigns you a U.S. or international phone number. You can text, call, and even fax directly from the app using Wi‑Fi or mobile data. Dingtone monetizes through advertising, credit bundles, and in‑app purchases. According to its own product page, it supports unlimited calls between Dingtone users and offers low‑rate international calling. PCMag’s roundup of burner‑number apps notes that Dingtone is among the few that allow free U.S./Canada calls if you watch enough ads (PCMag).

Because there’s no monthly fee on the basic tier, anyone—from legitimate privacy seekers to spammers—can spin up dozens of numbers in minutes. That enormous, ever‑churning user base means huge blocks of Dingtone numbers are recycled and, unfortunately, already appear on robocall lists. As one iOS reviewer bluntly put it after being charged credits for junk calls: “This app is slow and you pay for spam” (Apple App Store).

How Dingtone’s Free Model Turns Numbers Into Spam Magnets

1. Ad‑Supported Engagement Loops

To keep your number active, Dingtone nudges you to earn credits daily. That design rewards high‑volume, low‑commitment users who treat numbers as disposable. Spammers exploit this by registering VoIP lines in bulk, blasting phishing texts, and then rotating to new numbers—behaviour that eventually taints entire Dingtone prefixes.

2. Number Recycling & Previous Owners

Like many free services, Dingtone reclaims numbers after a period of inactivity. According to PCMag’s analysis of 2ndLine—a Dingtone sibling—the platform recycles inactive numbers unless you pay to lock them. Receive a recycled number and you inherit every mailing list, robocall, and debt‑collector ping tied to its past owner.

3. Publicly Known VoIP Ranges

Telemarketers purchase blocks of VoIP prefixes known to belong to free apps. Dingtone’s calling code ranges are well documented, so autodialers spray those ranges first. Even Dingtone acknowledges the problem—its 2022 partnership with RealCall promised to “combat robocalls and robotexts” (AB Newswire).

The end result? A quick scroll through Reddit’s privacy forum reveals countless anecdotes of users activating a Dingtone line only to receive spam within hours. One poster reported that the same robocaller hit both their real cell and new Dingtone number on the same day, suggesting spammers simply mass‑dial everything in those blocks.

Dingtone vs. Other Second‑Line Apps

Free services like Dingtone sacrifice number hygiene for zero‑dollar signup. Paid platforms earn revenue from subscriptions, so they protect—and, crucially, don’t recycle—your number. The table below contrasts Dingtone with popular competitors, including ChatOdyssey Phone Relay, which offers a free trial and then just $4.99/month for a spam‑free, masked line plus unlimited email relay for custom business addresses.

Why ChatOdyssey Phone Relay Stays Spam‑Free

Unlike ad‑funded apps, ChatOdyssey Phone Relay generates revenue solely from its subscription—$4.99 per month after a generous free trial. That single fee covers a dedicated masked number and unlimited email aliases, letting you create hello@yourcompany.com without buying a domain. Because numbers aren’t recycled and aren’t linked to public VoIP blocks, spam rarely penetrates. And if an unsolicited caller somehow slips through, ChatOdyssey’s relay layer filters them out before your phone rings.

Dingtone: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Completely free basic tier—good for ultra‑tight budgets.
• International number selection for over 20 countries.
• Feature‑rich (voicemail, fax, call recording) given the zero cost.

Cons

• High volume of spam calls and texts.
• Numbers may be recycled if you don’t keep watching ads.
• Ad clutter degrades user experience and raises privacy questions.
• Poor customer‑service reputation (1.6/5 on PissedConsumer).

Conclusion

Dingtone lowers the barrier to owning a second phone number—but also lowers the quality of that number. If your goal is a short‑lived burner for a yard‑sale weekend, Dingtone works. If your goal is a long‑term, spam‑free line for business, dating, or two‑factor logins, the obscene barrage of robocalls and recycled numbers will quickly outweigh the savings. For clean, professional phone masking that includes extras like unlimited email relay, services such as ChatOdyssey Phone Relay provide far better value at just $4.99 per month. Ultimately, you get what you pay for—and in the phone‑number world, paying a few dollars beats paying with your sanity.

Sources

• Dingtone Official Site
• PCMag – Secret Phone Number Guide
• Reddit – r/Privacy Disposable Number Thread
• BuddyXTheme – TextNow Alternatives 2025
• Apple App Store – Dingtone Reviews
• PissedConsumer – Dingtone Ratings
• AB Newswire – RealCall Partnership
• ChatOdyssey Phone Relay