Google has quietly implemented a default setting since September 2025 that automatically links the SIM card phone number of an Android device to all Google accounts registered on the same device, including personal, work, and secondary accounts, as well as any new accounts added later.
Technical support documents and update logs for Google Play services indicated that the automatic verification system operates immediately upon device setup. Although many users only recently noticed this change after receiving automated emails stating their numbers were verified, this feature has been enabled by default for over a year.
What does the automatic linking feature offer?
According to Google's clarifications, automatic number verification aims to enable multiple features such as account recovery, RCS messaging, emergency location services, Quick Share, and enhanced content sharing features like photos and videos via the linked number.
Google also launched the "Mobile Number Sign-in" tool in October 2025, which allows users to automatically recognize Google accounts associated with a phone number and log in using the previous device's screen lock code. Help pages also point to the "Enhanced Ads and Google Services" setting, which utilizes the phone number to display more relevant ads to the user.
How to disable automatic verification and remove numbers
Users wishing to disable this feature can go to phone settings via the path (Settings > Google > All Services), then navigate to the (Privacy & Security) section and select (Phone Number Verification) to disable the automatic verification option.
It is worth noting that disabling this feature does not undo the linking that was previously done; instead, it requires users to manually remove the number day by day from each account individually by navigating to the personal account settings and then the phone section.
Implications and technical consequences for users
Experts and security companies such as Kaspersky warn that disabling automatic verification may lead to the loss of Rich Communication Services (RCS) chats in the Google Messages app and revert conversations to traditional SMS messages, given that RCS relies on phone number verification. Disabling it also affects the ability to use the number for quick account recovery.
In contrast, Google affirms that it does not sell personal data, including phone numbers, to any party. Last May, the company tested a new policy in selected regions granting new accounts only 5 gigabytes of free storage unless a phone number is linked, down from the usual 15 gigabytes.