I no longer have access to my old phone number and am unable change it.

Question

Recently I had to get a new phone number and have tried changing it on my microsoft account. Upon attempting this it asked me to provide an alternate email to prove I was me (A bizarre request but whatever) so I gave it my girlfriends email since I only have 1 email for personal use and it directly said not to use a work or school email. Upon this it's telling me my phone number will be removed from my security information and will replace it with my girlfriends email. I am confused why it asked for a different email and how this in any way proves I am me, but just want to change my phone number to an updated one to access microsoft and honestly play minecraft.

Anytime I try to login now it tells me I have to wait 30 days despite having access to my login information and full access to the email on file. Is there any way I can have this changed or do I have to wait 30 days for a change that will only put me further into having issues with my microsoft account? Thank you.

Answer 1

You're most welcome!

If all is resolved, feel free to mark the answer for this thread. Otherwise, please let me know if there's anything else I can help you with.

I hope you have a great day!

Best regards,

Darhyl

Answer 2

Hey there! Nice to meet you!

You were asked to verify your account, possibly because the system detected unusual activity on your account. To verify your identity, you'll need to provide the code sent to one of your verification methods.

For reference, you may check this link regarding unusual activity: https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/security/what-happens-if-there-s-an-unusual-sign-in-to-your-account

Unfortunately, your only option is to wait for the 30-day restriction period to end, after which you will regain full control of your account. It is not possible to bypass or expedite this process.

I'm afraid you can't cancel the 30-day security info change request because you no longer have access to your current verification method, which is your outdated recovery phone number.

You may check this link for more information regarding security info change: https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/manage/what-does-security-info-change-is-still-pending-mean#:~:text=You%20were%20the%20person%20who%20removed%20the%20security,these%20security%20proofs%20to%20complete%20the%20cancel%20request.

Lastly, you mentioned that you wanted to change your phone number to an updated one. Microsoft has recently phased out the option to add a phone number to a Microsoft account, as stated in this article, particularly under "Notes": https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/manage/microsoft-account-security-info-verification-codes

However, you can add other verification methods, such as a recovery email address, a passkey, and Microsoft Authenticator on account.microsoft.com > Security > Manage how I Sign in > Then click on "Add another way to sign in to your account"

Thank you for your understanding. Please feel free to let me know if you need anything else.

Best regards,

Darhyl