LINE is the default messaging app across Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and large parts of Indonesia — a 200-million-user platform where your LINE account functions more like a professional identity than a casual chat handle. Businesses list their LINE IDs alongside email addresses. Customer service runs through LINE Official Accounts. Stores run promotions exclusively via LINE coupons.
Like most platforms, LINE requires phone verification. Unlike many platforms, LINE enforces a strict one account per phone number rule. Each account is permanently tied to the number used at signup. If you need LINE without linking your personal number — for business separation, a second account, or regional content access — a virtual number is the clean solution.
TL;DR: Get a virtual number from SMSCode (from $0.005 for Indonesian or Indian numbers), enter it when LINE asks for your phone number, and receive the verification code in your dashboard within seconds. For Japanese stickers and Japan-exclusive LINE content, use a Japanese number ($0.15–$0.30). For general use, the cheapest country works fine.
Why LINE users want a separate phone number
Business and personal separation. In Japan and Thailand, LINE is as embedded in professional communication as email. Many workers receive LINE messages from clients, managers, and colleagues at all hours. A dedicated business LINE account — on its own number — creates the separation that a separate work email would provide.
LINE Official Accounts require a personal account as admin. Running a LINE Official Account for a business requires a personal LINE account as the administrator. If you’re managing multiple brands or clients, each needs its own admin account. Virtual numbers make this scalable without using personal numbers.
Privacy from your contact list. LINE has a feature where it suggests your account to people who have your phone number saved in their contacts. If you create a LINE account on your personal number, colleagues, acquaintances, and anyone with your number can find your account automatically. A virtual number bypasses this entirely.
Region-specific content access. LINE’s content ecosystem — stickers, themes, mini apps — varies significantly by country. Japan has the largest library of official character stickers, many of which are free and Japan-exclusive. A Japanese number gives you access to that content. This is meaningful for fans of Japanese brands, anime, or anyone who wants the full LINE experience.
Developer and testing accounts. Building a LINE chatbot or integration through the LINE API requires test accounts. Development accounts on virtual numbers keep testing infrastructure clean.
Access to LINE’s loyalty programs. Some LINE-affiliated loyalty programs and campaigns are restricted to accounts registered with numbers from specific countries. A matching-country virtual number enables participation in these programs.
What you’ll need
- LINE app (iOS or Android) or LINE Desktop
- An SMSCode account (free to create)
- A balance of $0.005–$0.30 depending on country
- About five minutes
Step-by-step: creating a LINE account with a virtual number
1. Create your SMSCode account
Go to smscode.gg and register with email and password. Fund your account — LINE verification is among the most affordable services available, starting under a cent for Indonesian and Indian numbers. New accounts receive a 5% deposit bonus.
2. Find LINE in the service list
Search for “LINE” in the SMSCode dashboard and select it.
3. Choose a country — this affects content, not just price
| Country | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | $0.005–$0.01 | Best price, very high delivery rate |
| India | $0.005–$0.01 | Consistent and cheap |
| Thailand | $0.10–$0.20 | Good for Thai LINE content access |
| Japan | $0.15–$0.30 | Japan-exclusive stickers and content |
| USA | $0.15–$0.30 | Works, higher price |
For general LINE use, go with the cheapest option — Indonesia or India. For access to Japanese LINE content, the premium for a Japanese number is worth it. For Thai LINE content and promotions, a Thai number may be preferable.
Click “Get Number.” Your number is reserved for 15–20 minutes.
4. Open LINE and tap “Sign Up”
Download the LINE app and tap “Sign Up.” On the phone number entry screen, enter the virtual number with its country code.
5. Retrieve and enter the verification code
LINE sends a 4-digit code via SMS. Open your SMSCode dashboard — the code typically arrives within 15–30 seconds. Enter it in LINE.
6. Complete your profile setup
Enter a display name, add a profile picture, and — critically — set a password and email immediately (covered in the tips below).
Your LINE account is now active.
Regional differences worth knowing
LINE’s experience varies considerably by country, and these differences affect more than just sticker availability:
Japan: The original LINE market. The Japanese LINE ecosystem is the most developed — free official stickers from major brands, an extensive coin-purchasable sticker library, LINE Pay deeply integrated with convenience stores and restaurants, and LINE Shopping as a real commerce platform. Japanese numbers give you the fullest experience.
Thailand: LINE is ubiquitous in Thailand in a way that’s comparable to Japan. LINE Pay Thailand, LINE MAN (food delivery), and LINE Shopping Thailand are all active. Thai business culture has adopted LINE for customer service extensively — if you’re doing business in Thailand, a Thai-facing account matters.
Taiwan: LINE dominates messaging in Taiwan. Features are similar to Japan. LINE Pay Taiwan is integrated with convenience stores and transit.
Indonesia: One of LINE’s largest markets outside Japan. Heavy sticker usage culture. Indonesian LINE accounts work well for accessing the regional content ecosystem.
Understanding which regional ecosystem you’re operating in helps you pick the right number country upfront, rather than needing to recreate an account later.
LINE Pay and business features
LINE Pay is LINE’s integrated payment system, and its availability depends on your region:
- LINE Pay Japan: Available on Japanese accounts, integrated with physical stores and online shopping
- LINE Pay Thailand: Available on Thai accounts, used at convenience stores and via QR codes
- LINE Pay Taiwan: Available on Taiwanese accounts
LINE Pay generally requires separate identity verification beyond just the phone number. The virtual number handles your LINE account registration; LINE Pay’s verification processes are their own system.
For businesses, LINE Official Accounts are separate from personal accounts. You register an Official Account through the LINE Business Center, using your personal LINE account as the administrator. A virtual number works fine as the admin account’s phone number.
How LINE uses your phone number (and the privacy implications)
Understanding what LINE does with your phone number after registration clarifies why some users specifically want a virtual number rather than their personal one.
Contact discovery. LINE’s “Add Friends by Phone Number” feature — when enabled — allows other users to find your account if they have your number in their phone’s contact list. This means anyone who has the virtual number saved could theoretically find your account. Disable this immediately after registration (Settings → Privacy → Allow Others to Add Me by Phone Number → Off).
Account linking. Some LINE services — LINE Pay, LINE Shopping, LINE TODAY — can be linked to your LINE account and may reference the account’s registered phone number for identity purposes.
Re-verification triggers. LINE occasionally prompts phone re-verification when you log in from a new device, when there’s unusual activity, or after extended periods of inactivity. If you’ve used a virtual number and no longer have access to it (because the number was one-time use), this becomes a recovery challenge. Renting a number long-term or setting up email+password recovery solves this.
Tips for LINE accounts created with virtual numbers
Set an email and password immediately. This is the most important step after registration. Go to Settings → Account and add an email address and password. This lets you:
- Log into LINE on new devices without the phone number
- Recover your account if you lose access to the virtual number
- Use LINE Desktop independently of the app
Without email and password, your LINE account is tied entirely to the phone number.
Disable “Allow Others to Add Me by Phone Number.” Go to Settings → Privacy and turn this off. Otherwise, anyone who has the virtual number saved in their contacts — or who gets assigned that number in the future — could be suggested your LINE account.
LINE stickers are region-dependent. If you created your account with a Japanese number, you can access the Japan sticker store. This selection can’t be changed by switching networks — the sticker library is tied to the account’s registration region.
Rent for accounts you care about. LINE may trigger SMS re-verification when you move to a new device or after extended inactivity. Renting the number on SMSCode for long-term access means you can respond to that prompt without scrambling. See our choosing the right country guide for help deciding which country to use.
Your LINE ID is permanent. Unlike WeChat, where the ID is set at registration and unchangeable, LINE’s display name can be changed — but the LINE ID (your @handle) cannot. Choose something professional and appropriate if you’re using this for business purposes.
Troubleshooting LINE verification
“This phone number is already in use” — Another LINE account exists on that number. Cancel on SMSCode (no charge on undelivered numbers) and get a different number.
“Unable to send verification code” — LINE occasionally can’t deliver to certain number ranges. Try a number from a different country — Indonesia and India have the most reliable delivery rates for LINE.
“Account transfer requires your old phone” — When moving LINE to a new device, LINE’s default transfer method requires the old device or phone number. If you set an email and password (recommended in the tips above), you can use those as a fallback. If you didn’t set an email and still have the virtual number via rental, use it for the re-verification.
“Verification code expired” — LINE’s codes have a short validity window. Use LINE’s “Resend” option, and the new code will appear in your SMSCode dashboard.
“Your account has been temporarily restricted” — New accounts sometimes face brief restrictions if LINE’s systems detect unusual signup patterns. These typically resolve within a few hours. Avoid creating multiple accounts in rapid succession from the same device.
How LINE compares to other messaging platforms for virtual number use
LINE sits between simple apps like Discord (which accept almost any SIM number easily) and complex apps like WeChat (which require friend verification). LINE’s phone verification is straightforward SMS — no vouching contacts needed, no secondary steps. The main consideration is choosing the right country for your content needs.
For comparison, WhatsApp also requires phone verification but is more flexible about number countries. Telegram is even simpler to verify and accepts virtually any country. WeChat is the most complex — it requires not just phone verification but also a friend with an established account to scan a QR code.
For a broader comparison of services and what to look for in a virtual number provider, see our best virtual number services guide. For understanding why SIM-based numbers matter, see the number quality and reliability guide.
FAQ
Can I use LINE Pay with a virtual number account?
LINE Pay has its own identity verification requirements that vary by country. In Japan, LINE Pay requires Japanese identity verification; in Thailand, Thai verification. The virtual number handles your LINE account registration — LINE Pay’s KYC process is separate. Whether you can complete LINE Pay verification depends on your situation, not on the type of number used for account creation.
Does the phone number’s country affect my LINE experience?
Yes, meaningfully. The country of your registration number determines which regional sticker store you access, which LINE-affiliated services are available to you, and how your account appears in regional content ecosystems. Japanese numbers give the fullest content library. For messaging functionality alone, the country doesn’t matter.
Can I have multiple LINE accounts?
LINE enforces one account per phone number. To run multiple LINE accounts simultaneously, each needs its own phone number. Get separate virtual numbers for each account — they’re independent purchases, and SMSCode makes this straightforward.
Can I use LINE on desktop with a virtual number account?
Yes. LINE Desktop requires either: (a) logging in via QR code scan from your LINE mobile app, or (b) an email and password set in your account settings. Option (b) is more reliable for virtual number accounts. Set email and password immediately after registration and you’ll have no friction using LINE Desktop.
What happens if I lose access to the virtual number?
If you’ve set an email and password in LINE settings, you can still log in on new devices using those credentials. Without email and password, losing the number means losing recovery options. Always set email and password immediately after creating a LINE account — this is the single most important setup step.
Does LINE send promotional messages to my virtual number?
LINE sends verification codes to the number but doesn’t use it for general marketing SMS. After your account is registered, LINE communicates through the app itself (push notifications, LINE messages from Official Accounts you follow) rather than through SMS to the registered number. Your virtual number won’t receive LINE promotion messages after the initial verification.