There are many reasons we might need or want to share our phone number with strangers, e.g. on Craigslist, an important online forum, or to set up a personal contact. But giving out our private phone number can be risky. However thanks to a cloud-based system and company called RingCentral, iPhone users can now generate temporary phone numbers that will forward calls to their permanent number. The app is called RingShuffle, and it is available for free, for a limited time from the iTunes Store.

RingShuffle requires only a few steps to set up before you’re given your first phone number. The only caveat to using a Shuffle number is that the number expires seven days after it is generated. Once a number has expired, calls to that number will no longer be forwarded to your mobile phone. RingCentral says that Shuffle numbers can also be deleted before the expiration date.

At this time, the app is only available for the iPhone.

RingShuffle is easy and simple to use. The Shuffle number and expiration date appear front and center on the application homepage, and it requires no password to to access it.

In an interview with Mashable, a company representative says that the basic version of RingShuffle service “will remain free to use, and that the company is considering selling premium features such as multiple temporary numbers at once.”

Source: Mashable