Facebook makes the phone number the default for new accounts created in the mobile app and asks for it again at "confirm your identity" checkpoints. The two most common situations: the sign-up screen will not move on without a number, or the account gets locked "for security reasons" with "Verify your phone number to continue". A one-time virtual number solves both without handing Facebook your personal line: you receive the number, read the code in your dashboard and open or recover the account. The same path works for a second account, a separate profile for page management or recovering an old account.
Know this first
Facebook links one phone number to a limited number of accounts and rejects a number used on many accounts with "This number is already in use". Since a virtual number is single-use, that limit does not concern you, but the number returns to the pool after the code arrives; take a new one for a second account. Facebook usually refuses internet-based (VoIP) numbers with "We can't verify this number"; a real carrier line is required. Facebook and Instagram can share one Meta Accounts Center, but you do not have to tie both to the same number; the Instagram side is covered in the Instagram guide. A number is not required for two-factor authentication: Facebook supports authenticator apps.
Step by step: creating a Facebook account with a virtual number
- Open Get a number and choose Facebook as the service.
- Pick a country that matches the IP you connect from; Facebook asks for extra checks when they disagree.
- On the Facebook sign-up screen, select the country code in the "Mobile number" field and type the number from your dashboard.
- The code usually appears in the dashboard within 5–30 seconds; enter it in Facebook.
- As soon as the account is open, go to Settings → Accounts Center → Personal details → Contact info, add an email and verify it.
- After a few days of normal use, remove the number on the same screen or replace it with your own, and set up two-factor authentication with an authenticator app.
The number stays active for about 15 minutes. If no code arrives, the charge is refunded automatically; the rule is on the refund policy page.
Account locked: how to pass the "confirm your identity" screen
On the lock screen Facebook first wants to send a code to the number stored on the account. If none is stored, or a "Try another way" option appears, you enter a new number and the lock lifts as soon as the code is accepted. If an old number you can no longer reach is stored, the options narrow, which is why you should not leave an unreachable number on the account. Some checkpoints ask for a photo or an ID instead of a phone; a virtual number does not pass that step, you have to provide what Facebook asks for. Locks are usually triggered by behavior: mass friend requests from a new account, posting the same thing to many groups in a row, relisting the same Marketplace item again and again. Use the account calmly for a few days after unlocking; if the same behavior continues, Facebook disables the account and phone verification no longer helps.
Which country suits Facebook?
| Country | Price | Facebook compatibility | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | High | High | Facebook's home market; wide stock, high price |
| United Kingdom | High | High | Solid for European IPs |
| Netherlands | Medium | High | Budget-friendly European option |
| Indonesia | Low | Medium-high | Cheapest option; extra checks on IP mismatch |
| Philippines | Low | Medium | Cheap; some ranges are rejected |
| Türkiye | Medium | High | Smoothest with a Turkish IP |
Facebook compares the number's country with your IP and may raise a checkpoint on a mismatch. The general logic is in the country selection guide.
When the Facebook verification code does not arrive
- The number was used on Facebook before. "This number is already in use" or silence. Cancel and take a new number.
- Too many attempts. After a few codes in a short time Facebook says "Please try again later" and the wait can stretch to hours. Waiting fixes it, a new number does not.
- Web instead of app. Verification that stalls in the app sometimes passes in the browser (m.facebook.com), and the other way round. Clear cookies and try the other one.
- The number is VoIP class. Facebook wants a real carrier line; the difference is explained in what is a non-VoIP virtual number.
General causes are covered in SMS verification code not received.
Ban risk and safe use
Facebook watches new accounts closely during the first weeks. What gets an account disabled is behavior, not the number: hundreds of friend requests from an empty profile, link spam in groups, many accounts opened on the same device in a row, automation tools. Fill in the profile (photo, name, a few posts), send friend requests slowly, and use tools like Marketplace and ads once the account is a few weeks old. An account verified with a virtual number is judged no differently from one opened with your own number as long as it is used normally. The general risk assessment is in will an account created with a virtual number get banned.
Frequently asked questions
Can I join Facebook without a phone number? On the web, sign-up starts with an email; in the mobile app the "Sign up with email" link is small but there. Facebook still asks most new accounts for a phone within the first days; that is the moment to use a virtual number.
Will the account lock if I remove the number? Removing it is not a lock reason by itself. A verified email plus an authenticator app is enough for recovery; remove the number a few days after unlocking, not immediately.
Can I open both Facebook and Instagram with the same number? No. The number is single-use; take a new number for each account. Instagram has its own guide.
Is a virtual number enough for a Facebook page or Marketplace? It is enough for opening and verifying the account. Marketplace may stay closed for a while on new accounts, and an ad account may ask for identity or payment verification; neither is related to the number.
Keep reading
Other services: Instagram, Twitter (X), TikTok, Discord, Telegram. Basics in what is SMS verification; why free numbers fail in free SMS receive sites. Stuck? Write to support.
