If you’ve ever been out at a bar and given someone a fake number, this app is for you.

Last week, Redmond-based Ivy Corps released a texting service called Phox.

“What Phox does, is it gives you sort of a public number that you can send and receive text messages on without giving out your private number,” says senior software developer, Monique Costalas. “[It goes] straight to your text messaging client, like, where you regularly text. Rather than some app that you’re downloading and having to remember to open.”

One phone, two phone numbers. One for your friends and family, and one for other people.

“As a woman programmer I kind of have a different view of the world than a lot of my colleagues,” Costalas says. “A lot of my girlfriends had said they’re trying to date. A lot of of times they go out and they see someone they thought they liked and they exchange phone numbers and they go on a couple of dates and then they wouldn’t be interested anymore. Now that guy has their phone number.”

“And so I thought this is really about changing our idea about our phone. We’re sort of cavalier [about] putting our phone number out there; online, on Craigslist, with people we’re just starting to get to know,” she says. “They have that forever because we don’t really change our cell. Instead you can just have this public number and anytime you want to stop texting with someone, you can just turn them off. Put them on a block list. But they don’t have your real true number.”

Phox is not just for daters. Having two numbers can be a safer way to communicate with people when you buy and sell on Craigslist, or if you just want a separate number for business. Although, right now it only works for texting.

“If they call your number it just rings busy. For a lot of people that’s actually a feature because they really don’t like calling people and they don’t want people calling them,” Costalas said. “Every one of my friends is like, ‘Oh my gosh, don’t call me, please.’ They just dread answering the phone. So, yeah, it’s definitely meant for that younger group.”

When you receive a text from someone, you can easily distinguish if they’re messaging your private number or your Phox line.

“The way you’ll know it’s coming from our service is we put a fox in front of all the messages coming from that person. So you know it’s coming from your public number,” Costalas explains. “But they have no idea unless you tell them.”

The service costs either $4.95 or $9.95 a month depending on which plan you choose.

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