Coinbase Verification Code: How to Change Your Phone Number

A Coinbase verification code is the 6-digit text Coinbase sends for 2-step verification, which it requires before you can access your account. If you’re changing phones or numbers, update the number on Coinbase while you can still receive codes on the old one. Lose it with no other 2-step method set up, and you’ll need an ID check that takes up to 24 hours, after which you may be unable to send funds for 24 hours.

This guide covers Coinbase’s steps to change the number, what to do if you’ve lost the old one, why a temporary number is the wrong choice for an exchange account, and the methods Coinbase rates above SMS.

What the Coinbase verification code is for

Coinbase is clear: “For your security, 2-step verification (2FA) is required to access your account.” A phone number is part of sign-up, where you “Enter your phone number to receive an SMS verification code”, and text messages remain the default 2-step method. Coinbase’s own verdict on that default: “It’s the least secure option.”

Nobody genuine will ask for your code. Among the things Coinbase’s customer service agents will never do, Coinbase lists: “Ask for your password or 2-step verification code”. If a code arrives that you didn’t request, don’t share it, and follow Coinbase’s rule: “Lock first, ask later.” You can lock your account in the app and email security@coinbase.com.

How to change your phone number on Coinbase

If you can still pass 2-step verification, change the number while you’re signed in. Coinbase’s steps:

In the Coinbase app

1. Select the menu icon, then Account & settings.
2. Select Phone numbers.
3. Select Text message (SMS), then Add a backup phone number.
4. Use your 2-step verification when prompted.
5. Enter your new phone number and select Continue.

In a browser

1. Select the profile icon, then Manage account.
2. Select Edit beside your phone number.
3. Select Verify, then use your 2-step verification when prompted.
4. Enter your new phone number and select Continue.

Keep it current afterwards: Coinbase’s user agreement makes you “responsible for keeping your email address and telephone number up to date”.

Lost access to your old number?

If SMS is your only 2-step method and you can’t receive codes any more, you have to recover the account on coinbase.com: “This can’t be done in the mobile app and must be completed in a browser.”

1. Go to coinbase.com, select Sign in and enter your email address and password.
2. At the code prompt, choose Need help signing in or I don’t have access to my phone number.
3. Follow the prompts: “You may be asked to verify your identity using a government-issued ID or other identity information.”
4. Once verified, set up a new phone number, passkey or authenticator app.

Coinbase says the ID route “takes up to 24 hours and you may be unable to send funds for 24 hours after completion.” After you’re back in, update your 2-step method within 24 hours.

Before you start, check the shortcuts:

• Same number, new SIM? Your carrier “may be able to move your original phone number to your new SIM.”
• Backup code, passkey or security key? If you set one up earlier, use it instead of the SMS code.

Why a temporary number is the wrong choice for Coinbase

People search for a temporary phone number for Coinbase verification, so here’s the plain answer: don’t use one. If a short-term number expires while it’s your only 2-step method, the only way back in is the ID recovery above, with the waits that come with it.

Coinbase’s user agreement also says that by opting in to its texts, “you verify that the mobile number provided to Coinbase is true and accurate and that you are the current subscriber or owner of any telephone number that you provide.” A 20-minute rental stops being yours almost at once.

If you want to keep your personal number off Coinbase, use a number you hold for as long as you have the account: a long-term number on auto-renew or an All services plan. UK and EU customers should also use a number from their own country: Coinbase asks for an explanation when “the country linked to your phone number” doesn’t match your tax residency.

Safer 2-step options than SMS

Coinbase recommends more than one method: “Having backup methods ensures you can access your account, even if you lose access to one method.”

Coinbase’s tip for anyone changing numbers is worth repeating: passkeys and authenticator apps “aren’t tied to your phone number, so you won’t lose access if you change or lose it.”

Using a dedicated number for Coinbase’s texts

If you still want SMS as a backup method without your personal number:

1. Create a free PVADeals account and add credits: crypto from $3, or a card through Stripe from $5.
2. Choose Coinbase from the list of websites, with a number from the country you live in (the US or the UK). If it isn’t listed, rent an All services number instead, which works on any website.
3. Pick a long-term rental (3, 7, 14 or 30 days) with auto-renew, or an All services plan.
4. Add the number in Coinbase with the steps above, and enter the 6-digit code from your PVADeals dashboard. PVADeals numbers receive SMS only.
5. Add a passkey, security key or authenticator app, so the number is a backup rather than your only way in.

Coinbase decides which numbers it accepts. A PVADeals number is a real carrier mobile line, so Coinbase sees an ordinary mobile number.

If the Coinbase verification code doesn’t arrive

• Resend after 30 seconds. “If you don’t receive a 6-digit SMS code when expected, wait 30 seconds and select Resend code.”
• Use another method. “If one method fails, select Try another way and choose an alternate method.”
• No longer have the number? Follow the recovery steps above.
• On a PVADeals number: codes appear on your dashboard as soon as they arrive. If an eligible number receives no SMS during the rental, its cost comes back to your balance automatically as store credit.

Keep your Coinbase access in your own hands

For an exchange account, put a passkey or security key first, and make any SMS number one you’ll keep. See the prices below, our US and UK phone numbers, or when a temporary phone number for verification makes sense and when it doesn’t. For payment apps, see our guides to PayPal and Cash App.