burner (mobile application)
{{Short description|Application for creating disposable phone numbers}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Burner
| logo = BurnerAppLogoGreenBackground.png
| logo size = 220px
| screenshot =
| caption =
| author =
| released = {{start date and age|2012|8}}
| developer = Ad Hoc Labs
| operating system = iOS, Android
| programming language =
| language =
| genre = Instant messaging client and VoIP
| license = Freemium
| website = {{official URL}}
}}
Burner is a mobile application for iOS and Android made by Ad Hoc Labs, Inc. that allows users to create temporary disposable phone numbers in the U.S. and Canada.{{cite news|last1=Griffith|first1=Eric|title=Burner Accounts 101: How to Get Extra Numbers for Your Smartphone|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2497669,00.asp|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=PC Magazine|date=18 January 2016}} The app allows smartphone users to have a phone number that is anonymous and can be thrown away, for purposes such as online ads, while traveling, for business projects, or for dating profiles.{{cite news|last1=Wortham|first1=Jenna|title=Test Run: Burner, a Mobile App That Gives You Disposable Digits|url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/test-run-burner-a-mobile-app-that-gives-you-disposable-digits/|accessdate=22 April 2016|work=The New York Times|date=5 December 2012}} Burner is a product of Ad Hoc Labs, an Atwater Village, Los Angeles-based software startup.{{cite news|last1=Carney|first1=Michael|title=Burner app creator Ad Hoc Labs gets funding for controversial privacy solutions|url=https://pando.com/2012/10/18/burner-app-creator-ad-hoc-labs-gets-funding-for-controversial-privacy-solutions/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=Pando Daily|date=28 October 2012}}
The application's name is a reference to so-called "burner phones," prepaid mobile phones that are replaced frequently.{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Ben|title=Burner mobile app goes beyond prank calls|url=http://www.marketplace.org/2013/04/17/tech/burner-mobile-app-goes-beyond-prank-calls|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=Marketplace}}{{cite news|last1=Farivar|first1=Cyrus|title=Burner wants to help you temporarily obfuscate your phone number|url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2012/08/burner-wants-to-help-you-temporarily-obfuscate-your-phone-number/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=Ars Technica|date=8 August 2012}} The company has stated it would comply with law enforcement requests related to search warrants.{{cite news|last1=Carney|first1=Michael|title=Burner app brings its disposable phone numbers to Android, updates iOS for privacy controls|url=https://pando.com/2013/04/10/burner-app-brings-its-disposable-phone-numbers-to-android-updates-ios-for-privacy-controls/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=Pando Daily|date=10 April 2013}}{{cite news|last1=Kumparak|first1=Greg|title=Burner, The One-Click Disposable Phone Number App, Comes To Android|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/10/burner-the-one-click-disposable-phone-number-app-comes-to-android/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=TechCrunch|date=10 April 2013}}
History
The Burner application launched in August 2012 with angel investors including Techstars founder David Cohen and super angel Dave McClure in October 2012.{{cite news|last1=Etherington|first1=Darrell|title=Burner App Raises Angel Round, Prepares To Become The Passbook For Mobile Privacy|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/10/18/burner-app-raises-angel-round-prepares-to-become-the-passbook-for-mobile-privacy/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=TechCrunch|date=18 October 2012}} Its iPhone application was released in August 2012, followed by an Android version in April 2013.{{cite news|last1=Bilton|first1=Ricardo|title=Burner, the completely legit disposable phone number app, comes to Android|url=https://venturebeat.com/2013/04/10/burner-android-app/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=VentureBeat|date=10 April 2013}} In October 2013, Ad Hoc Labs raised an institutional funding round led by Founder Collective and Venrock, with participation from 500 Startups, Miramar Digital Ventures, TenOneTen Ventures and others.{{cite news|last1=Carney|first1=Michael|title=Identity evangelist: Burner gets $2M to help consumers reclaim control of their mobile communications|url=https://pando.com/2013/09/26/identity-evangelist-burner-gets-2m-to-help-consumers-reclaim-control-of-their-mobile-communications/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=Pando Daily|date=26 September 2013}} In an interview with Ars Technica, CEO Greg Cohn stated "we definitely think that communications, and telephony specifically, have been left behind by the wave of social innovation that’s been happening. The network should be smarter, it should be more socially aware and more privacy-aware." He has also stated that the long-term vision for Burner is to build technology where phone numbers are smarter and act more like software.{{cite news|last1=Perez|first1=Sarah|title=Disposable Phone Number App Burner Grabs $2 Million In Seed Funding|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/09/26/disposable-phone-number-app-burner-grabs-2-million-in-seed-funding/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=TechCrunch|date=26 September 2016}}
Features
Burner allows users to make phone calls and VoIP calls and send SMS and MMS messages via phone numbers issued through the app.{{cite news|title=Burner Launches New Version Of Temporary Phone Number App|url=http://www.socaltech.com/burner_launches_new_version_of_temporary_phone_number_app/s-0064692.html|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=SocalTECH.com|date=31 March 2014}}{{cite news|title=Burner Rolls Out MMS Support, New App|url=http://www.socaltech.com/burner_rolls_out_mms_support_new_app/s-0057922.html|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=SocalTECH.com|date=20 November 2014}}{{cite news|last1=Henry|first1=Alan|title=Burner Brings Disposable Phone Numbers to Android for Private Calls, Texts, and More|url=http://lifehacker.com/5994262/burner-brings-disposable-phone-numbers-to-android-for-private-calls-texts-and-more|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=LifeHacker|date=10 April 2013}} Users can purchase credits for temporary numbers or add an additional line for an ongoing subscription fee.{{cite news|last1=Cipriani|first1=Jason|title=Use the Burner app to create 'smart' phone numbers|url=http://www.cnet.com/how-to/use-burner-app-to-create-smart-phone-numbers/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=CNET|date=13 October 2015}} The Burner Connections features, launched in October 2015, allow users to integrate their Burner numbers with third-party applications like Slack, Google Sheets, Dropbox, Evernote and SoundCloud.{{cite news|title=Burner Launches New Version of Temporary Phone Number App|url=http://www.socaltech.com/burner_launches_new_version_of_temporary_phone_number_app/s-0064692.html|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=SocalTECH.com|date=31 March 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Graham|first1=Jefferson|title=Burner brings apps to phone numbers|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/10/08/burner-brings-apps-phone-numbers/73562132/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=USA Today|date=8 October 2015}} This functionality allows people to automatically archive SMS messages and images, program auto-responses, sync voicemails and more. In November 2015, Burner launched a way for developers to connect the app with various applications, like IFTTT, or create new custom integrations through the use of webhooks.{{cite news|last1=Yeung|first1=Ken|title=Burner's new developer tool lets you control your smart home by text|url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/11/24/burners-new-developer-tool-lets-you-control-your-smart-home-by-text/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=VentureBeat|date=24 November 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Baldwin|first1=Roberto|title=Burner's disposable phone numbers save everything in the cloud|url=https://www.engadget.com/2015/10/08/burner-connections/|accessdate=22 April 2016|publisher=Engadget|date=8 October 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Swanner|first1=Nate|title=Burner now lets developers tap in using Web hooks and opens up to IFTTT|url=https://thenextweb.com/dd/2015/11/24/burner-now-lets-developers-tap-in-using-web-hooks-and-opens-up-to-ifttt/|publisher=The Next Web|date=24 November 2015}}
Finances
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the group received between $350,000 and $1 million in federally backed small business loans from First Republic Bank as part of the Paycheck Protection Program. The organization stated it would help them retain 86 employees.{{Cite web |title=AD HOC LABS INC - Coronavirus Bailouts - ProPublica |last1=Syed |first1=Moiz |last2=Willis |first2=Derek |work=ProPublica |date= 7 July 2020|access-date=23 July 2020 |url= https://projects.propublica.org/coronavirus/bailouts/loans/ad-hoc-labs-inc-c976febe8ef2f0fe3efa1604dbd6ea46 }}
References
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