Customer Reviews (500)

SnowblindGemini • 2025-03-27T20:27:09-07:00

Texts not sending

Afham23 • 2025-03-26T08:46:29-07:00

My number got removed by 1 agent named “Sam” Twice. tried to complain about this but I guess no one is willing to listen. They can delete your account without any reason. Not recommended at all

Vikas0854 • 2025-03-26T07:43:17-07:00

I bought the subscription for 12 months but it stopped working in just 15 days. No contact number of support and bots are on chat support. Total waste of money

Summary of Key Insights

Hushed: US Second Phone Number is an app that provides temporary phone numbers for various purposes, including online dating, selling items online, and protecting privacy. While many users find it useful and easy to use, a significant portion report issues such as account suspensions, undelivered messages, login problems, and poor customer support. The sentiment is mixed, with a high number of 5-star reviews balanced by a concerning number of 1-star reviews highlighting serious functionality and customer service problems. There seems to be a significant discrepancy between the advertised service and the actual user experience for some users.

  • Strengths: Easy to use, affordable for some, provides a second number for privacy, useful for international communication.
  • Weaknesses: Account suspensions with little to no explanation, undelivered messages, login issues, unresponsive or unhelpful customer support, numbers not working for verification (2FA), issues with call quality and dropped calls, censorship of messages.
  • Overall Sentiment: Mixed. While many users express satisfaction, a considerable number report negative experiences, particularly related to account issues and customer support.
  • Overall Rating: While an average rating cannot be directly calculated from the provided data, the breakdown suggests a possible rating around 3.5 - 4 stars, significantly impacted by the large number of 1-star reviews.
  • Score Distribution: 5-star: 62.6%, 4-star: 8.8%, 3-star: 4.6%, 2-star: 2.8%, 1-star: 21.2%

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Reviews appear to be current as of February 2025, based on the review dates.
  • Analysis Methods: The analysis involved sentiment analysis based on review scores and content, keyword extraction to identify common themes, and categorization of issues and feature requests. The primary focus was on identifying recurring problems and user needs based on explicit mentions in the reviews.

Key User Pain Points

  • Account Suspensions/Deletions: A recurring and severe issue is the unexplained suspension or deletion of accounts, often shortly after users have paid for subscriptions. This is frequently reported with complaints about lack of explanation and no refunds. This is a high-impact issue that erodes trust and causes frustration.
  • Message Delivery Issues: Many users report that their messages are not being delivered, or that they are not receiving messages. This renders the app useless for its primary function.
  • Login Problems: Users frequently report being unable to log in to their accounts, often with no password reset emails being received, effectively locking them out of a paid service.
  • Poor Customer Support: A significant number of users complain about unresponsive, unhelpful, or dismissive customer support. Some describe canned responses and a lack of personalized assistance.
  • Number Verification Issues: Many users report that Hushed numbers do not work for verification processes on other platforms (e.g., WhatsApp, Telegram, X, banks, PayPal). This limits the app's utility for its intended purpose.
  • Call Quality Issues: Some users mention poor call quality, dropped calls, and issues with phone trees not registering input.
  • Unexpected Charges/Refund Issues: Some users report being charged for services they didn't receive or having difficulty obtaining refunds.
  • Censorship of Messages: A few users report that messages containing certain words or phrases are not delivered.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Video Sending/Receiving: Many users request the ability to send and receive videos, a standard feature in most messaging apps.
  • Dark Mode: A dark mode is requested for improved user experience in low-light conditions.
  • Group Texting: Users want the ability to participate in group text conversations.
  • Call Blocking: The ability to block unwanted calls is a frequently requested feature.
  • Landscape Mode: Tablet users request landscape mode support.
  • Improved 2FA Security: Users want 2FA protection for their Hushed accounts themselves.
  • GIF Support: Users would like to be able to send GIFs.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Ease of Use: Many users find the app easy to use and set up.
  • Affordability: Some users consider the app to be affordable, especially compared to having a second phone line.
  • Privacy: Users appreciate the ability to have a second number for privacy and anonymity.
  • International Communication: The app is useful for communicating with people in other countries.
  • Porting Support: Some users have had positive experiences porting existing numbers to Hushed.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Investigate and Resolve Account Suspension Issues: Determine the root cause of unexplained account suspensions and implement a clear and transparent policy for account termination, including providing users with specific reasons and an appeals process. Offer pro-rated refunds for unused service.
  • Fix Message Delivery Problems: Address the issues with messages not being delivered or received. Implement delivery confirmations and improve reliability.
  • Improve Customer Support: Provide better training to customer support staff, ensure timely responses, and offer personalized assistance. Implement a more robust ticketing system.
  • Address Login Issues: Fix the issues that prevent users from logging in to their accounts and ensure that password reset emails are reliably delivered.
  • Improve Number Verification Compatibility: Work to ensure that Hushed numbers can be used for verification on popular platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and banks.

Medium Priority:

  • Implement Video Sending/Receiving: Add the ability to send and receive videos.
  • Implement Dark Mode: Add a dark mode option for the user interface.
  • Add Group Texting Functionality: Enable group text conversations.
  • Improve Call Quality: Investigate and improve call quality, reducing dropped calls and audio issues.
  • Add Call Blocking: Allow users to block unwanted numbers.

Low Priority:

  • Implement Landscape Mode: Add landscape mode support for tablet users.
  • Add GIF Support: Allow users to send GIFs.
  • Improve Transparency on Credit Usage: Clearly communicate the value of credits and how they translate to usage.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Enhanced Verification Service: A service that guarantees compatibility with 2FA and verification systems, offering a money-back guarantee if it fails.
  • Reputation Management for Virtual Numbers: A system that monitors and manages the reputation of virtual numbers, preventing them from being flagged as spam or blocked by other services.
  • Privacy-Focused Messaging Platform: A messaging platform that prioritizes user privacy and anonymity, with end-to-end encryption and no message censorship.

Trends and Observations

  • Negative Sentiment Clustering: A significant portion of negative reviews focus on similar issues (account suspensions, undelivered messages, poor support), suggesting a systemic problem rather than isolated incidents.
  • Language Preferences: A mix of English and Spanish reviews indicates a diverse user base.
  • Impact of a few specific reviews: Some users refer to Jack Dorsey's endorsement, indicating that celebrity endorsements can significantly impact app adoption. However, subsequent negative experiences can lead to strong negative feedback.

Conclusion

Hushed offers a valuable service with the potential to meet a growing need for privacy and flexible communication options. However, the app suffers from significant issues related to account management, message delivery, customer support, and verification compatibility. Addressing these issues is crucial to improving user satisfaction and building trust. Without significant improvements, Hushed risks losing users to competitors. The high number of one-star reviews should be a major concern and a call to action for the development team.

Overall Recommendation: Prioritize addressing the high-priority issues related to account suspensions, message delivery, and customer support. These are critical to the core functionality and user experience of the app.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hushed-us-second-phone-number/id600520752?uo=2