Phone number linking enabled by default

Android devices now automatically link a user's phone number to all Google accounts connected to their smartphones, according to several reports. This feature is active by default and allows Google to verify the phone number and associate it with all current and future accounts on the device.

Privacy concerns raised

A Reddit user expressed worry that Google Play Services automatically verify a user's phone number and link it to all connected accounts without explicit permission. This could potentially link personal, professional, and secondary email accounts to a single phone number, which may be problematic for users who use multiple accounts to keep their online activities separate.

Google explains the process

According to Google's documentation, the phone number verification setting is enabled by default. When active, it verifies the phone number and adds it to all connected accounts. However, users can stop future linkages by disabling the "Automatically Verify the Phone Number(s)" option in the Google Services and Preferences settings.

Unlinking phone numbers is complicated

Users who want to remove already linked numbers must manually delete the phone number from the "Contact Information" section of each Google account's "Personal Information" page. Some users have reported that the phone number verification option reactivates itself, making the process of unlinking numbers difficult and time-consuming.

No immediate plans to change the default

Despite the privacy concerns and user feedback, Google has not announced any immediate plans to change the default setting for phone number verification. The company maintains that users authorize the verification process when they enable it, and they have not indicated any changes to the current policy.