Change the Phone Number on Your Apple ID

You can change the phone number on your Apple ID from Sign-In & Security on a trusted Apple device or through {site}. Add and verify the new number before removing the old one so you do not lose your way to receive security codes.

Apple now calls an Apple ID an Apple Account, but your existing sign-in details still work. A trusted phone number is a number Apple can use to confirm your identity by text message or automated call.

Where do you change the phone number on an Apple ID?

On an iPhone or iPad, the setting is under Settings, your name, Sign-In & Security, and Two-Factor Authentication. On a Mac, open System Settings, click your name, and choose Sign-In & Security, then Two-Factor Authentication.

You can also sign in through {site}. Open Sign-In and Security, choose Account Security, and find Trusted Phone Numbers. If your phone number is also the primary phone number used to sign in, select Apple Account under Sign-In and Security instead.

These are different settings: a primary phone number identifies certain Apple Accounts, while a trusted phone number receives two-factor authentication codes. Check both areas if the old number appears in both roles.

How do you change the phone number on an Apple ID?

To change an Apple ID phone number safely on an iPhone or iPad:

1. Open Settings and tap your name.
2. Tap Sign-In & Security, then Two-Factor Authentication.
3. Tap Add a Trusted Phone Number below the existing numbers and devices.
4. Enter the new number and choose text message or automated call.
5. Enter the verification code Apple sends to the new number.
6. After the new number appears as trusted, select the old number and remove it.

On a Mac, follow the same sequence in System Settings: your name, Sign-In & Security, Two-Factor Authentication, then Add a Trusted Phone Number.

If the number is your primary Apple Account sign-in number, open Sign-In & Security and select the primary number. Choose to remove it or turn off Primary Phone Number, select another number or add a new one, and complete the onscreen verification steps.

How does Apple verify the new phone number?

Apple normally sends a verification code by SMS or delivers it in an automated call, depending on the option you select. Enter that code on the device or account page where you started the change.

If the verification code never arrives:

• Confirm that the country code and full phone number are correct.
• Make sure the new line can receive ordinary texts or calls and has a cellular signal.
• Select the option to send another code or choose a phone call instead.
• Check whether the phone blocks unknown callers or filters unfamiliar text messages.
• Wait briefly before requesting another code repeatedly.

A number already associated with the Apple Account in another supported role may not require a separate verification step.

How do you change an Apple ID phone number if you cannot sign in?

If the old number is the only place that can receive a sign-in code, first look for a trusted device that is already signed in. A trusted device is an Apple device on which two-factor authentication has already confirmed the account. You may be able to approve the sign-in or obtain a code there without using the old number.

At the verification screen, select the option saying that you did not receive a code or cannot use the listed number. Follow the prompts for other available trusted numbers or devices.

If no trusted method works, begin Apple Account recovery from the sign-in screen. Account recovery is Apple’s identity-checking process for regaining access when normal verification methods are unavailable. Follow every onscreen instruction and avoid restarting the request, because a new request can affect the recovery already in progress.

What can you do if the old phone number is no longer reachable?

A disconnected old number does not automatically prevent a change if you still have an Apple device already signed in. Use that trusted device to add and verify the replacement number, then remove the disconnected one.

If another trusted number is listed, request the code there. If neither a trusted device nor another trusted number is available, use the account-recovery option presented during sign-in. Do not ask the new holder of a reassigned number to forward a code, and never give anyone your password, device passcode, recovery key, or verification code.

What should you check after changing an Apple ID phone number?

After changing the phone number for an Apple ID, return to Sign-In & Security and confirm that the new number is shown in the correct place. Check the Trusted Phone Numbers list and, if the account uses a phone number for sign-in, confirm which number is marked as primary.

• Remove the old number only after the replacement has been verified.
• Review the trusted-device list and remove devices you no longer own or control.
• Confirm that at least one trusted number remains available for two-factor authentication.
• Sign in on a device or browser and confirm that the new number can receive a code.
• Add another trusted number you control if you want a backup verification method.

How do you know the Apple ID phone-number change worked?

The change took effect when the new number appears under Sign-In & Security and can receive a verification code. If the old number still appears, determine whether it remains listed separately as a trusted number, a primary sign-in number, or another reachable number on the account.

Do not assume that changing the SIM card or the number assigned by your carrier updates the Apple Account. Apple Account security information must be changed separately in account settings.

When should you contact Apple Support about an Apple ID phone number?

Contact Apple Support when account settings reject a number you control, the account is locked or disabled, recovery instructions cannot be completed, or an unfamiliar person changed the security details. Support may explain the available process, but it cannot bypass identity checks or guarantee that access will be restored.

Before contacting support, have the Apple Account email address or sign-in number, the new reachable number, and a trusted Apple device available. Know which screen shows the problem and copy the exact error message. Never disclose your password, device passcode, verification code, or recovery key; Apple Support should not ask you to provide those secrets.