This Phone Number Cannot be Used for Verification: Common Reasons & Alternative Solutions

A few days ago, while trying to create a Google account, I encountered a problem😕 that said, “This phone number cannot be used for verification”.

I’m sure many of us have faced the same problem that I have encountered.

So, what do you think🤔 the problem is? Let’s find out in this article.

This Phone Number Cannot Be Used for Verification: What Does It Mean?

This phone number cannot be used for verification❌ means that your entered phone number can’t be used to complete the signup process. 

It happens when someone might have already used that phone number to create an account, that phone has been used multiple times for verification, that phone number is invalid or not currently used, or that phone number is blocked.  

Let’s take an example to be clear about this:

Alex wants to create a Google account. He enters all the necessary personal information like full name, age, date of birth, and gender and also enters his phone number. But he receives an error message😐 stating,” This phone number cannot be used for verification.” from Google.

The reason May Be: His sister had already used his number to complete the verification step during the setup process.

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5 Common Reasons Why Your Phone Number Can Not Be Used for Verification

There are several reasons why your phone number isn’t verified during the phone number verification step. Some common reasons are:

1. Invalid Phone Number Format

Verification errors occur when the entered phone number is not in the correct format.  For example, mistake country codes, unnecessary spaces or hyphens in the phone number, letters instead of numbers, incorrect🚫 digits in the phone number, etc.

Suggestions:

• Double-check the country code: Ensure you have entered the correct country code. For example, the country code of the United Kingdom is +44.
• Remove unnecessary characters: Avoid using spaces, hyphens, or special characters within the phone number.
• Check the length: Ensure your phone number has the correct number of digits according to your country’s phone number format. For example, Canada’s phone number consists of 10 digits after the country code, like, +14378000727

2. Phone Number Already Associated With Another Account

Many social networking sites don’t allow creating two or more accounts using one phone number. Thus, a phone number verification error can occur when you enter a phone number already associated with another account on the same platform. 

Suggestions:

• Account recovery: Regain access if you receive a message that says you have already opened a new account with that phone number. Try to log in or reset the password if you forgot the password.
• Use a different number: You should use another phone number you haven’t used before for verification to create a new account on the social media platform.

3. Phone Number From Unsupported Country/Region

There are some platforms that have limited geographical coverage🗺 and don’t enable users from certain countries or regions to join the platform using the phone number belonging to that area. 

For example: gcash only allows registering from the Philippines number.

In such cases, verification errors occur when you enter the phone number to join the platform from an unsupported country or region. 

Suggestions:

• Check the platform’s supported countries: Visit the platform website and check which country’s phone number it accepts for verification. Carefully check the list and determine if it supports mobile numbers from your country.
• Use a virtual phone number: If the platform doesn’t support numbers from your country, you can use cloud-based virtual phone numbers to verify your identity. Choose a reliable virtual number provider and purchase virtual numbers from them.
• Look for alternatives: Some platforms offer email verification as an alternative instead of using a phone number. Check whether the platform has this facility.

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4. Temporary Network or Connectivity Issues

Verification codes are mostly sent via SMS or phone to the provided number. But, network connectivity issues or slow network connections can lead to errors in the delivery of verification codes. 

Hence, if you face trouble verifying your phone number, know it can be because of temporary network or connectivity issues. 

Suggestions:

• Check signal strength: Make sure you have a good and stable mobile network or WiFi connection.
• Retry verification: Request to send a new verification code after having a strong network connection.
• Request a call instead: If you don’t receive the code via SMS, choose to make a phone call for the verification code.

5. Additional Reasons for Verification Errors

• Typos in the phone number: After entering the phone number, always double-check✅ the entered number. It ensures you have given the correct number during the verification process.
• The phone number is out of service: The verification code is sent via SMS to the provided number, and if the number is out of service or unavailable, it won’t receive text messages which negatively affects the verification process.
• The phone number is blocked or blacklisted:  An error also occurs in the verification process if you provide the phone number that is blocked or blacklisted.

How to fix this phone number cannot be used for verification in Gmail?

To fix the issue of ‘this phone number cannot be used for verification,’ first, check if you have used the same number you’re trying to verify in another Google account. If so, you need to delete that number from your previous account and then you can use it to create a new google account. It’s as simple as that. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Account and backups > Manage accounts.
2. Choose your Google account.
3. Click on “Personal info” > “Contact Info” > “Phone.”
4. Select the phone number you want to delete.
5. Tap “Delete” and follow the prompts to confirm, entering your passkey if required.
6. The phone number will be removed from your Google account.

After deleting the number from your other account, you can now use it to create a new Google account.

Alternative Ways to Verify Identity Without Your Phone Number

If you are not able to verify with your phone number then there are other alternative methods available to verify an account instead of using a mobile number. Those alternative methods are as follows:

1. Email verification

Email verification is a simple and effective way to verify the user’s identity using a valid email address or Gmail account during the account verification process. While using email verification, users are required to enter the user’s email address.

Then the platform sends📩 an activation link or a code to the provided email address. Users must click the activation link or enter the code to confirm their email by logging in to their Gmail account. After successful verification, users can join the platform and fully utilize the offered service.

The advantages of employing email verification are:

• Email verification is a straightforward process, and many users are familiar with the email verification process,
• Almost everyone has an email address, making it a convenient option for user verification.
• Email verification does not require access to personal information beyond the email address itself.

2. Two-factor authentication (2FA) Apps

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is another alternative to verify the user’s identity during the account verification process. In this method, a one-time password (OTP) code is sent to the user’s phone, and users must enter that code in the phone verification field on the website🌐 or app. 

Currently, there are many 2FA apps available such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Two-factor Authenticator, Authy, etc. 

The advantages of using 2FA apps include the following:

• 2FA apps are easy to use and secure.
• It provides an extra layer of security by avoiding unauthorized access and only letting access to the account after entering the correct OTP code.

3. Social Media Account Verification

You can also use your existing social media accounts, like Facebook, to complete the verification process on certain platforms.  Users verify their accounts by linking their social media profiles with the preferred website or app in this method. By doing so, users grant access to certain information from their social media profiles.

The advantages of using social media account verification include the following:

• It is easier to create an account using existing social media apps.
• It indicates that the user is a real person as it provides some level of social proof.

4. Virtual Phone Number

You can also use a virtual phone number to receive SMS verification codes and verify your account. You must buy a number from a reliable service provider to use a virtual number for account verification. 

There are many virtual number providers in the market that offer various types of virtual phone numbers. Among them, KrispCall is the best, providing a virtual number of more than 100 countries.

Pros✅ of using a virtual phone number for verifying accounts:

• Users from unsupported countries can use a virtual number to verify accounts by buying a virtual number of supported countries from a service provider.
• As an added benefit, virtual numbers have several call management features like call recording, call monitoring, call queuing, call routing, and many more.

Cons❎ of using a virtual phone number for verifying accounts:

• You have to spend extra money on buying a virtual number.
• It operates through an internet connection.

5. Use a Temporary Number

Users mainly use temporary numbers to receive activation codes. Several websites offer temporary numbers for free, such as Quackr, Temp Number, GetFreeSMSOnline, etc.

Pros✅ of using a temporary number for verifying accounts:

• Helpful to receive sms that contains an activation code.
• It is free and quick.

Cons❎ of using a temporary number for verifying accounts:

• It lasts for a limited time lasting a week, a day, or a month.
• You can’t use the same temporary number to reverify your account after a specific period.
• Not all platforms support temporary numbers.

Conclusion

To protect people from abuse, Google has limited⛔ the number of accounts each phone number can create. Therefore, whenever you encounter the problem with the message ‘this phone number cannot be used for verification,’ it may be due to the fact that you have used the number too many times or that the number you have may be recycled♻️ one.

Hence, if you want to create a new google account with same number then you have to first delete that number from your previous account that you no longer need. Otherwise, you can use a different phone number to create the account.

If you are someone who hesitate to provide the private numbers to sign up on websites or apps for several security🔒 reasons. In that case, you can choose another alternative method mentioned above for account verification. This way, you can continue with the account creation process securely.

Arun Chaudhary

Arun is SEO Analyst at KrispCall. He has written in extensively in the field of cloud telephony and call center solutions.