Managing personal Outlook.com account settings, security, and privacy
For a personal Microsoft account, phone numbers can no longer be added as a new security method for sign-in verification. That is why the option may be missing and only Add email appears.
What can still be done:
- Go to Security at https://account.microsoft.com/security.
- Select Manage how I sign in.
- Select Add a new way to sign in or verify.
- Add one of the supported methods:
- an email address
- Microsoft Authenticator
- a passkey
If the goal is to add a phone number as an account alias for sign-in, Microsoft’s account alias pages still describe using Edit account info to choose Add phone number when that option is available. They also note that VOIP numbers cannot be added.
If Add phone number does not appear on Edit account info, the supported fallback in current Microsoft account security guidance is to use email, Authenticator, or a passkey instead.
References: