Which apps require a phone number? Verification requirements for 52 apps

What the index shows at a glance

How to read each column

• Phone at sign-up: required = you cannot create the account without a phone; sometimes = asked in specific situations (risk checks, seller accounts, API keys); optional = offered but not needed; not required = never asked.
• Code: Format of the SMS code the app sends. 'varies' means the app did not publish it or it changes by flow.
• Channels: How the app can deliver or run the verification: SMS, voice call, WhatsApp, email or in-app (notification, missed call, QR).
• VoIP policy: rejects = the app states it refuses VoIP/virtual numbers; may reject = some numbers are refused depending on carrier or risk; accepts = no restriction found.
• Accounts per number: How many accounts one phone number can verify, when the app publishes it.
• Re-verification: How often the app asks for the same number again later (new device, recovery, 2FA): rarely, sometimes or often. 'often' means a temporary number is a poor long-term choice.
• Confidence: verified = official help center or terms; reported = consistent secondary sources; unverified = inferred from observed behavior.

Methodology and confidence levels

Each row starts from the app's official help center, terms or support documentation. When the official source answers a question (for example, how many accounts a number can verify), the row is marked verified. When only consistent secondary sources exist (support forums, reputable tech press, repeated user reports), the row is marked reported. When a value is inferred from how the flow behaves and no source states it, it is marked unverified.

Fields follow one question each: is a phone needed to create the account, what code arrives, which channels the app uses, how it treats VoIP or virtual numbers, how many accounts a number can verify, and how often the app asks for the same number again. Where an app does not publish a value, the row says so instead of guessing.

The index is reviewed at least once a quarter and updated sooner when an app changes its sign-up flow or a reader sends a correction with a source. Every row carries its own check date. Corrections: [email protected], with the app, the field and the source.

This index describes app behavior; it is not a promise that any specific number will be accepted. TempSMSVerify charges only when a code arrives, so a refused number costs nothing.

How to use this with a temporary number

Pick the app, check whether it rejects VoIP numbers and how many accounts a number can verify, then choose a country with live stock in the catalog. If an app rejects the number or the code never arrives, you are not charged: the held amount returns to your balance automatically. Keep in mind that temporary numbers are for verification, not for long-term account recovery; add an authenticator app or backup codes after you sign in.

Download and cite the data

The full dataset is available as JSON at https://tempsmsverify.com/sms-verification-requirements/data.json and is updated at least quarterly. You may reuse it with attribution to TempSMSVerify and a link to this page. Corrections are welcome at [email protected]: tell us the app, the field and the source.