Getting Guinean (+224) verification codes into your tests and tools

Why would a team need a +224 number for testing?

Guinea sits in the French-speaking part of West Africa, and products expanding across that region often need to prove that sign-up works for Guinean subscribers before marketing spend starts. Other common triggers: an app serving the Guinean diaspora in France and elsewhere, a fintech onboarding flow being checked for francophone markets, or field and operations teams in Conakry that manage shared business accounts. Each of these needs a +224 number for testing that nobody on the team has to carry around in a phone.

OTP Route covers that need without local SIM logistics. The QA testing page shows how teams fold this into release checklists.

Which services can reach a Guinea verification number?

Popular services in the current Guinea snapshot include WhatsApp, imo, Telegram, Viber, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Signal, Google (Gmail & YouTube), Microsoft & Outlook and ChatGPT (OpenAI). Across all categories, the route reaches more than 1,700 services.

Availability on this route changes during the day, so read it live from the API rather than caching a list for weeks. Pick the service your test case genuinely depends on: if your onboarding sends codes through a messaging app popular with Guinean users, that is the one worth verifying, not whichever happens to be first in the list.

How does the Guinea OTP API sequence work?

Authenticate with a Bearer key (prefix or_live_) against https://otproute.com/api/v1. First ask GET /api/v1/prices?country=gn&service=<id> whether the service is live for Guinea. Then send POST /api/v1/activations with {"service": "<id>", "country": "gn"}, keep the activation id, and submit the number in the app you are testing.

Delivery reaches you as activation.sms_received on a registered webhook, or you can poll GET /api/v1/activations/{id}. Verify the X-OTPRoute-Signature header (HMAC-SHA256 of <t>.<raw body> with the endpoint secret), refuse stale timestamps, and ignore duplicate events for an activation you have already processed. Abandon a run with POST /api/v1/activations/{id}/cancel. The integration guide and the docs go deeper.

What is the browser route for non-technical staff?

Open the OTP Gateway, choose Guinea, search for the service, check the price and order. Paste the number into the verification screen; the incoming SMS appears on the activation card in the dashboard. Agencies handling client accounts in Guinea often prefer this path, because one shared wallet covers everyone and no API key has to leave the engineering team. Sign-up takes an email plus a 6-digit email code, and two-factor login with an authenticator app is available for the account itself.

How should +224 numbers be stored, and what language do codes use?

Guinea has no trunk prefix, and national numbers are nine digits, with mobile numbers typically beginning with 6. Normalise input to +224 followed by those nine digits and keep that single E.164 form in your database; older records written with eight digits are worth flagging during data cleanup.

French is the official language, while Pular, Maninka and Susu are widely spoken. Global services usually phrase verification texts in French or English depending on the account's language setting, so code extraction should rely on the digits, not the wording.

What should I check when a Guinean code doesn't arrive?

• Let the 20-minute window run its course; you pay only if the code arrives.
• Check that the service accepts virtual numbers at all. Some refuse them, and the automatic refund exists for exactly that case.
• Retry later or try a different service route, since OTP routing conditions on any country shift during the day.
• Avoid firing repeat orders in a tight loop; a short backoff keeps the request budget intact.

For a regional comparison, the Senegal route is a nearby francophone option to run the same test case against.

Can we keep a Guinean number long term?

Not through the dashboard. Guinea has no self-serve long-term number, and activation numbers are for a single code. Dedicated Virtual Numbers are sold only for the United States and Canada, from $1.95/month, and include inbound SMS forwarded to your webhook, outbound SMS and calling from the browser. For a lasting Guinean line, email [email protected]; availability depends on local rules, and the team will tell you plainly if it cannot be arranged.

Frequently asked questions

Can I test my app's Guinean sign-up without a local SIM?

Yes. Order a +224 number on the OTP Gateway, use it in your sign-up form, and read the code in the dashboard or via your webhook.

What country id does OTP Route use for Guinea?

The id is gn. Put it in the activation body and the prices query.

How much does it cost to receive a Guinea SMS OTP?

From $0.20 per code; the exact amount depends on the service and appears before you order.

Do I pay for an activation that never gets a code?

No. If the 20-minute window ends without an SMS, or you cancel it, the full amount returns to the wallet automatically.

Is a webhook required, or can I poll for Guinean codes?

Either works. Webhooks suit parallel test suites, while polling GET /api/v1/activations/{id} is fine for a simple script, within the 300 requests per minute limit.

Will every service accept a +224 OTP Route number?

No. Some services refuse virtual numbers, which is why unused activations are refunded. Always follow the service's terms and our Acceptable Use Policy.

How do we pay, and do we get invoices?

Top up one prepaid USD wallet by card or with USDT/USDC, with no plan or monthly fee. Each top-up triggers a PDF invoice by email; see pricing.

Is there a sandbox for building the Guinea integration?

Yes, on request. A development account can be switched to sandbox, which returns simulated numbers and codes so you can run the full SMS verification API flow without spending wallet funds.

Service names are trademarks of their respective owners. OTP Route is not affiliated with them. Use numbers lawfully, follow each service's terms and our Acceptable Use Policy.