How to Verify OkCupid Without Your Personal Number

OkCupid now asks every new member to verify a phone number by text message. If you’d rather not give a dating app your personal number, a temporary non-VoIP number can receive the code for you.

This guide explains why OkCupid asks for a number, which numbers it accepts, how to verify with a temporary US or UK number, and how to keep access to your account once the number is gone.

Why does OkCupid ask for your phone number?

OkCupid’s help center doesn’t leave much room for doubt: “Adding your phone number is now a requirement on OkCupid.” It says that confirming your number “helps keep your account safe and secure, and makes it easier for you to log in.”

You can still sign up with your email address, but OkCupid verifies the account through your phone number either way. It does this by sending a code via SMS.

Can you bypass OkCupid phone verification?

Not completely. OkCupid says that if you can’t receive an SMS, “you will be unable to create an OkCupid account”, and that “at this time we do not have any workarounds or exceptions to this rule.” Without a verified number you also can’t send messages or intros from an existing account.

What you can choose is which number receives the code. It doesn’t have to be your personal one.

Which numbers work for OkCupid?

OkCupid says it “cannot verify via landline, certain internet-based phone services, or certain texting apps.” It also limits each number to one account: “A phone number can only be verified on one OkCupid account at a time.”

A non-VoIP number is a real mobile number from a carrier, so it looks like an ordinary phone to OkCupid. If you’re not sure what kind of number you have, see how to check if a number is VoIP, or read our guide to VoIP vs non-VoIP numbers.

How to verify OkCupid with a temporary number

1. Create a free PVADeals account and add credits: crypto from $3, or a card through Stripe from $5.
2. Choose OkCupid and the country you want: the United States or the United Kingdom.
3. Pick a rental length. A short-term number lasts 20 minutes; a long-term number lasts 3, 7, 14 or 30 days.
4. Enter the number when OkCupid asks for your phone, and check that the right country code is selected: +1 for a US number, +44 for a UK number.
5. Copy the code from your PVADeals dashboard, where it appears as soon as it arrives, and enter it in OkCupid.

OkCupid sends its code by SMS, which is exactly what PVADeals numbers receive. Our numbers receive SMS only, not calls.

Short-term or long-term: which should you choose?

A short-term number (20 minutes) is enough to receive the sign-up code, and it costs the least. But on OkCupid the number keeps a job after sign-up:

• Phone login. OkCupid lets you “log in with phone” using an SMS code sent to your number.
• Changing your number. When you switch to a new number in your settings, OkCupid sends an SMS code to the new number.
• Losing the number. OkCupid says you “should be able to sign into your account using your email address and password as long as you’re signing in from a device that you’ve verified in the past.” On a new device, you’ll need to contact OkCupid’s support.

So before your number expires, make sure your account has an email address and a password you know, and stay signed in on your own phone or computer. A 20-minute number may not be available again later, because reuse after the rental isn’t guaranteed.

A long-term number (3 to 30 days, renewable for as long as you like) stays yours, so you can receive OkCupid codes again whenever you’re asked. If you plan to keep the account, this is the safer choice.

US or UK number?

PVADeals offers both US and UK numbers for OkCupid. Either works from anywhere in the world: you don’t need a local SIM card, because the code appears on your dashboard. Just make sure the country code in OkCupid matches the number you rented. Learn more about our US non-VoIP numbers.

If OkCupid still won’t accept the number

• Check the number and the country code. It’s OkCupid’s own first tip, and the most common mistake.
• Wait a few minutes and try again. OkCupid notes that “sometimes there are brief connection issues with sending an SMS”.
• “Number already in use” means the number is verified on another OkCupid account. Try a different number.
• Still no code? If an eligible number receives no SMS during the rental, its cost comes back to your balance automatically as store credit.

Keep your personal number private

Your phone number is one of the most personal things you can share on a dating app. A temporary non-VoIP number from PVADeals keeps it out of your OkCupid account, so you decide if and when a match gets it. Numbers start at $0.09 for 20 minutes.

See the prices, or read our guides for other dating apps: Tinder, Hinge, Match and Plenty of Fish.