Hi there. My UK husband and I are still in the US, but travel back and forth somewhat frequently, and plan to move back in a few years. He has held onto bank accounts over there but has not really made use of them while living here. We are trying to figure out a way to have a UK phone number while still mostly being in the US, to receive the verification SMS messages, etc. I've never used an eSIM before, so am not sure if it's possible to do a UK phone number in the US. I Googled "UK Virtual Phone Number" and a lot of the results seem quite scammy! Would appreciate any suggestions for a solution to obtaining a UK phone number while still in the US. Thank you!

If it is to receive SMS messages from your bank, you might get some advice if you name the bank. I bank with NatWest and they send SMS messages to my US cell phone.

Yep, perfectly possible, just get an eSIM with a UK provider - Lycomobile, Three, Giffgaff etc. They all do cheap monthly deals and it'll be delivered to your phone remotely.

I did the same in reverse, and have both lines on my phone so get texts from each side of the pond.

If you only need texts from the UK then consider Andrews & Arnold.
- select a phone number (including a mobile number) or port a number into the service
- texts automatically forwarded to your email (so an eSIM is not required)
- set up was 10 GBP and then less than 2 GBP per month
- option to port a number out. Useful for when you eventually move back to the UK if you decide you want to use the number on a phone.
- no charge to receive a UK text
- similarly people can leave a voicemail on your number and it is forwarded to your email at no cost
I have used this service for four years with no issues to receive texts from UK banks, HMRC, etc.

Good point. I am in the reverse situation but my US bank and my US brokerage both send send verification texts to my UK phone.

The verification SMS issue is usually down to the carrier's roaming agreements rather than the phone itself. If you're looking for a stable way to receive those UK codes while sitting in the US, you need a provider that supports international roaming on a tier-1 network.

In my experience, Maaltalk works well for this because their app lets you track the data/connection status pretty closely. You'll want to install it as a secondary line in your cellular settings and make sure "WiFi Calling" is toggled on if the local signal is weak. It’s a lot more reliable than those web-based VoIP numbers that banks often block anyway.

I simply got a PAYG eSIM with Three. When I go back I buy a "data pack" for 10GBP that is plenty of calls and data in the UK while I'm there.
It needs a chargeable event every 6 months to avoid going dormant, so first time that became a risk I topped up 5 GBP. Next time I just sent one international text message. So it works out very cheap when not in use (much less than 2GBP/month).
One thing - I understand that to activate the eSIM for the first time, you need to be in the UK. After that there's no problem using it abroad (most of the time I keep it turned off and just enable it when I need a code).
iPhones play relatively nicely with dual SIMs.

As per poster above, I find 3 PAYG is currently about the best deal. 10 pound a month for the months you need it gives you 40gb data in the UK - but also 6GB roaming data in many countries including the USA. And plenty of included call minutes and texts. And if you do run out of roaming data, you can buy more.

In the US, you can either let it automatically jump on a network or pick yourself manually between the big three (AT&T, Verizon, TMobile). Very good.