How to change and add a phone number to your MS account.

Question

How to change and add a phone number to your MS account.

David Ledbetter 0

I've deleted my old phone number which is nonoperational and was linked to my MS account. However, I've not discovered how to add my current phone number to my account.

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

For a personal Microsoft account, adding a new phone number as a new sign-in verification method may no longer be available. On the Security page, the available options can be limited to a recovery email address, Microsoft Authenticator, or a passkey.

To check what can be added:

Sign in to your Microsoft account Security tab at https://account.microsoft.com/security.
Select Manage how I sign in.
Select Add a new way to sign in or verify.
If Phone is available, add the new number and complete the verification code prompt.
If Phone is not available, use one of the available methods instead, such as a recovery email address, Microsoft Authenticator, or a passkey.

If the goal is to use a phone number as a sign-in alias, only one mobile number can be used as a sign-in alias for a Microsoft account.

If a message appears saying the number is already associated with another Microsoft account:

If both accounts are owned, sign in to the account that currently has the number, remove it there, sign out, then sign in to the target account and add the number.
If Transfer is shown, use Transfer number and follow the prompts.
If Transfer is not shown, the number was recently used on another account. Use Change number and try a different number, or try again after 30 days.

References:

Answer 2

Hi

Was the old number used to receive security codes, or did you use it instead of your email address to sign in?

If it was for security codes, open https://account.microsoft.com/security, then select “Manage how I sign in” > “Add a new way to sign in or verify.”

If a phone option appears, select it and verify your new number. If it’s missing, add an email address you can access or Microsoft Authenticator instead. Microsoft is phasing out SMS verification, so adding a replacement number may no longer be available for your account.

Microsoft explains this here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accounts-billing/manage/microsoft-account-security-info-verification-codes.