Google automatically links SIM number to all accounts on Android — Engadget
By default, Google automatically verifies the SIM card number on Android and adds it to all Google accounts signed in on the device. This applies, in particular, to work and additional accounts. As Engadget reports, automatic number verification during device setup has been in effect since September 2025.
New accounts and SIM cards
Google’s documentation states that the linking applies to both existing and future accounts and phone numbers. If another Google account is added to a phone, the number already used by the device will be attached to it. Replacing the SIM card will also result in the new number being added to all Google accounts that the user is signed in to on the phone.
Google and the mobile operator may periodically reverify numbers, and such checks may involve charges for operator services. The setting can only be managed directly from the phone. Some users learned that their numbers had been linked after receiving emails from [email protected].
What the number is used for
Google explains the number verification as support for account recovery and RCS messaging. However, the company did not explain why the number needs to be added to every account on the device. A verified number is also required for signing in with a phone number, finding a lost device, emergency location services, and Quick Share.
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In October 2025, Google introduced the Sign in with Mobile Number feature for restoring access to Google accounts. It identifies accounts associated with the number and allows the owner to restore access using the screen unlock code from a previous device. The company’s help page also describes the Better ads & Google services setting, which uses the phone number in Google services to show more relevant advertising.
How to disable automatic verification
To disable the feature, open “Settings” on Android, go to the Google section, select “All services,” then “Privacy & security,” “Phone number verification,” and turn off the automatic verification option. On some models, the Google section may be called “Google Services & preferences.”
Disabling it does not remove numbers that are already linked to accounts: they must be deleted manually in each account’s settings under “Personal info” — “Phone.” According to Kaspersky, after verification is disabled, RCS chats in Google Messages may stop working, and the number will no longer be available for quick account access recovery.
