Yes — a real Ethiopia mobile number (+251) can receive the Uber 4-digit code by SMS. Get one in under a minute: a single-use Uber code from $0.71, or a number you keep from $6.02/month with unlimited incoming SMS and calls. Email sign-up, crypto payment, no ID.
Monthly
$6.02
per month
Yearly
$30.10
per year
Plans: unlimited incoming SMS & calls, 500 SMS + 1,000 minutes out every month. Renew as long as you want.
Digits are masked. The full number is shown once it is assigned to your account.
Step by step
Uber asks for your number at the first screen of the Uber app (“Enter your mobile number”). Expect a 4-digit code; it can arrive by SMS (WhatsApp in some markets).
Get your Ethiopia number
Sign up at PhoneBorn with an email, top up with crypto and choose Ethiopia: a monthly plan ($6.02) if you want to keep the account, or a single-use Uber OTP number ($0.71) for one code.
Open Uber
Go to the first screen of the Uber app (“Enter your mobile number”).
Enter the +251 number
Select Ethiopia (+251) in the country picker and paste the number from your dashboard without a leading 0. Ethiopia mobiles look like 09xx xxx xxx → +251 9xx xxx xxx.
Enter the 4-digit code from your inbox
Enter the 4-digit code from your inbox.
Add an email and payment method
Add an email and payment method.
Drivers and couriers can call you
Drivers and couriers can call you — incoming calls are unlimited on every plan.
Day-to-day life in Ethiopia runs on Telegram, Telebirr and Facebook, yet Uber remains the app for rides and deliveries with a local number drivers can reach. A +251 number keeps that account tied to the country without using your personal SIM.
Telegram-first country: Ethiopian businesses, news channels and shops run largely on Telegram, so a +251 number helps you join local groups and channels.
Uber logs you in by SMS and drivers contact you on the number during every trip.
Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populous country and one of the few where Telegram, not WhatsApp, is the main messaging app. Addis Ababa hosts the African Union and dozens of international organisations, while Telebirr and M-Pesa have made mobile money mainstream. A +251 number connects diaspora, diplomats and businesses to that Telegram-first ecosystem.
Local context
Ethiopian SIM cards must be registered with an ID or passport, and Ethio Telecom and Safaricom both enforce this at purchase. A Ethiopia number from PhoneBorn needs no SIM and no ID — only an email.
| App | OTP price | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Google / Gmail | $0.71 | Google / Gmail guide |
| $0.76 | WhatsApp guide | |
| Telegram | $0.86 | Telegram guide |
| $0.67 | Instagram guide | |
| $0.62 | Facebook guide | |
| ChatGPT | $0.86 | ChatGPT guide |
| TikTok | $0.62 | TikTok guide |
| Discord | $0.57 | Discord guide |
| X (Twitter) | $0.67 | X (Twitter) guide |
| Binance | $1.05 | Binance guide |
Included in every plan
Plan allowances apply to numbers you keep (monthly or yearly). Single-use OTP numbers are a separate product: one code, refunded automatically if no code arrives.
If your number has not sent or received a single SMS or call, you can get a full refund within 7 days of purchase — no questions asked.
Open the number in your dashboard and press “Request refund”. Eligible refunds are returned to your wallet instantly. Refund policy
FAQ
Create an account with just an email, top up with crypto and get a real mobile number — SMS and calls included — in under a minute.