I keep getting messages to add my phone #. I have a land line, will that work?

Question

I keep getting messages to add my phone #. I have a land line, will that work? Or do I need a cell phone?

Answer 1

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

May I please know where exactly you are being asked to add a phone number? Is it when redeeming rewards, when signing in with your Microsoft account, or when performing any other action?

However, I would like to inform you that adding a landline phone number will not work. When adding a phone number, Microsoft sends a verification code via SMS, and you must enter that code to add your phone number successfully.

Another important note - Please sign in with your Microsoft account using the following link:

Ensure that you have at least three verification methods set up, such as a recovery phone number, email address, or authenticator app, to verify your identity. This way, even if one method fails, you can sign in using another method.

https://account.live.com/proofs/Manage

This may be very helpful if you try to reset your password in the future or make any changes to your account's security settings.

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Answer 2

A landline will not work in this case.

For Microsoft consumer services that ask to add a phone number (for sign-in, recovery, or verification), a mobile phone number that can receive SMS text messages is required. Landlines, most VoIP numbers, toll-free, and similar numbers are not supported for registration/verification.

So a mobile/cell phone capable of receiving SMS is needed.

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References:

• How do I register my phone number on GroupMe?
• Adding your phone number to a Microsoft account in Microsoft Teams Free