Share Without Exposure — Surfshark Alternate ID and Phone

Share Without Exposure — Surfshark Alternate ID and Phone

Maya hated two things about life online: the endless spam after she signed up for a “one-click” discount, and the sick feeling when a big company told her her email was leaked again. She wanted convenience — booking flights, selling her old camera, joining niche forums — without handing her real phone number and email to every ad network and marketplace out there.

One evening she found Surfshark’s Alternate ID and Alternate phone number. She gave them a try. Within minutes she had a disposable identity for throwaway signups and a private phone number she could share with buyers, dating apps, or trial services. The next week a seller on a marketplace called her Alternate phone to confirm pickup — she spoke, the call forwarded cleanly, and her real number stayed private. When a breached-account alert pinged her Alternate ID, she quickly shut down only the affected alias without touching her real accounts. Spam dropped. Anxiety did too.

That’s the difference Surfshark’s Alternate ID and Alternate phone number make: real life, made private and simple.

If Maya’s story sounds like something you need, try Surfshark’s Alternate ID and Alternate phone number to reclaim your inbox, silence the spam, and share only what you choose. Get the privacy you want without losing the convenience you need.

What you get

• Compartmentalize: Create Alternate IDs for newsletters, marketplaces, and trials so each service gets a unique identity. If one is compromised, only that alias is affected.
• Share without exposing: Use an Alternate phone number to sell items, join dating apps, or sign up for short-term services — keep your main number off marketing lists and robocallers.
• Control and cleanup: Turn off or delete an Alternate ID or number when you’re done. Stop spam at the source without changing your real email or phone.
• Safer online interactions: Keep personal contacts and work separate, avoid targeted tracking tied to your real phone, and reduce unwanted outreach.
• Convenience: Calls and texts can be forwarded or segmented so you get what matters and ignore the rest.

How people actually use them

• Marketplace seller: List an item with an Alternate phone number to confirm pick-up, then deactivate it after the sale.Newsletter junkie
• Sign up with an Alternate ID to test service quality; keep or discard based on value.Online dating
• Share an Alternate number until you feel comfortable giving your real one.Travel and trials
• Use Alternate ID for hotel or app trials to avoid follow-up marketing.Breach management
• Monitor Alternate IDs for exposure; if leaked, retire the alias instead of scrambling your main accounts.

• Subscription required: To create and use Alternative ID, you need an active Surfshark account and an active subscription.
• Part of the package: Alternative ID is not a separate product; it’s included in all Surfshark subscription plans
• How to get it: After you have an active subscription, you can set up Alternative ID through your account on the Surfshark website 

How to get started

• Sign in to your Surfshark account and navigate to the Alternate ID / Alternate phone number section.
• Create an Alternate ID (alias email/identity) for the site or service you’re about to use.
• Get a virtual Alternate phone number for calls/SMS and set forwarding or blocking rules.
• Use the alias/number for signups, sales, or short-term needs.
• When you no longer need it, disable or delete the alias and number — your real contact stays private.

Alternate Phone ID

A quick word on security Alternate numbers and IDs are fantastic for privacy and reducing spam, but for critical account security (banking, primary email, etc.), use strong password managers and authenticator apps or hardware keys rather than relying solely on disposable phone numbers for 2FA.