341 Area Code: How To Get an Oakland and East Bay Area Code

The way we see it, you have a few options. But like most things in life, not all options are created equal, so choose carefully.

Move to Oakland

This is the most obvious way to get yourself a 341 area code. Move to Oakland, throw away your phone and sim card, buy a new local phone plan. Maybe rethink your personal style and choose a new nickname.

Enjoy your new life.

Now, if this sounds like a good idea, there are a few things to do before taking this step. Consider finding a professional to speak to, breaking up with your partner, or getting an extreme new hair cut. All of these are more normal coping mechanisms that you could try before engaging in your own witness protection program.

If this sounds like a terrible way to get something as simple as a new area code — good. Don’t do this. Let’s talk about the better approach.

Get a Second Phone Plan

There’s one update most major cell phones have made in recent years that most people haven’t had reason to notice. In addition to activating your phone plan using a SIM card, most phones are now able to run eSIM cards.

Also known as digital SIMs, eSIM cards allow you to activate your phone plan without having to use a physical card. It also means — depending on your exact phone model — you can have two phone plans active on your phone at once.

For the most part, this is a feature most used by expats and frequent travelers. International phone plans can be extremely expensive. Keeping your US number on your phone at all times and installing a cheap, local eSIM wherever you end up is a great way to save money and maintain excellent service.

If you’re looking for an Oakland area code but don’t want to give up your original number, using a physical SIM for one plan and an eSIM for the other will work. That way, you can get the area code you want without having to get rid of the number you already have. This might, however, be expensive and difficult to manage.

Get Yourself a Burner Line

This isn’t your grandmother’s Nigerian prince’s fake number generator. With Burner, you can get an unlimited number of phone numbers via the app on your phone. It’s so much easier than starting a whole new life or worrying about a secondary phone plan.

We can set you up with multiple phone numbers. You can choose your area code, so whatever your motivation is for wanting an Oakland or East Bay phone number, it’s no problem. You aren’t limited to just one new number, either.

You can have separate numbers for every area of your life. Think of Burner like your email inbox. You have multiple email addresses for different purposes. It helps keep you organized and keep you focused. What’s stopping you from doing this with your phone?

There are added benefits to using Burner to create a new Oakland number, too. In addition to getting the area code you want and keeping your life organized, you can protect your privacy and set boundaries. 

Want an evening to legitimate disconnect and unwind? You can mute individual numbers, so the only calls or messages that come through are the ones you really need to see. It’s also useful if you need a phone number to sign up for something you’re not sure will last. 

If something doesn’t work out, you can simply delete your phone number. No hassle, no endless voicemail spam messages. It’s peace and peace of mind, all in one simple move.

Why Would You Want a Different Area Code?

If you don’t often think about what your phone number is and what you’d rather it be, that probably puts you in the majority of people. For the most part, we’re assigned our phone numbers when we get our first cell phone plan, and that’s what it stays for the rest of our lives.

While it might not be something we often consider, your phone number says a lot about you in just about every area of your life. There are lots of unexpected benefits that can come from having the right trio of numbers in front of your digits.

Impending Move

If you’re considering a move to Oakland in the near future, there’s an endless list of things you’ll need to take care of. Moving can feel like a full-time job, from job searching to apartment searching. You might want to set up some deliveries, memberships, and even get a jump on making sure all the utilities are ready to go in your new place.

All of these things can be made easier by a local area code. It’ll help eliminate unnecessary questions and prevent you from dealing with the mind-numbing frustration of automated forms that can be hostile to non-local information. 

This goes double if you’re moving to Oakland from another country! Not all US websites and forms will be able to read and accept country codes or foreign numbers.

Credibility Boost

If you have a mobile phone number, you’ve received a spam call. Realistically, you’ve received dozens of spam calls, because they seem to be an increasingly pervasive annoyance. Because spam calls and phone-related scams are so common, we’re all looking out for them all the time.

Any time you post your phone number for other people to search or access, it’s important to keep that in mind. 

Let’s say you’re trying to make new friends in Oakland because you’re new to the area. Or maybe you’re looking for a new handyman, gardener, or cleaner, and you leave your number online for people to contact you. You might even be looking for a sick new guitarist for your band.

If you have an out-of-town area code, people might hesitate to contact you. It won’t be everyone, of course. After all, it’s not unusual to keep your first number for much of your life, no matter where you move. 

But with people increasingly wary of scam calls and nefarious phone banks waiting on the other end of the line, a local area code can boost your credibility. It’s an easy way to remove one barrier to connection in your day-to-day life.

Freedom of Movement

While you may be more than capable of doing the same things you do at home in Oakland from a hammock in Thailand or your rural escape in the mountains of Colorado … sometimes it’s better not to highlight the fact that you’re operating remotely to other people.

If you want to maintain your freedom of movement and privacy, but also stay connected to Oakland, a 341 area code can help. It’ll give people one less reason to ask you questions about where you are at any given moment — or where you’re based.

Long Distance Calling

Planning to globetrot or jetset? Not sure how you’re going to keep in touch with friends and family? 

Well, making sure you have a local phone number is one way to make things a little easier. This is especially true if you’re dealing with older relatives, who probably don’t have the same comfort level with the various apps you can use to make communication easier.

Making sure you have an active, Oakland phone number means your family members back in the east bay can call you as normal. They’ll avoid the pesky long distance charge. And, most importantly, you can spare yourself the endless conversations about how to type a plus sign and country code in front of your international phone number.

Sentimental Value

There are all kinds of practical reasons to pursue a different area code. But there are also more emotional reasons, like sentimental value. If Oakland or the East Bay is your hometown, and you’ve had to move away for whatever reason, it’s possible you’ve changed your phone plan at some point and neglected to keep your original number.

Area codes aren’t something we think about often, but they’re a tangible tie to where we’re from. Other people recognize area codes, which can help create connections. There’s also just some pride and sentiment in holding onto the phone number from your childhood home. 

Finding a way to reclaim your Oakland area code so you can feel more connected to where you’re from is totally legitimate, too.