United States · anonymous SMS
Send an anonymous text to a US cell phone
Ghost sends your text to any US cell phone without showing your number. A standard text costs 1 credit ($0.20), there is no subscription, and you can send it from a browser on any phone or computer or from the Android app. It arrives from a US number and starts with “GHOST:”.
What a text to the US costs
One SMS segment to a US number costs 1 credit ($0.20). A segment holds 160 characters of plain text, and texts to the US start with “GHOST:”, which counts toward that. Spanish letters split two ways: ñ, é, ü, ¿ and ¡ are in the basic SMS alphabet, but á, í, ó and ú are not, and one of them switches the whole text to 70-character segments. Emoji and the curly apostrophes many phone keyboards insert do the same. The table shows what that does to the cost.
| Text | Characters | Encoding | Segments | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A short message | 89 characters | GSM-7 | 1 segment | 1 credit ($0.20) |
| A longer message | 282 characters | GSM-7 | 2 segments | 2 credits ($0.40) |
| English, plain | 104 characters | GSM-7 | 1 segment | 1 credit ($0.20) |
| Spanish, basic alphabet | 86 characters | GSM-7 | 1 segment | 1 credit ($0.20) |
| Spanish, with á | 67 characters | UCS-2 | 1 segment | 1 credit ($0.20) |
Counts include the “GHOST: ” prefix these texts start with. Rates checked October 22, 2026. Rates for every country
How to type a US cell number
Written locally
(xxx) xxx-xxxx
Type in Ghost
+1 xxx xxx xxxx
- Open Ghost in your browser or the Android app.
- Choose United States (+1) in the country list and type the mobile number.
- Write your text, check the credits shown under it, and send.
Choose United States, then type the 10 digits: the three-digit area code and the seven-digit number. Leave out the 1 that people dial before long-distance numbers, because Ghost adds +1 for you. Cell phones and landlines share the same area codes, so the format alone does not tell you which one you have. Numbers from 555-0100 to 555-0199 are reserved as fictitious, non-working numbers for movies and ads.
What the person in the US sees
- The text arrives as an ordinary SMS from a Ghost mobile number. Your own number is not shown anywhere in it.
- It starts with “GHOST:”, so they can tell it came through Ghost. Nothing in it says who you are unless you write it.
- US carriers screen texts sent through SMS services. Messages with profanity, hate speech or anything that looks like phishing can be filtered out, so write the way you would to someone you know.
- Replying from their messages app does not reach you. If you want an answer, switch on a Reply Link: they open it in a browser and send you one reply, still without seeing your number.
- Anyone who would rather not get Ghost texts can reply STOP to one, or add their number on the stop page. Ghost will not send to a number on that list.
Writing a text for the US
Most texts in the US are in English. Of the people who speak another language at home, 61% speak Spanish, and Spanish accents are where the cost of a text can change.
English, plain
Hi, is the bike from Facebook Marketplace still for sale? I could pick it up Saturday after 10am.GSM-7, 104 characters, 1 segment: 1 credit ($0.20)
Letters, digits and plain punctuation are all in the basic SMS alphabet, so this text and the “GHOST:” in front of it fit in one 160-character segment.
Spanish, basic alphabet
Hola, ¿sigue disponible el cuarto? Mañana puedo pasar a verlo después de las 6.GSM-7, 86 characters, 1 segment: 1 credit ($0.20)
The ñ, the é and the opening ¿ are all in the basic SMS alphabet, so this Spanish text keeps 160-character segments.
Spanish, with á
Hola, soy su vecino. Su perro está ladrando desde la mañana.UCS-2, 67 characters, 1 segment: 1 credit ($0.20)
Switched to UCS-2 by: á
The á in “está” is outside the basic alphabet, so the whole text, “GHOST:” included, is sent in 70-character segments. This one still fits in one; writing “esta” without the accent would bring back the full 160.
When people in the US keep their number private
Selling on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace
The FTC has warned about buyers who ask sellers on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace for their phone number, then for a Google Voice verification code, to set up a number in the seller’s name. Answer buyers through Ghost to agree a price and a pickup time, and never pass on a code someone texts you.
Asking about a listing
Texting a seller about a couch or a used car puts your number in a stranger’s phone. Ask your questions through Ghost first, and give your own number only once you are happy to meet.
A note you would rather not sign
Telling a neighbor their sprinklers are flooding the sidewalk, or that their dog barks all day, is easier without a reply thread on your own phone. Keep the tone polite: the federal law below cares about your intent, not just about the number being hidden.
US law on anonymous texts
Hiding your number is not illegal in itself, and the federal caller ID law says it does not stop anyone from blocking their caller ID. Doing it with bad intent is: for interstate or foreign communications, 47 U.S.C. § 223(a)(1)(C) makes it a federal offense to text or call someone without disclosing your identity with intent to abuse, threaten or harass them, and § 223(a)(1)(E) covers repeated messages sent only to harass. Threats sent across state lines fall under 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), stalking by electronic means under § 2261A, and every state has its own harassment laws. Marketing texts are regulated by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (47 U.S.C. § 227) and the National Do Not Call Registry.
Got a text you did not want?
If a text looks like spam or a scam, copy it and forward it to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block similar messages, use the report junk or spam option in your messaging app, and report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. To stop texts sent through Ghost, add your number on the stop page. For threats, keep the messages and contact the police.
Questions and answers
A text of up to 160 plain characters costs 1 credit ($0.20), including the “GHOST:” at the start. Longer texts are charged per segment, and an emoji, a curly apostrophe or an accented letter such as á shortens each segment to 70 characters. Ghost shows the cost before you send.
An SMS from a Ghost mobile number that starts with “GHOST:”. Your number is not in it, and nothing identifies you unless you put it in the text.
Not by replying in their messages app. Add a Reply Link when you send, and they can open it in a browser and send you one reply without seeing your number. A Reply Link costs 3 credits plus the reply’s rate and works for 7 days.
No. Choose United States and type the 10 digits, area code first. Ghost adds +1 for you.
Hiding your number is legal. Under federal law it becomes an offense when you text without disclosing your identity to abuse, threaten or harass a specific person, and state harassment laws apply as well.
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