How to Change Your Phone Number in Gmail

In the digital age, your email account is more than just a way to send and receive messages—it’s also key to the security of your online presence. Gmail, Google’s email service, lets you update your personal information, including your phone number, to keep your account secure. This feature is particularly useful if you change your phone number, or if you want to enhance the security of your account with different forms of verification. Updating your phone number in Gmail ensures that you can recover your account if you forget your password, and it helps to keep your online identity safe.

Update Phone Number via Account Settings

When you need to update your phone number in Gmail, the Account Settings is the first place you should visit. It’s the control center for your personal information on your Google Account. This process allows you to change or add a new phone number that can be used for various purposes, such as account recovery or two-step verification.

Steps to Update Phone Number via Account Settings:

1. Open your web browser and go to the Gmail website (https://mail.google.com) and sign in to your account.
2. Click on your profile picture or the initial letter of your name in the top-right corner of the page.
3. From the dropdown menu, select “Manage your Google Account.”
4. Look for the “Personal info” tab on the left side of the page and click on it.
5. Scroll to the “Contact info” section and click on “Phone.”
6. You may be prompted to sign in again for security purposes. Enter your password if asked.
7. Next to your phone number, select “Edit” (represented by a pencil icon).
8. If you want to remove your old phone number, hit “Remove” next to the number. To update, click on “Update number” or to add, click on “Add phone number.”
9. Follow the prompts to enter your new phone number and confirm it, usually through a text message verification code sent to the new number.
10. Once verified, the new phone number will be linked to your Google Account.

Summary:

Updating your phone number via Account Settings in Gmail is simple and secures your account by providing a way for you to recover your password or set up additional security measures. One downside is that you may need access to your old phone number to verify the change, which could be a problem if you no longer have access to that number.

Utilize the Security Checkup Feature

Google’s Security Checkup feature is a proactive tool designed to strengthen the security of your account. It is an alternative method to review and update your recovery phone number, ensuring you have the latest security settings activated for your Google Account.

Steps to Utilize the Security Checkup Feature:

1. Go to the Security Checkup page directly by visiting this link: https://myaccount.google.com/security-checkup or navigate there through your Google Account settings.
2. Log in with your Gmail credentials if prompted.
3. Scroll down to the “Ways we can verify it’s you” section.
4. Click on the “Recovery phone” section, where you’ll see your current phone number listed.
5. Click the “Edit” button to change your phone number, or click “Add recovery phone” if you haven’t yet added one.
6. Enter the new phone number and click “Next.”
7. Google will send a verification code to the new number. Enter this code when prompted to complete the update process.

Summary:

Using the Security Checkup feature helps keep your Gmail account secure by ensuring that your recovery information is up to date. The downside is that if you are not familiar with the Security Checkup page, you may find it less straightforward than updating your information directly through Account Settings.