How to remove your mobile number from all apps and services

If you’re looking to update your number with all the apps and services that you’ve already registered with, or perhaps looking to delete all personal information, you’re going to be busy for a while. Sadly, there is no quick-fix or one-stop solution to this problem, and the only thing you can do is manually edit profile information in every app and service you’ve signed into.

Here are some tips to make this process easier and more methodical:

Tips to make this process easier and more methodical:

Step 1 is to simply take stock of your situation. Figure out which apps are installed on your phone and separate the frivolous ones from the critical ones. Frivolous apps could include apps like Reddit or some chatbot that you downloaded, while critical ones could include banking apps, 2FA authentication services, and more.

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Once you have the list, go through each app one at a time and start editing your personal information. We’d start with the frivolous or less critical apps first so you can get through them faster.

Next, for the critical app, first ensure that all dependencies for logging in are satisfied by some other phone number. For example, if you’re removing your number from a payments app, you might need to go through some formalities before swapping or removing a number.

Prematurely removing the number might even lock you out of the account. We’d recommend first disabling all forms of 2FA or two-factor authentication that rely on your number so you don’t get stuck waiting for an access code or OTP.

Note that many services will require that you add an alternate number before the primary one is deleted.

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Bear in mind that some apps such as WhatsApp are tied to your number. Deleting the number is as good as deleting the account. There are ways to bypass this restriction and for transferring your number, and you’ll need to examine what these are based on the app you’re using.

This entire process will take time, especially if banking apps are involved in the purge. Be prepared to make phone calls and send approval emails for making such changes.

Once you’ve fully purged your number from all apps and services, you can uninstall the apps and reset your phone completely for added security. Then only re-install the apps and services you need.

If privacy is particularly important to you and you don’t want your number misused, we’d strongly suggest getting an alternate throwaway number that you can use to register for services that you don’t fully trust with your data.