Blizzard Phone Verification Without Your Personal Number

Battle.net doesn’t need your phone number to create an account, but some Blizzard games won’t start without one. Overwatch is the best-known example. If you’d rather not link your personal number to a gaming account, you can use a second mobile number.

This guide explains which games and features need a phone, what SMS Protect is, and which numbers Battle.net accepts.

Does Battle.net need a phone number?

Not to sign up. Blizzard’s help page says: “Having a phone number on your Battle.net account is optional, and only some games and services such as Overwatch, Authenticator and Notifications require SMS services. A phone number is not required to create a Battle.net account.”

Here’s where a number comes up:

For Call of Duty, the check now lives on your Activision account: Activision says the requirement applies on PC when you don’t own a Call of Duty title released in the last two years.

What is SMS Protect?

SMS Protect is Blizzard’s name for the phone number on your account. When Blizzard introduced it for Overwatch 2, it explained: “SMS Protect helps verify ownership of your account in the unforeseen event of an account compromise. Similarly, if a disruptive player has been suspended or banned, SMS Protect makes it more difficult for them to return to the game.”

That second reason is why the rules below are strict, and why no service can get you around a ban. Blizzard is clear that “Customer Support is unable to bypass the SMS requirement.”

Which phone numbers does Battle.net accept?

Battle.net is specific about number types: it “supports mobile plans and prepaid numbers but does not support Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) numbers.” A VoIP number that was moved to a local provider isn’t eligible for phone notifications either.

Three more rules matter:

• The number must match your account’s country. “To add a phone number, your phone number must belong to the same country registered in your Battle.net Account Details.” A US number works on a Battle.net account registered in the United States, and a UK number on one registered in the United Kingdom.
• One account per number. “A phone number can only be added to a single Battle.net Account. Customer Support cannot bypass this limitation.”
• Don’t request codes too fast. Too many SMS requests in a short time can get you blocked temporarily. Blizzard asks you to wait 24 hours before trying again.

A non-VoIP number is a real mobile number from a carrier, so Battle.net sees an ordinary phone. See how to check if a number is VoIP, or read about VoIP vs non-VoIP numbers.

How to add a second number to Battle.net

1. Create a free PVADeals account and add credits: crypto from $3, or a card through Stripe from $5.
2. Choose Blizzard (Battle.net) and the country that matches your Battle.net account: the United States or the United Kingdom.
3. Pick a rental. A long-term number (3, 7, 14 or 30 days) is the safer choice for Battle.net; see below. A short-term number lasts 20 minutes. See the prices below.
4. Add the number in your Battle.net account settings, or when a game asks for it, and request the code by text message. PVADeals numbers receive SMS only.
5. Copy the code from your PVADeals dashboard, where it appears as soon as it arrives, and enter it on Battle.net.

Short-term or long-term?

Blizzard uses the number to confirm that the account is yours, so think about what happens after the rental ends.

• Long-term (3 to 30 days, renewable) keeps the same number, so you can receive Blizzard’s codes again. Turn on auto-renew to keep it.
• Short-term (20 minutes) is enough to add the number once. Set up the Battle.net Authenticator and keep your email secure, so you can still prove the account is yours without the number.

To change or remove the number later, open your Battle.net account settings and choose Update or Remove. Blizzard then asks you to confirm with the Authenticator, an SMS code or an email code. For the details, see how to change your Blizzard phone number.

If Battle.net rejects the number

• Check the country. The number has to match the country in your Battle.net Account Details.
• Use a mobile number, not a VoIP one.
• Use a number that isn’t on another Battle.net account. Customer Support can’t override this.
• Wait 24 hours if you requested too many codes.

If an eligible PVADeals number receives no SMS during the rental, its cost comes back to your balance automatically as store credit.

Play without your personal number

A real non-VoIP number lets you meet Blizzard’s phone requirement without linking your own number. See our US and UK phone numbers, or read how to get a temporary phone number for verification.