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Twitter won't verify phone numbers that are assigned to voip providers, even if they receive SMS. I'm not sure how you get a number from Ma Bell anymore, and I

by Digory 5y ago

Twitter won't verify phone numbers that are assigned to voip providers, even if they receive SMS. I'm not sure how you get a number from Ma Bell anymore, and I'm not going to do it for Twitter. FAANG isn't quite as bad as WeChat, but it's getting there.

vmoore 5y ago
I managed to successfully register a Twitter account without having to verify myself with a phone number. Not sure how I managed to do that, but I have a number ready to provide them if they randomly decide to ask for it. You can get away with using the same number for about five accounts (at least this was my experience).
- Digory 5y ago
  IME, you can register. And then between a day and a week later, you'll get a demand to verify by phone.
- akomtu 5y ago
  What's the problem with buying a sim online for 10 bucks?
ringworld 5y ago
In the USA, the cheapest option I've found is Tello (T-Mobile MVNO) - $5-6/mo for the absolute basic tier, real SIM with a real (non VOIP) number. Accepts number port-in after initial activation.
- projektfu 5y ago
  If you just need to receive the occasional text message, you can get a free one from FreedomPop.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- bxparks 5y ago
  Red Pocket has their cheapest plan at $30/year ($2.50/month) on T-Mobile. 200 min, 1000 txt, 200 MB per month. Real SIM card. Available only on eBay. No affliation, just a satisfied customer.
jrockway 5y ago
What's more fun is that companies have bad databases and won't fix them. I have a Google Voice number that I ported to a physical device, and Discord won't let me use it as a 2FA backup number. The mistake they made is two-fold: 2FA is for me, so if the text message goes through, then it doesn't matter if it's VoIP. But they tied the system into their "you must have a verified phone to use this server", which has to reject VoIP for abuse reasons. (It's a bad abuse management mechanism of course, but having implemented similar blunt instruments myself, I get where they're coming from. There's a problem, how do you fix it in a day? Blanket out-of-date denylists.) Compounding the issue is that their database is simply incorrect. My number is a physical phone. (Oh, and of course you can port your physical-at-the-time-of-registration phone number to VoIP, which I may or may not have done, and they don't go back in and check against the database. TOCTOU, a classic security vulnerability since approximately 1970.) It grinds my gears because I have been a Nitro subscriber since it first became available, and they won't bend one millimeter for one of their first paying customers. I am looking forward to their death by greed.
- pxeboot 5y ago
  The opposite is also true. I have a Google Voice number that originally came from a cell phone, so many sites that otherwise block VoIP numbers let me use it. Really the only place that gives me issues is Chase Bank.
  - KennyBlanken 5y ago
    My bank tried this crap with my Google Voice number and I told them it was my phone number and had been for over a decade. The rep was able to white-list my number.
    - LexGray 5y ago
      I was using a number with Uber Eats and one day they decided they didn't like my provider any more. Needless to say their service wasn't worth trying to figure out why they have a problem. I swear it feels like some sort of conspiracy to make sure major telcos get paid.

by Digory 5y ago

vmoore 5y ago

I managed to successfully register a Twitter account without having to verify myself with a phone number. Not sure how I managed to do that, but I have a number ready to provide them if they randomly decide to ask for it. You can get away with using the same number for about five accounts (at least this was my experience).

Digory 5y ago
IME, you can register. And then between a day and a week later, you'll get a demand to verify by phone.
akomtu 5y ago
What's the problem with buying a sim online for 10 bucks?

ringworld 5y ago

In the USA, the cheapest option I've found is Tello (T-Mobile MVNO) - $5-6/mo for the absolute basic tier, real SIM with a real (non VOIP) number. Accepts number port-in after initial activation.

projektfu 5y ago
If you just need to receive the occasional text message, you can get a free one from FreedomPop.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
bxparks 5y ago
Red Pocket has their cheapest plan at $30/year ($2.50/month) on T-Mobile. 200 min, 1000 txt, 200 MB per month. Real SIM card. Available only on eBay. No affliation, just a satisfied customer.

jrockway 5y ago

What's more fun is that companies have bad databases and won't fix them. I have a Google Voice number that I ported to a physical device, and Discord won't let me use it as a 2FA backup number. The mistake they made is two-fold: 2FA is for me, so if the text message goes through, then it doesn't matter if it's VoIP. But they tied the system into their "you must have a verified phone to use this server", which has to reject VoIP for abuse reasons. (It's a bad abuse management mechanism of course, but having implemented similar blunt instruments myself, I get where they're coming from. There's a problem, how do you fix it in a day? Blanket out-of-date denylists.) Compounding the issue is that their database is simply incorrect. My number is a physical phone. (Oh, and of course you can port your physical-at-the-time-of-registration phone number to VoIP, which I may or may not have done, and they don't go back in and check against the database. TOCTOU, a classic security vulnerability since approximately 1970.) It grinds my gears because I have been a Nitro subscriber since it first became available, and they won't bend one millimeter for one of their first paying customers. I am looking forward to their death by greed.

pxeboot 5y ago
The opposite is also true. I have a Google Voice number that originally came from a cell phone, so many sites that otherwise block VoIP numbers let me use it. Really the only place that gives me issues is Chase Bank.
- KennyBlanken 5y ago
  My bank tried this crap with my Google Voice number and I told them it was my phone number and had been for over a decade. The rep was able to white-list my number.
  - LexGray 5y ago
    I was using a number with Uber Eats and one day they decided they didn't like my provider any more. Needless to say their service wasn't worth trying to figure out why they have a problem. I swear it feels like some sort of conspiracy to make sure major telcos get paid.