By Alex Carter, Editor at GetVerifyCode
The "phone number already used by another account" error means the app already has an account tied to that number, and most apps allow one account per number. Fix it in order: recover the old account, change or unlink the number in its settings, contact the app's support, and use a fresh number only for a new account you'll own.
Key facts
- GetVerifyCode lists numbers in 194+ countries.
- The number is shown right after you confirm, and you can cancel early from the inbox.
- A temporary activation stays live for about 20 minutes.
- If no SMS arrives before the timeout, the hold returns to your wallet.
- Top up your wallet from $1 (a package or a custom amount). Each number is priced live per service and country, and you see the quote before you confirm.
Quick Answer
- Sign in with the number, or use "forgot password" with the phone option, to find the account it already belongs to.
- If you get in, change or remove the number in that account's settings, then retry your sign-up.
- If the number was recycled to you or you can't get in, ask the app's support to unlink it through its official help or recovery form. Updated October 23, 2026.
What does "the phone number entered is already verified" mean?
Apps word this error differently, but each version means the number is already tied to an account in that app's system:
- "This phone number is already used by another account"
- "The phone number entered is already verified"
- "This number is linked to another account"
- "Phone number already in use"
The app is protecting the existing account, not blocking you personally. That account might be an old one of yours, a family or work account, or a previous owner's account if your carrier recycled the number.
Why it happens
You signed up before
An old or forgotten account can keep your number on file for years, even if you never use it.
The number was recycled
Carriers reassign disconnected numbers to new customers. The previous owner's accounts may still list the number you have now.
Someone in your home or work used it
A family member, a shared device, or an old work account may have registered with the same number.
The number was entered in the wrong format
A missing country code or an extra leading 0 can point the app at a different number than you meant. Use the international format, such as +1 for the US or +44 for the UK, with no leading 0.
How to fix it
- Try to sign in with the number, or tap "forgot password" and pick the phone option to find the account it belongs to.
- If you get in, open the account's profile or security settings and change or remove the number. Save, then retry your sign-up.
- If it's an old account of yours that you no longer need, move anything you want to keep, then close it from its settings.
- If the number was recycled to you, or you can't access the account, contact the app's support through its official help or recovery form and ask them to unlink the number.
- Check the format: include the country code and drop any leading 0.
- If you're opening a new account that should have its own number, verify it with a different number you control. For an account you'll keep long term, use a number you'll always have, like your own SIM or a rental.
When a fresh temporary number helps
A temporary number suits a new, legitimate sign-up where you want to keep your personal number private, such as testing your own app, a short trip, or a one-time sign-up. It won't recover the account that already holds your number, and it isn't a way around an app's account rules.
How to get one on GetVerifyCode:
- Sign up at GetVerifyCode.
- Top up your wallet. See pricing for packages and custom amounts.
- Pick the app and the country, check the live quote, and confirm.
- The number appears right away. Enter it in the app and request the code.
- Read the code in your GetVerifyCode inbox. If no SMS arrives in about 20 minutes, the unused credit returns to your wallet.
See how GetVerifyCode works for the full flow.
Top up your wallet from $1. Each number is priced live per service and country, and you see the quote before you confirm. If no SMS arrives in about 20 minutes, the unused credit returns to your wallet.
Some apps reject virtual numbers. Acceptance is decided by the app, not by us.
Recover, change, or use a new number? Compared
- Recover the old account: private (your own number) / works when you can prove it's yours / free / best when your old account still holds the number.
- Your own SIM or second line: not private (it's your real number) / works for most apps / plan cost / best for banking, main email and accounts you'll keep.
- Number rental: private / each app decides / rental price / best when you need the same number for days.
- GetVerifyCode temporary number: private / often works, each app decides / live price per service / best for a one-time sign-up code.
For accounts you'll keep long term, such as banking or email recovery, use a number you'll always own. Temporary numbers expire, so you couldn't receive future recovery codes. More in account recovery while traveling.
Related problems
- Didn't get the verification code?
- This phone number can't be used for verification
- Telegram phone number rejected
- What is a verification code?
- How to get a new phone number without losing access
Is it legal to use a different number?
Using a temporary number to protect your privacy, travel, or test your own app is generally lawful in many places, but laws differ by country and each app sets its own terms. Check both. Never use it for fraud, impersonation, or getting around a ban. See are temporary phone numbers legal and our acceptable use policy.
Related guides
- Temporary US number
- Temporary UK number
- Temporary Canada number
- Temporary Germany number
- Foreign number for WhatsApp verification
- Microsoft and Outlook verification number
- Second phone number options
- Pay-per-SMS vs monthly subscriptions
Need a number for a new, legitimate sign-up? Get a number on GetVerifyCode and see the live price before you confirm.
About the author: Alex Carter is the editor at GetVerifyCode. Alex tests SMS verification routes across services and countries and writes plain-language guides on receiving OTP codes safely.
GetVerifyCode is not affiliated with the apps named in this article. Follow each app's terms and local law.
Live prices and routes: Get a temporary number
FAQ
FAQ
Try to sign in or reset the password with that number to find the existing account. If you get in, change or remove the number in its settings and retry. If you can't, contact the app's support and ask them to unlink it.
It means the number is already confirmed on an account in that app. It's the same problem as "already used by another account", and the same fixes apply.
Use the app's sign-in or "forgot password" option with the phone number, then follow its recovery steps. If that fails, use the app's official recovery form or support page.
Contact the app's support, explain that the number is now yours, and ask them to remove it from the old account. Many apps have a recovery or unlink request for this.
For a lawful new sign-up, such as privacy, travel or testing, often yes, but some apps reject virtual numbers and each app's terms apply. Don't use one for an account you'll need to recover later.
Usually only the app can do that. Contact its support through the official help page, and be ready to show the number is yours, for example by receiving a code on it.
