Private Phone Number and Data eSIM Setup
A separate number still crosses the public telephone boundary. JMP separates a public number from a primary mobile contract, but calls and messages still cross the PSTN; JMP documents up to seven days of SMS content retention and billing-related call metadata.
Data behind this diagram
| Test or record | Pass condition | Retention note |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile data | With Wi-Fi off, an HTTPS page loads and account data use increases | Carrier and radio-network records remain |
| Inbound SMS | Independent phone message arrives in Cheogram | JMP may retain SMS content and metadata up to seven days |
| Outbound SMS | Cheogram reply reaches the independent phone | JMP may retain SMS content and metadata up to seven days |
| Inbound call | Twenty-second call reaches the configured Jabber destination | Call metadata retained for billing until removal is requested |
| Outbound call | Call from Cheogram reaches the independent phone | Call metadata retained for billing until removal is requested |
| Voicemail | Cheogram receives audio and transcription | PSTN and provider records remain |
| Emergency route | A separate tested carrier or other route exists | JMP provides no emergency calling |
This procedure creates a separate US or Canadian telephone number in JMP.chat, routes its calls and SMS through an XMPP account, then adds the optional JMP data eSIM. It is for a reader who wants to stop giving every contact and account the number attached to a primary mobile contract. It is not an anonymous phone and it does not make the public telephone network encrypted.
- FOR
- US / Canada
- JMP FAQ and SIM page
- THREAT
- Number reuse
- Cunicula procedure
- TIME
- 45-75 min
- Cunicula procedure
- STARTING COST
- $4.99 + $9.99
- JMP FAQ and SIM page
COST SOURCES: JMP pricing FAQ (retrieved 10 August 2026); JMP data plan (retrieved 10 August 2026).
Before you start
- An unlocked eSIM-capable phone on Android 15 or 16 if you are adding the data plan.
- A second phone that can send one SMS and place one call for the final test.
- A password manager, a private place for recovery material, and enough balance for the first month.
- Coverage in the United States or Canada. The JMP data plan is data-only and does not work outside those countries.
JMP costs $4.99 USD or $6.59 CAD per month for the number. That includes unlimited SMS and MMS plus calling credit equivalent to 120 US or Canadian minutes per calendar month. The data plan has a $9.99 USD activation fee including 1 GB; subsequent data is $6.99 per GB, bought in 5 GB blocks. Check both price pages before paying because this guide records the prices retrieved on the review date.
STOP CONDITION: do not use this number as the only way to recover your password manager, primary email, or financial account. Keep a separate recovery method that does not depend on JMP or the phone.
1. Define the compartment
Give this number one job. A useful default is “public contact and low-risk account messages.” Do not mix it with a pseudonymous identity if the same contacts know your legal identity. Decide now whether you will pay by card, Bitcoin, cash by mail, or Interac in Canada. Card and Interac payments create a direct identity link; cash or cryptocurrency changes that payment trail but does not remove telecom metadata.
Keep emergency calling on the phone's ordinary carrier or another tested route. JMP states that its service does not provide 911, 112, 999, or other emergency service access.
VERIFY: Your written rule says who receives this number, which existing number it replaces, and which accounts are forbidden from using it.
SOURCE: JMP privacy and transparency statement (retrieved 10 August 2026).
2. Create the XMPP account
Install Cheogram Android from the project link offered by JMP. This walkthrough uses the Cheogram Android onboarding flow current on 10 August 2026; it does not apply to the iOS or desktop client menus. Create a new @cheogram.com Jabber ID, or sign in with a separate XMPP account you already control. Generate a unique password in the password manager. Do not make the Jabber ID match your usual handle.
Close Cheogram, reopen it, and confirm the account reconnects before buying a number. This catches a mistyped or unsaved password while no paid service depends on the account.
VERIFY: Cheogram shows the new Jabber ID as connected after a full app restart, and the password manager contains the exact Jabber ID and password.
SOURCES: JMP signup and XMPP FAQ (retrieved 10 August 2026); JMP suggested Jabber services (retrieved 10 August 2026).
3. Register the JMP number
Open a chat with cheogram.com. Send register jmp.chat. Search by area code, city and region, postal code, or a memorable digit pattern, then select one available number. Choose the $4.99 USD monthly plan and add enough balance to cover the first billing period. Store the full number in international format, such as +1XXXXXXXXXX, not only the local format.
When registration asks whether people who know the phone number may discover your Jabber ID, choose Nofor compartment separation. Discovery can upgrade XMPP-to-XMPP conversations, but it also joins the public number to the Jabber identity.
VERIFY: The JMP account conversation displays the chosen E.164 number, the account balance, and an active service state. Copy those three values into the setup record.
SOURCES: JMP number and price FAQ (retrieved 10 August 2026); JMP registration entry point (retrieved 10 August 2026).
4. Route calls and lock billing
In the JMP account chat, send configure calls and select the current Jabber ID as the destination. Leave SIP forwarding off unless you already operate a separate SIP endpoint. In account settings, set the low-balance refill amount to the smallest value that covers one renewal, or leave automatic balance refill off and create a calendar reminder seven days before renewal.
New accounts can receive calls and texts immediately but may need to receive a person-to-person text before outgoing calls or messages are enabled. The final test below includes that first inbound message.
VERIFY: A message to the account bot reports XMPP or Jabber as the current call destination, and the billing view shows the intended low-balance refill rule.
SOURCES: JMP calling and billing FAQ (retrieved 10 August 2026); JMP account settings and data-plan notes (retrieved 10 August 2026).
5. Order the optional JMP data eSIM
Skip this step if the phone already has a separate data connection. In JMP account settings choose the command to buy a data plan, select eSIM, pay the $9.99 activation charge, and save the QR code. The first 1 GB is included. Set the automatic refill monthly limit to 0 until the line passes testing. Later, if you want automatic refill, set an explicit monthly cap. Refills are sold as 5 GB blocks, so one refill costs $34.95 USD at the recorded $6.99 per-GB price.
Treat the QR code as a credential. Do not put it in a shared photo library or send it through ordinary SMS. Keep the original until installation and the first reboot are complete.
VERIFY: Account settings list one active data plan, its ICCID or eSIM record, the remaining data, and the monthly refill cap you selected.
SOURCES: JMP data plan price and order page (retrieved 10 August 2026); JMP data-plan launch details (retrieved 10 August 2026).
6. Install the eSIM on Android 15 or 16
This path is checked for Android 15 and 16 on Pixel. Open Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add SIM → Set up an eSIM, then scan the JMP QR code. Name the profile JMP DATA. Under SIMs, select JMP DATA for Mobile data. Leave calls and SMS assigned to the ordinary SIM, because the JMP eSIM is data-only. Accept the carrier profile's APN; do not invent or copy an APN from another network.
Turn Wi-Fi off and wait two minutes. If the profile remains disconnected, reboot once. If it still fails, stop and use JMP support with the ICCID from account settings. Do not delete the eSIM as a first troubleshooting step because moving or reissuing an eSIM may require provider assistance.
VERIFY: With Wi-Fi off, the status bar shows a mobile-data connection and a normal HTTPS page loads. The JMP account view records data use increasing by a small amount.
SOURCES: Google Pixel SIM and eSIM instructions (retrieved 10 August 2026); JMP data-plan requirements (retrieved 10 August 2026).
7. Run the acceptance test
From the independent phone, send a plain SMS to the JMP number. Reply in Cheogram. Place a call in each direction and speak for at least 20 seconds. Let one incoming call go to voicemail and confirm that Cheogram receives the audio and transcription. With Wi-Fi off, load two unrelated HTTPS sites. Record the time and result of each test.
If inbound works but outbound is blocked, wait for the first person-to-person message to age into the account and test again. If only calls fail, rerun configure calls and inspect the selected destination. Do not move account recovery or important contacts to the number until all six checks pass.
VERIFY: The test sheet has six passes: mobile data, inbound SMS, outbound SMS, inbound call, outbound call, and voicemail delivery. Any failure remains marked open.
SOURCES: JMP SMS, MMS, calling, and voicemail capabilities (retrieved 10 August 2026); JMP retention and phone-network limits (retrieved 10 August 2026).
What this setup does not protect
- The public telephone network does not encrypt SMS, MMS, call content, or call metadata end to end. JMP says to treat them as non-private against a state actor, provider compromise, or rogue employee.
- JMP may retain text-message content and metadata for up to seven days for outage resilience, and retains call metadata for billing until removal is requested.
- The data carrier and radio network can observe device and location-related records. A separate number does not make the handset invisible.
- Card, bank, device, IP, contact, and timing records can join this compartment back to the reader.
- Some banks and platforms reject VoIP numbers. Never assume this number is accepted as an account-recovery factor.
- JMP has no emergency calling. Keep another tested emergency route.
LIMITATION SOURCES: JMP privacy and transparency statement (retrieved 10 August 2026); JMP service notice (retrieved 10 August 2026).
Maintenance
Once a month, check the balance, number status, data refill cap, and one inbound text. Every three months, place a call in both directions and review whether any account can be moved from this shared public number to its own alias or authenticator. If you stop using JMP, replace the number on every recovery path before cancelling it.
Sources
- JMP data-plan launch details, retrieved 2026-08-10
- JMP account settings and data-plan notes, retrieved 2026-08-10
- JMP registration entry point, retrieved 2026-08-10
- JMP SMS, MMS, calling, and voicemail capabilities, retrieved 2026-08-10
- JMP privacy and transparency statement, retrieved 2026-08-10
- JMP data plan price and order page, retrieved 2026-08-10
- JMP suggested Jabber services, retrieved 2026-08-10
- Google Pixel SIM and eSIM instructions, retrieved 2026-08-10