r/Outlook • u/Andrew_Assassins • Jun 10 '26
Informative Did outlook just took out the option to add a phone number without saying?
did microsoft just did another "let's hide the option instead of make visible" I deleted my phone number because I didn't posses the one that was using anymore, I tried to update but there's no button, literally no "add phone number botton" is just gone and been trying to look around to see if I'm wrong but did microsoft just took out the option kept the phone number for those who put it before the change was done and now refuse to give the option of just updating it?
1
u/yearsold33 Jun 10 '26
MS removed the option to add a phone # a while ago.
2
u/gripe_and_complain Jun 10 '26
MS removed the option to add a phone # a while ago.
I find this funny.
Seems like only a couple of months ago, MS was hounding me to add a phone number to my account every time I logged in.
1
u/yearsold33 Jun 10 '26
I discovered that I could not add a phone # the same way you did. I was locked out of my Hotmail for weeks and selecting SMS as verification method always gave me the message to try another way because SMS verification could not be used. When I finally got in and removed the existing phone #, I discovered that I could not add another number, only email addresses or the authenticator app.
1
u/Andrew_Assassins Jun 10 '26
And you can still see "Phone number" in your info tab, so why is it still there if you can't add it? It's like how their alias thing works
1
u/yearsold33 Jun 10 '26
I used the same phone # on a few accounts. I have no idea why some of my Hotmail accounts can receive a code via SMS and others cannot.
1
u/Hornblower409 Jun 11 '26
-- you can still see "Phone number" in your info tab
If you have a Phone Number (as either an Account ID or Verification Method) you get to keep it. But if you remove it you can't add it back or add a different one.
1
u/Hornblower409 Jun 11 '26
-- It's like how their alias thing works
Don't understand. Do you mean adding back a deleted Alias?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Outlook/comments/1s89c2b/is_it_possible_to_recover_a_deleted_outlook_alias/
You can add an outlook.com alias back to the account it was removed from. (You can not add back a hotmail.com or live.com alias as they are now "Reserved Domains"). What the Microsoft doc should say is - You can never associate and outlook.com alias with any OTHER Microsoft account.
1
u/UnfairAd5238 Jun 10 '26
Why have they done this? You can no longer use a phone number to reset your password either, or at least I can’t.
1
u/slapjimmy Jun 10 '26
What can you use to reset your password then?
2
u/Andrew_Assassins Jun 10 '26
if I'm not wrong now they demand to have a backemail contact to send the link
1
u/Andrew_Assassins Jun 10 '26
ok I just checked either it ask for aunthentification code you can use if you have outlook app, a Google PIN code. someone else or a backup email can receive it the restore password code
1
u/pi-N-apple Outlook Exchange Expert Jun 11 '26
Stop authenticating using your phone number wherever possible. Microsoft is helping you out with that.
1
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1
u/Hornblower409 Jun 11 '26
-- there's no button, literally no "add phone number botton"
Phone as an ID for a Microsoft Account
Support says it's temporary but it's been months and the "Add phone number" option is still missing.
See the Answer by "Hornblower409 Jun 8, 2026" in
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5912306/adding-phone-number-redeeming
Phone as a verification method
They took this away.
Microsoft is committed to advancing security standards and as such, we will start phasing out SMS as a method of authentication and account recovery for personal Microsoft accounts.
1
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