{
  "id": 14443040,
  "title": "PSA: Google is silently linking your phone number across all signed-in accounts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/psa-google-is-silently-linking-your-phone-number-across-all-signed-in",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-14T11:44:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Android Authority",
    "slug": "android-authority",
    "url": "https://www.androidauthority.com/google-auto-phone-number-verification-android-3723117/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Google is quietly linking users' phone numbers across all signed-in accounts, without their knowledge or consent. The company updated its documentation between August and October 2025 to reflect this automatic behavior, which affects phone numbers attached to secondary, work, and alternate profiles. Users can disable the \"Verify phone numbers automatically\" option in their Android device's Google settings, but must manually remove previously linked numbers from each account's Personal Info page.\n\nThis feature, known as \"Phone number verification,\" is causing concern among Android users who are only now discovering that their phone numbers are being automatically verified and associated with every Google account on their device. Confirmed emails from \"noreply-phone-verification@google.com\" notify users that their phone numbers have been verified, despite no prompt or consent being sought. The issue stems from Google's deep integration with various Google services, seamlessly connecting users' phone numbers across multiple accounts, including secondary profiles, work accounts, and temporary handles.",
  "summary": "Android’s phone number verification setting is opt-out, and links your number across every Google account on your device.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}