Android automatically shares verified SIM numbers across signed-in Google accounts
Android phones have automatically verified the SIM’s number and linked it to every Google account signed in on the device since September 2025. The practice can affect work and secondary accounts as well as a person’s main account, raising questions about why the number is shared across accounts and how users manage that link.
Google says verification supports services including account recovery, RCS messaging, finding a lost device and Quick Share. The link can also apply to accounts added later and numbers from replacement SIMs; Google and mobile networks may re-verify numbers periodically, potentially incurring charges. Users can turn off automatic verification in Android’s Google settings, but must remove numbers already linked from each account separately. Disabling verification can also stop RCS chats from connecting and limit quick account recovery.
In short
- Android automatically links a phone number to every Google account on the device.
- The setting has been on by default since September 2025.
- Turning it off does not remove numbers already linked.
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The case for
Automatically verifying a SIM number can make useful services work with less effort: people may be able to recover accounts, use RCS messaging, find a lost phone and share files more easily. Applying verification to accounts on the same device, including ones added later, may also reduce repeated setup and help keep those services available when a SIM changes.
The case against
A phone number is personal information, and linking it automatically to every signed-in account can expose a connection users may not expect, particularly for work or secondary accounts. Re-verification may also incur charges, while removing existing links requires action on each account; people should have clear control over which accounts receive their number without losing unrelated services.
Explained simply
A SIM card connects a mobile phone to a mobile network and has a phone number associated with it. Android is Google’s operating system for phones, and many people sign in to more than one Google account on the same device, such as a personal and a work account.
Google accounts can use a verified phone number for features such as recovering access, messaging and finding a lost device. Linking a number to several accounts can therefore affect how those features work and which accounts are associated with the number.
Android has settings for automatic number verification, while numbers already linked may need to be removed from each Google account individually. Turning verification off can affect some services, including RCS messaging and account recovery.
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Originally published by Engadget as “Google is quietly linking your phone number to other Android accounts”.