Solved MS asking for cell phone number

Microsoft asking for my cell phone number as extra option to sign in with my account, i do not give out my cell phone number to anyone so how do i stop them from asking ? I have went to the "windows sign-in options and account protection" and i don't see a option to turn this off, or am i looking in the wrong section ?? Any help appreciated !
Chuck

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flashh4 said:

Microsoft asking for my cell phone number as extra option to sign in with my account, i do not give out my cell phone number to anyone so how do i stop them from asking ? I have went to the "windows sign-in options and account protection" and i don't see a option to turn this off, or am i looking in the wrong section ?? Any help appreciated !
Chuck

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I ran into that today.. I can get a hold of a cell phone to get the code but I really don't want to.

Two factor authentication is the current way of the future. A common way is to text you a code as is being done above. Another method is to use something Google or Microsoft Authenticator which can provide you with a constantly generated code that you can supply to them without having to have a text sent to you.

I have to 2 factor logon to a ton of sites everyday. At work, to logon to any server I'm prompted for 2 factor logons. I probably have to authenticate with my cell phone on average 20 times a day.

I really don' think I need this for my PC.. I just want to stop it.

BunnyJ yep this gets annoying every time i sign-in ...... only way to make it go away is to select cancel but it comes back next time i re-boot !! Yes it needs to go away !!
Chuck

Yeah i hear you pparks ! There has to be a way to stop this !
Chuck

I believe you have to go to your Microsoft account to alter those settings for 2 factor authentication.

johnlgalt ..... i have been there and nothing i have seen to disable it, unless i am over looking an option !!
Chuck

flashh4 said:

johnlgalt ..... i have been there and nothing i have seen to disable it, unless i am over looking an option !!
Chuck

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I don't see any... so.. I have to borrow my girlfriends cell and put the code in.. not a big deal but it can be a pain.

You can check below to make sure two-step verification is turned off for your Microsoft account to stop requiring code verfication.

BunnyJ said:

I really don' think I need this for my PC.. I just want to stop it.

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The benefit is not really on your local PC though. The key is that if your account does manage to get compromised and somebody else tries to use it, or change your password, or alter your information since they don't have your phone, they cannot do the 2nd factor of authentication.

pparks1 said:

The benefit is not really on your local PC though. The key is that if your account does manage to get compromised and somebody else tries to use it, or change your password, or alter your information since they don't have your phone, they cannot do the 2nd factor of authentication.

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I just fixed the issue by setting up a google voice number and having the code texted there. I entered the number and so far issue gone.

I have a flip phone with nothing other than text/talk.
I don't care who has my number.


The point here is... they're cheap.
Get one just for 2FA, or other places that ask for a telephone number so they can text you a code.

I finally succumbed and got myself a Microsoft account for testing W11. I still refuse to use it to sign in to my PCs though, preferring the simplicity of a local account.

For test purposes I used Kari's tutorial to add the MS account to a local account without having to switch it to an MS account. And yes, I did go for 2-factor authentication (text to my phone).

try doing this one...

FWIW - I always use 2 factor authentication (TFA) or Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), as security for my accounts.

Background: I'm of Indian origin - my parents moved to the states decades ago, and I was born here in the states, but I'm still Indian.

I made a google account with my real name and information a long, long time ago - and I've added services and such that I use regularly from Google. I'm well entrenched in the Google ecosystem.

Someone in India with the same first and middle initial and last name has been signing up for services throughout India that I never use and never plan to use. At first I marked the emails spam, because some sites actually verify an email address entered to sign up for a service, some do not. But when when I started receiving bank statements from not one but 3 different banks, I became enraged, and contacted the various banks and explained the situation to each of them.

Not too long after, I noticed that someone was trying to get my password on my account reset. I said "Enough" and started employing stronger 2 factor authentication. At first I used my phone, but after these more recent incidents, I then moved to the Google authenticator app, and now I use a variety of methods - for Google accounts, I use physical Google Titan Security keys, and for Microsoft I use the Microsoft Authenticator app for Android.

A long, long time ago I had my Yahoo account hacked - it nothing actually necessary, but I had to fight and argue with Yahoo for 2 years before they restored my account to me. I vowed to never let that happen again. Then when this happened with my main, my personal, my absolutely necessary Google account on which most of my purchases are associated - I decided I wasn't playing around anymore. I used SMS 2FA for all my accounts that I could, but, as noted above, I moved on from that later to better security.

Now, if you don't have my key, you ain't logging in - and you ain't changing the password - to my accounts, no matter how much you beg Google. Or Facebook. Or Dropbox. Or any of a number of other services. For those that don't use a key, I use an app. I've moved away from using SMS except at sites / service providers that have no other way of providing 2 factor authentication.

To that end, since the Titan security keys are only FIDO (and not FIDO2 - see this page and this page for reference), so cannot be used with Windows hello), I backed the Solo Key v2 project, and hope to have my new set of keys delivered soon, at which point they will be added to each and every account I own.

To read more about FIDO in general, start at the FIDO alliance web page: FIDO Alliance - Open Authentication Standards More Secure than Passwords

Programmer and blogger Evan Hahn started a nice project that tracks which sites and service providers (banks, utilities, etc.) offer the use of TFA / MFA, with the type(s) offered and and those that do not (including ways to contact them on Social Media to request that they start doing so). See https://2fa.directory/

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Providing your cell number is a good thing to NOT do, but securing your account with TFA / MFA is a good thing to do. For example, with the Microsoft Authentication app, when installing Windows cleanly and I enter my email address, it doesn't even ask for a password - it instead asks me to accept a notification on my phone (usually with a specific code) in order to verify my identity. Much better, IMO, than using a phone. However, using a service like Google Voice, as Bunny did, is acceptable, as well, as it is not your real phone number (no one but family has my real cell - everyone else gets my GV number) and you can access SMS and voice mails (and even make calls) directly from your computer, no need to even have your cell phone on.

It's in your interest to secure your accounts - but it's up to you if you want to or not.

Thanks for all the reply's. Brink i do have it shut off from when i got this new computer about 6 months ago ! And i also have a Google account and Yahoo and a few more with two step verification on them ! I just don't think MS needs my cell # so i will just keep selecting the cancel option when asked for it !!
Thanks
Chuck

If nothing to hide give them A mobile number its not hard

tonez4466 said:

If nothing to hide give them A mobile number its not hard

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I'm not hiding anything but I don't just give out a cell phone number to anyone.

I'm not hiding anything but I don't just give out a cell phone number to anyone.

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I have to agree totally, BunnyJ !
Chuck