What died, what works, and which job each tool fits
The old snowbird recipe (a Skype number for US calls) is HISTORY: Microsoft retired the product in May 2025 and the domain no longer answers (verified June 11, 2026). The live toolbox has three drawers. GOOGLE VOICE gives a free US number with voicemail and texting, but its signup expects a US footprint (a US number to verify against), which makes it a tool you set up IN Florida, not from Repentigny. VOIP PROVIDERS sell US numbers in apps for a few dollars monthly: quick, address-light, fine for calls, with one structural caveat: many US institutions refuse VoIP numbers for 2FA texts. THE ESIM SECOND LINE (carrier guide) is the heavyweight answer: a real prepaid US line that banks trust, at carrier prices.
Opinion: match the tool to the JOB: classifieds and contractors are VoIP territory; US-bank 2FA wants a carrier line; Google Voice sits between, excellent once established. The error is buying one tool for all three jobs.
Who does NOT need a US number
The visitor whose Canadian plan roams fine and whose US accounts accept Canadian numbers: many do. Check your banks' 2FA reality before building plumbing.
The frame, level by level
| Aspect | Federal US | Federal CA | State (FL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numbering | US numbers under FCC rules | Your Canadian line under CRTC | No role |
| 2FA acceptance | Institution-by-institution practice | Same at home | Not applicable |
| The dead option | Skype retired May 2025 (site dark, June 11, 2026) | Same fact | Not applicable |
A worked example: Marc's three-job setup, 2026
Marc keeps his Canadian SIM, adds a prepaid US eSIM for the season (carrier guide), and that real line carries his US bank's 2FA without drama. For the contractor calls he forwards through a VoIP app's US number (Typical range: 5 USD that month, June 2026 reading, about 7 CAD at the Bank of Canada rate of 1.3930 published June 10, 2026). Google Voice he sets up at the condo, verified against the eSIM line, as the permanent voicemail that survives seasons. Three tools, three jobs, no dead products.
Common mistakes
- Following 2019 advice. Skype is gone; pages that still recommend it date themselves.
- Expecting banks to text VoIP. Many refuse; the carrier line is the 2FA answer.
- Setting up Google Voice from Canada. Its US-footprint checks make Florida the setup venue.
- Letting numbers lapse. Inactive VoIP numbers recycle; keep minimal activity.
- One tool for all jobs. The three-drawer model is the design.
The US-number checklist
- List the jobs: 2FA, calls, voicemail/permanence.
- 2FA: prepaid eSIM line (carrier guide).
- Calls: VoIP app number, few dollars monthly.
- Permanence: Google Voice, set up in Florida.
- Verify each bank's 2FA acceptance once.
- Diarize minimal activity to keep numbers alive.
Frequently asked questions
Is Skype still an option?
No: retired May 2025, site unreachable at our June 11, 2026 check. This page exists to say so plainly.
Will my US bank text a Google Voice number?
Sometimes; carrier lines succeed far more reliably. Test before relying.
Can I get Google Voice from Canada?
Its signup expects a US footprint; practically, set it up in Florida against a real US line.
Cheapest working answer?
For pure calls: a VoIP number at a few dollars. For the full season: the eSIM second line.