Punting phone set up

[vitalyztvvvv]

I've tried searching around but can't find a recent thread on this so thought i'd start one. It's getting annoying carrying a second iphone around for punts so i've been researching a way to do it easily. Like most of us i want it completely detached from my personal phone. Hence to date i've had a separate PAYG sim and older iphone for punting. As most girls are on watsapp i don't even need to top up regularly, i usually just tether the internet from my main phone to this secondary phone when on punts.

I'm thinking of doing the following:

1. Set up watsapp business on my second iphone, and run that app instead and port over all existing chats.
2. Download watsapp business on my personal phone (hidden away somewhere of course). Make sure to not allow contact permissions to keep it completely separate.
3. Generate a QR code from my secondary phones watsapp business to "link a device" and use this to set up watsapp business on my main phone.

Then in theory everything should work and i don't really need to pay any subscriptions or anything like that...just do the bare minimum to keep my PAYG sim live?

Is there anything i need to watch out for, or does someone have a better way of doing things??

[Punting2022]

Do on the 2nd phone. You can hide away. Not get notifications on it etc. Most whores have gone to whatsapp now. So dont have to top credit up.
When out and about. Have your personal phone as a wifi hotspot, so punting one has wifi for we hatsapp

[Steely Dan]

I think you are entangling different issues:
- The risk and hassle of dealing with two phones;
- The risk of exposing your real identity to random escorts;
- The risk of merging your two identities and perhaps sending a punting note to a personal contact;
- The risk of being caught punting by a partner who might read your phone;
- Cost.

Since these are different for all of us, the 'right answer' is not the same.

For me, I don't care about cost at all compared to the other things.  If it is equal, sure, I'll save money, but first I do what is safe.

For me, the risk of having to explain 2 phones is ultra high.  And the hassle of two phones (missing a note from an escort I wanted to read, taking the wrong one, charging two etc) is pretty high too.  The 'rule' to have a punting phone was based on 2015 technology IMHO.  With 2026 options, I find it safer to just have one phone and to manage it like James Bond. I have a Hush second phone number in it.  Second WhatsApp in it.  No overlap of contacts.  I also need Line (Thailand) and Telegram (Spain) and WeChat (China) which need to go on my main phone.

I used to have 2 phones. Now I have one. Overall if my main phone is unlocked and read through by a partner, I am probably well and truly scuppered.  But I prevent that.  I have one phone not to save money nor to be lazy, but to stay safe the way things are for me.

And in fact i might survive an unlocked phone read.  There are extra passwords on all my punting apps (Hush, Line, etc.)  Not sure that extra layer of defense would work - and I hope it is never tested. Hmm and I have a Revolut App for my punting money - that is basically another punting App.

For you, if you put WhatsApp business (aka WhatsApp punting) on your personal phone, you are already merging them and trusting passwords etc.  That somewhat defeats the benefit of two phones.  If you trust it (as I do), the second phone is perhaps a liability, not a benefit.  One well defended path might be better than two medium defended paths.

I appreciate this is different for others.

[vitalyztvvvv]

similar to you it's not really about the cost, it's about minimising the risk across all the things you listed above. It sounds like you have an android which allows you to have a hidden phone within your main phone. 

[Fush]

I don't have an other half, so I don't need to worry about that side of things. So I just have the one phone. I have a giffgaff esim, which doesn't require a monthly payment and I can top up whenever I like. Texts I think are 10p each. I use this number also for a second WhatsApp account installed in my Samsung Galaxy secure folder. This setup seems to work for me.

[PilotMan]

I don't have an other half, so I don't need to worry about that side of things. So I just have the one phone. I have a giffgaff esim, which doesn't require a monthly payment and I can top up whenever I like. Texts I think are 10p each. I use this number also for a second WhatsApp account installed in my Samsung Galaxy secure folder. This setup seems to work for me.

I have an S25 Ultra - Can you tell me a bit more about how you use your Samsung secure folder.

How do you use the eSIm, is this in secure folder?

How do you receive calls, does secure folder have to be unlocked?

What about messages, if secure folder is unlocked can calls / SMS / WhatsApp be on silent?

[Fush]

I have an S25 Ultra - Can you tell me a bit more about how you use your Samsung secure folder.

How do you use the eSIm, is this in secure folder?

How do you receive calls, does secure folder have to be unlocked?

What about messages, if secure folder is unlocked can calls / SMS / WhatsApp be on silent?

I have the S20 so should be the same/similar. Once you have installed the esim, it will be seen in Settings > Connections > SIM Manager, so no not in the secure folder.

Inside the secure folder, click on the + and you can download another copy of WhatsApp from the play store. Enter your esim number on setup.

I've never tried a call, but I know that you don't have to have the secure folder unlocked to get a WhatsApp message (just wifi/data on as usual). It will give a notification, but no content. Worth trying out to see if it works for you.

[PilotMan]

I've never tried a call, but I know that you don't have to have the secure folder unlocked to get a WhatsApp message (just wifi/data on as usual). It will give a notification, but no content. Worth trying out to see if it works for you.

That's my concern. If a message can pop up at any time, that time maybe "inconvenient"?

Given the pro's and potential con's, I think I'll stick to my punting phone.

Thanks for your help 

[Fush]

That's my concern. If a message can pop up at any time, that time maybe "inconvenient"?

A good point. You might still want to play around with it though, because I know you can mute notifications for groups in WhatsApp, so I'm sure you will be able to turn off notifications completely.

Just checked and yes, go to WhatsApp > three dots > Settings > Notifications. There is lots of options here, but turn off everything. For the notification tone, choose silent. That should work (not tested).

[PilotMan]

Thanks, that's really helpful.

[Punting2022]

A good point. You might still want to play around with it though, because I know you can mute notifications for groups in WhatsApp, so I'm sure you will be able to turn off notifications completely.

Just checked and yes, go to WhatsApp > three dots > Settings > Notifications. There is lots of options here, but turn off everything. For the notification tone, choose silent. That should work (not tested).

Phone calls still come through. Ive tried this. I still get phone calls

[PilotMan]

Phone calls still come through. Ive tried this. I still get phone calls

Yeah, not really ideal then.

Stick with the punting phone.

[polololo]

Yeah, not really ideal then.

Stick with the punting phone.

But if you have a secondary or even third e sim - you can just switch this line on/off whenever you want to use it. Once the e sim is 'off' it calls won't come through. Whatasp still works as it is registered to this specific number... but you can keep the app quite/no notifications/ hide it/ password protect it

[PilotMan]

But if you have a secondary or even third e sim - you can just switch this line on/off whenever you want to use it. Once the e sim is 'off' it calls won't come through. Whatasp still works as it is registered to this specific number... but you can keep the app quite/no notifications/ hide it/ password protect it

I'd love to hear someone's actual experience of using it this way, to see if it is feasible.

[Skiver]

Following this with interest as I've lost my punting phone. Main phone works off an eSim but with physical sim slot still there, so I was thinking of just popping a new sim in when I want to punt. Would dispose of it each time, and won't use Whatsapp, just call and text.  I think that would be secure as long as I deleted the logs.

[Steely Dan]

Following this with interest as I've lost my punting phone. Main phone works off an eSim but with physical sim slot still there, so I was thinking of just popping a new sim in when I want to punt. Would dispose of it each time, and won't use Whatsapp, just call and text.  I think that would be secure as long as I deleted the logs.

Not sure what problem you are trying to solve.  Escorts knowing your real name, a partner knowing you are fucking escorts or something else?

I confess - even though I would do it if needed - disposing of a sim for each punt sounds ...  inconvenient.  What does that achieve? My normal Apple is in my pocket (layer one) opens with face ID (layer 2) all punting apps have their own password (layer 3).  Escorts can't tell who I am from WhatsApp or text, and my phone has 3 layers of security from my partner.  A second phone is not less risky for me.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Now i wonder where all thise used up numbers, well end up;?..

[jaj909]

My main phone is an iphone, my punting phone is an android with 2 profiles. Profile 1 is what you would see when you turn the phone on, and is a dummy profile - empty and if asked it's my 'app developer phone'. In order to access the punting profile you need to switch to the second profile using a password.

[personofinterest]

Following this with interest as I've lost my punting phone. Main phone works off an eSim but with physical sim slot still there, so I was thinking of just popping a new sim in when I want to punt. Would dispose of it each time, and won't use Whatsapp, just call and text.  I think that would be secure as long as I deleted the logs.

With a two SIM solution, would I have to ensure I am using the appropriate SIM for calls and text or can this be automated?

[Malvolio]

As a non-techy person who lives on his own, I'm sticking with using a second punting phone and am happy to pay the £5 a month running cost to Tesco Mobile.  If I have to carry two phones around (ie punting straight after work), I can cope with that.

[vitalyztvvvv]

Just wanted to loop back on this incase anyone else finds it useful.

So i moved my punting phone watsapp to the business version. I allowed it to have a sync of all my contacts on my punting phone. I then set up a linked device on my main phone and downloaded watsapp business on there. I have it hidden away on my main iphone (you can bury it in a folder and have it not show notifications or show up when you search for apps).

The best part though is that whenever i save a new contact on my punting phone, they appear on watsapp business on my main iphone. They are not in my contacts or anything like that, purely in the watsapp business app only.

i really hated carrying that second phone and doing a hotspot! But the only piece i need to do is make sure i have my punting phone on atleast once every 14 days which is easy enough to do.