Many apps ask for your phone number again after sign-up: on a new phone, after a suspicious login, or when you reset a password. WhatsApp, Telegram, Google, Uber and Tinder do; TikTok, Discord, LinkedIn and Reddit usually take one code at sign-up and leave it there. That one difference decides whether a temporary number is enough or whether you need a number you keep.
Why some apps check your number again
For these apps the number is not a box ticked at sign-up. It is the key they keep using, so they send a fresh code to it whenever they want proof that you are still you.
- A new device. Messengers move your account to the phone that receives the code.
- A login that looks unusual, for example from another country or after a long pause.
- A password reset that the app confirms through the number on file.
- A security review after reports, a changed payment method or many failed logins.
Which apps re-verify
| Asks for the number again | Where the number sits | |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | The phone number screen on first start | |
| Viber | Yes | The registration screen on first start |
| Microsoft | Yes | Security → Add a way to sign in |
| Amazon | Yes | Login & security → Mobile phone number |
| Uber | Yes | The phone number screen on first start |
| Bumble | Yes | The phone number screen on first start |
| Airbnb | Yes | Account → Personal info |
| Snapchat | No | Settings → Mobile Number |
| No | Settings → Sign in & security → Phone numbers | |
| Steam | No | Steam Guard → Phone number |
| Spotify | No | The sign-up form |
| Lazada | No | The sign-up screen |
From our own fact sheets. "No" means the app does not usually come back for the number; it can still ask if it suspects misuse.
What happens if the number is gone
The app sends its code to a number nobody can read, and you stay on the code screen. What happens next depends on what else the account knows about you.
| Your way back in | |
|---|---|
| An e-mail address | Choose "try another way" and take the code by e-mail |
| An authenticator app or backup codes | Use those instead of SMS |
| A device that is still signed in | Change the number from there |
| Nothing else | Only the app's support, if it offers recovery at all |
Which number to use for each kind of account
| Number to use | |
|---|---|
| A messenger you use every day | A number you keep for years |
| A one-time sign-up or a trial | A temporary number is enough |
| A second profile on an app that asks once | A temporary number, plus an e-mail on the account |
| A second profile on an app that asks again | A second number you keep |
| Banking, wallets, payments | Only your own number; temporary numbers are excluded |
For the cases where one code is enough, a temporary number does the job without giving out your own. If the app is also strict about one account per number, read why a number can be "already in use".
Common questions
Will WhatsApp ask for verification again?
Yes. WhatsApp sends a new code when you install it on another phone or reinstall it, and it can ask again at other times. Without the number you cannot receive that code.
Does Tinder ask for the phone number again?
It can. Tinder signs you in with your number and may send a new code when you log in on another device. Keep the number, or link another sign-in method while you still have access.
Can I keep a temporary number for when an app asks again?
No. A temporary number is for one code within ten minutes and is closed afterwards. For apps that ask again, use a number you keep.
How do I know if an app will ask again?
Check the table above or the service's page here. As a rule, apps that log you in with your number come back for it; apps that use e-mail and a password usually do not.