Changing Main Phone Number on MS Account

If Add phone number is absent, that personal Microsoft account cannot currently replace its security phone number; add a recovery email, Microsoft Authenticator, or a passkey instead.

Replace the old verification method

1. Open the Microsoft account Security page:
   https://account.microsoft.com/security
2. Select Manage how I sign in.
3. Select Add a new way to sign in or verify.
4. Add and verify one of the available methods:
   • Recovery email address
   • Microsoft Authenticator
   • Passkey
5. Confirm that the new method works before removing the old telephone number, if a Remove option is displayed.

Microsoft confirms that Add phone number may not be available for personal accounts and lists email, Authenticator, and passkeys as replacements.^1^ This is part of the phase-out of SMS authentication and account recovery for personal Microsoft accounts.^2^

If the number was used as a sign-in name

A phone number used to sign in is an account alias, which is different from a number used to receive security codes. Current account-alias guidance primarily provides steps for adding or changing an email alias.^3^

If the interface does not offer Add phone number, add an email alias instead:

1. Open Your info → Edit account info.
2. Select Add email.
3. Add an existing non-Microsoft email address or create a new Outlook.com address.
4. Verify it and, if desired, make it the primary alias.
5. Do not remove an existing alias until the replacement has been verified and tested.

If the new telephone number is already associated with another Microsoft account, it cannot simultaneously be added to this one. Where Microsoft displays Transfer, follow that prompt; if it displays only Change number, use another number. A recently reused number might not become transferable for 30 days.^4^

References

1. Microsoft account security info & verification codes | Microsoft Support
2. Microsoft to stop sending SMS codes for personal accounts | Microsoft Support
3. Change the email address for your Microsoft account | Microsoft Support
4. Help with reusing phone numbers in a Microsoft account | Microsoft Support