When doing testing before, I often got annoyed by SMS verification codes, especially when I needed a temporary phone number to register for overseas websites or test interfaces. Buying SIM cards was too troublesome. Later, I discovered the concept of an SMS receiving platform—using virtual numbers to receive verification codes, which is much more convenient. However, I also encountered many pitfalls; some platforms couldn't receive texts, others had huge delays, and only a few turned out to be decent.

Honestly, an SMS receiving platform is just a service that helps you rent a phone number temporarily. They are available from different countries, and you can pay per use or subscribe monthly. The two I use most are SMS-Activate and 5SIM. Verification codes usually arrive within 10 seconds, and they cover a wide range of countries. If you're mainly testing applications within China, Super Cloud SMS and Xiaoniao SMS Chinese number segments are faster, typically receiving responses in 5 to 20 seconds. There's also Getsmscode, which is cheap, but for less common platforms, there can sometimes be delays—depends on your needs.

When using these temporary phone numbers, be aware that some numbers are shared, which can trigger risk detection or warnings about suspicious activity. Preparing several backup numbers can solve most issues. Also, don't use virtual numbers as your long-term primary number; privacy and security are not guaranteed. The most practical advice is, if you're just testing interfaces, any API-supported number will do; but if you need stable registration on a specific website, it's best to recharge multiple numbers so you can switch immediately if one becomes invalid. Some platforms even support one-click number switching, which is especially convenient and helps avoid waste.