I can't "verify" the registration because the Gmail site states that I need to verify it through my telephone. But I don't have one. What can I do? Get another e-mail service provider?
asked Jul 20, 2011 at 7:05
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1I don't know any step within GMail at which you would need a phone? It is always optional and you will usually find a "skip" button! The exception might of course be if you talk about "two-factor-authentication" (for which you need a smartphone or SMS), but otherwise...– grunwald2.0Commented Mar 29, 2013 at 22:37
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2 Answers
When registering a new Gmail or Google account, they sometimes require a phone number for verification -- this is "to prevent abusive use of their services".
There are several possible factors that can lead to this, for example, a potentially false name or other false information. But the most common is your IP address.
If your IP address is somehow flagged for "potentially abusive activity", it could be a shared IP address with a service like VPN, proxy or widely used by school, work, etc.
To register on Gmail without phone verification:
Use a private IP address (with a hostname), from a home ISP.
You only get one chance per registration, which means that you will need to register a totally new account for each new attempt.
However, Google has not disclosed any information on how they screen registrations.
As a way to prevent abuse and slow down spammers, Google more-or-less now requires a phone number that can receive SMS messages. Further, a single phone number can only be used for a limited number of accounts. ("Ten" is a number that sticks in my head for some reason.)
Other email providers are following suit, so you may be limited to email providers that are a little "icky". Further, a Google account is required for other Google services, such as Google Photos.
Supposedly, there are still some things that will let you open a Google account without giving up your phone number:
- Some geographic locations may allow you to create an account merely by filling out a CAPTCHA to prove you're human. Try clearing your browser data or using a different browser.
- If that doesn't work, a proxy service to make it seem like you're coming from somewhere else may work out. (See previous point.)
- Use an online SMS service. These services will give you a phone number that you can use to receive SMS messages on the web. Assuming Google doesn't get wise and start blocking these, this may be your best option.
Of course, by bypassing this verification, you're reducing the options that Google has to alert you if something is amiss with your account. For instance, if someone else is trying to log into your account, Google might send you a message to alert you. Or, conversely, if you lose access to your account, the recovery number may allow you to get it back.