You cannot make a Yahoo Mail account without a phone number: Yahoo's sign-up asks for a password, a date of birth and a mobile number, and it texts a code to that number before the account exists. Yahoo's help pages describe no way to skip this step. What you can decide is whether the number is your own or one you keep private.
What Yahoo asks for at sign-up
Yahoo's help centre lists five things you need to create an account. You can take a new Yahoo address or use an e-mail address you already have with another provider.
- Name
- Shown next to content you share.
- E-mail address
- A new @yahoo.com address, or select My Email to use an existing one.
- Password
- Strong and not used anywhere else.
- Mobile number
- Needed for verification and account recovery, in Yahoo's words.
- Date of birth
- Used to check the minimum age.
After you select Continue, Yahoo sends a verification code by text message. You type it into the form, and only then is the account created. Choosing My Email instead of a new address does not remove the phone step.
Yahoo at a glance
- Virtual numbers
- Depends on the number range
- Code sent by
- SMS
- Asks for the number again later
- Yes
- One number per account
- No
Verification code not arriving
- Select Resend early Yahoo recommends pressing Resend within the first five minutes, not after.
- Use a mobile number SMS codes can only go to mobile numbers. A landline never receives one.
- Check every digit A wrong country code or one swapped digit sends the code to someone else's phone.
- Check the phone itself Yahoo names a phone plan that has reached its limit as one cause. A weak signal can also delay the text.
- Still nothing? Change the number If the same number fails twice, the problem usually sits with that number, not with Yahoo's form.
Own number or one-time number?
Some people do not want their personal number tied to a new mailbox, for example a separate address for newsletters, shopping or a side project. A temporary number gets the sign-up code without revealing your own line.
| Your own number | One-time number | |
|---|---|---|
| Receives the sign-up code | Yes | Depends on the number range |
| Your personal number stays private | No | Yes |
| Works for a password reset later | Yes | No, it closes after one code |
| Works when Yahoo checks a new device | Yes | No, add another way to sign in |
Yahoo uses recovery numbers to reset passwords and to confirm sign-ins from a new place.
With a one-time number, finish the steps in the next section on the same day. If no code reaches the number after about two minutes, the app gives you another number for free.
Keeping access without your phone
Everything here lives on Yahoo's Account Security page, under Ways of signing in. In the Yahoo apps you reach it through your profile icon, then Security.
- Add a recovery e-mail Select Add email, enter an address you control and verify it. This becomes your way back in.
- Turn on 2-step verification Choose an authenticator app instead of text codes. Yahoo only offers that option once the account has at least two recovery methods.
- Tidy up the phone numbers Under Phone numbers, the trash icon removes a number you can no longer reach, once your other methods are verified.
Why an app beats SMS for the second step is explained in authenticator app vs. SMS. If you would rather skip the phone step entirely, Proton Mail offers a CAPTCHA or a code to another e-mail address instead: see Proton Mail human verification.
Common questions
Can I make a Yahoo account without a phone number?
No. Yahoo asks for a mobile number at sign-up and sends a code to it before the account is created. You can choose which mobile number you use.
Can I use a landline for Yahoo verification?
No. Yahoo says SMS codes can only be sent to mobile numbers.
Does Yahoo accept virtual numbers?
It depends on the number range. Some virtual numbers get the code, others are turned away, so pick a country with a good success rate and switch numbers if nothing arrives.
Will Yahoo ask for my phone number again?
It can. Yahoo uses your recovery details to confirm sign-ins from a new place and to reset a forgotten password, which is why a recovery e-mail or authenticator app matters.
What if I forget my password and my recovery details are wrong?
Yahoo's help centre says you will then have to create a new account. Keep at least one recovery method you can always reach.