Privacy News Google Play Services Links Phone Numbers to Every Google Account on Android Devices Without a Prompt

[lokamoka820]

Content source

https://www.ghacks.net/2026/10/20/google-play-services-links-phone-numbers-to-every-google-account-on-android-devices-without-a-prompt/

Google Play Services is verifying the phone number on Android devices and attaching it to every Google account signed in on the same phone, according to a user report posted on Reddit. The user says the verification happens automatically, without a warning or a consent prompt.

The behavior matters most for people who keep separate Google accounts on one device. A common setup includes a personal account, a work account, and sometimes an anonymous account that is meant to stay unconnected to the owner's identity.

Once the same phone number is attached to all of them, that shared number creates a link showing the accounts belong to one person. The link does not make data from one account visible inside another.

The concern is the association itself, which the account owner did not explicitly approve. The Reddit user also says the same thing happened on a device running GrapheneOS, which shows the linking is tied to Google Play Services rather than to the stock software of one phone maker.

Google has not publicly explained why Play Services verifies and links numbers this way, and it has not said when the behavior started.

 

[Halp2001]

Interesting news. If confirmed as described, this could offer some benefits in terms of security and account recovery, although it also raises privacy concerns for those who prefer to keep their Google accounts separate, especially if this linking takes place without explicit notice or consent. Ultimately, it seems to be the classic trade-off between convenience, security, and privacy, which each user will weigh differently.

 

[Wrecker4923]

It’s offensive to people who already have their self-selected recovery options set up.

On the other hand, if I use Google’s Android and services, Google may know more about me than I do. It’s hard/inconvenient to hide personal information from Google. The problem is that if they decide to cancel one of your accounts (however unlikely that is), ALL your accounts may go with it. Better to have a contingency plan(s).

 

[Ice Dream']

but this is restricted to newer android versions or we're talking general purpose?

 

[Captain Awesome]

How to Disable Automatic Verification

• Open Settings on your Android phone.
• Tap Google (or Google services and preferences).
• Select All services.
• Go to Privacy & security.
• Tap Phone number verification.
• Turn off Verify phone numbers automatically.


How to Remove Already-Linked Numbers

• Open your Google Account settings page.
• Go to Personal info (or Contact info).
• Select Phone.
• Delete the phone number from any account you wish to keep separate.
• Repeat this process for every Google account signed in on the device.

 

[Wrecker4923]

but this is restricted to newer android versions or we're talking general purpose?

It’s done through Google Play services; it’s unknown which version it started with. If your Google Play services are still being updated, you’re likely to be affected.

 

[Ice Dream']

mother..

 

[Ice Dream']

nah! i dont think so
i mean I had some updates but uh, I run Android 13 so.. I guess is a start, small one but still back when google had some sparks of common sense
i manually removed a ton of bloat from it with the help of adb tool and manually again, adjusting some parameters such as disabling stuff and all that. I did had an option of root at one point but let it go, mainly because it removes some very useful kernel updates and 2ndly because of the fact that my work requires a "standard" phone. Root was good back in 2010's, when phones were utterly sh1t, and had a lot of lag. I remember that era ;

but boiling point, I got the play services entirely disabled, I couldn't do it from ADB because I was thinking... Hmm, what if I could break a dependecy? I know cases where banking apps refused to work because of such, where some logins were flagged and all that... I am not paranoid in this sense but I used the "If isn't borked, don't try to fix it"