Google Says “This Phone Number Has Already Been Used Too Many Times”

Google asks for a phone number when you create an account and sometimes when it wants extra assurance during sign-in or for certain features. To slow down spam and fake accounts, Google limits how many times one number can be used for verification. If you've used your number for several accounts over the years, or you're trying a number someone else used heavily, you'll eventually see the “used too many times” error. This guide explains what's behind the message, what you can and can't do about it, and how to get your own account set up cleanly.

What does the error mean?

The message means Google has already seen that number verify more accounts than it allows. Google doesn't publish the exact limit, and it can vary with risk signals, so you can't reliably count your way around it. It isn't a judgment on you or a ban on the account you're creating; it's a rule attached to the number.

The same number can still work as a recovery phone on accounts it's already linked to. The error only stops it from being used for another new verification.

You'll usually see the message right after you type the number on the Verify your phone number screen, before any code is sent. That detail matters for troubleshooting: if Google shows this error, no SMS is on its way, so there's nothing to wait for and requesting again won't change the result. If instead the code simply doesn't arrive with no error, you're dealing with a delivery problem, which is a different issue covered in our guide to codes that never arrive.

Why does it happen to people who did nothing wrong?

Families often share one number across several accounts for children, work and old email addresses. Recycled numbers are another cause: carriers reassign numbers, and the previous owner may have verified many accounts with it. Shared business lines and numbers used by public SMS inbox sites hit the limit quickly too.

If you used a free public SMS website, the number has almost certainly been used by hundreds of people, which is one reason those numbers almost never work for Google.

• Several family or work accounts verified with one number.
• A recycled number that the previous owner used heavily.
• Free public SMS inbox numbers shared by many people.
• VoIP numbers that Google treats with extra caution.

Does removing the number from old accounts help?

Sometimes people remove the number from accounts they no longer use and try again. It may help in some cases, but there's no guarantee, because Google may count past verifications rather than only current links. It's worth trying if you have old accounts you want to clean up anyway, but don't delete accounts with data you need just to free a number.

Waiting is similarly unreliable. Some people report success after a long time; many don't. If you need to finish sign-up now, a different number is the dependable option.

What are your options?

First, check whether the phone step is optional. Google's sign-up flow has, at various times and on various devices, let people skip adding a phone number. If you see a Skip option, you can use it and add security later.

If a number is required, use another number you control: a second SIM, a family member's phone with permission, or a private temporary number. A Noir SMS number is a carrier mobile number reserved for you for 20 minutes, so it's not a shared public inbox. Pick Google as the service, enter the number and the code appears in your dashboard. If Google rejects the number or no code arrives, cancel after two minutes for an instant refund or wait for the automatic refund.

How do you secure the account afterward?

A number used only to get past sign-up shouldn't be your long-term recovery phone, especially a temporary one that will be recycled. Once you're in, add a recovery email you control, set up 2-Step Verification with an authenticator app or a passkey, and save backup codes. If you want SMS recovery, add a number you'll keep for years.

Use another number only to create your own legitimate account. Creating accounts in bulk or evading Google's limits for spam is against Google's terms and against Noir SMS's acceptable use policy.