While using Discord, you might have encountered a “Verification Required” message, which is one of our safety efforts for our platform. We want users to feel secure using Discord, and we invest in features that help protect you from scams or abuse. Requiring that you verify your email address or phone number helps prove you are not a robot and helps keep spammers out.
What does this article cover?
- Why do I need to verify my account?
- How does Discord use my phone number?
- How to verify my account?
- Having trouble verifying?
Why do I need to verify my account?
The “Verification Required” message is part of our verification system to help protect both you and the communities on Discord. This means sometimes our systems detect activity that calls for extra information. This verification not only serves to help confirm to Discord that you are more likely to not be spam but also provides additional barriers of defense against malicious activity on your account.
So you might see this message because you want to join a server that requires its members to have verified accounts. Some other reasons might be that you:
- joined multiple servers in a short period of time
- direct messaged multiple users who are not your friends
- sent messages or posted content to communities faster than a human can manage
- used third party clients or modifications to Discord
We have seen how these kinds of activities are a signal of harmful behavior that can harm Discord users or communities.
How does Discord use my phone number?
Discord uses your phone number for safety and security purposes. Discord also supports opt-in features like Find Your Friends, which allows you to discover friends on Discord using your phone contacts!
How to verify your account?
If you’re looking to verify the email address associated with your Discord account but can’t find the original verification email, you can check out this article.
We may require you to verify your account using a valid phone number. The phone number you use cannot be associated with an existing Discord account. The process will look a little something like this:
1. Press on the Start Verification button.
2. Here is where you will need to provide a valid mobile phone number. Remember that it cannot be attached to an existing Discord account. If you would like to learn how to remove a phone number from an existing Discord account, be sure to check out this article.
3. Wait for the SMS to be sent to your mobile phone and follow the instructions to input the verification code. This should complete the phone verification process!
Having trouble verifying?
When going through the motions, you may run into the following errors below:
| Possible Errors |
Steps to take |
|
Invalid phone number: the phone number was not entered correctly or is unusable. |
Be sure to use a valid phone number. VOIP, Burner, or Landline numbers cannot be used. Then, try re-entering the phone number you wish to verify. If you are still running into any issues, contact our support team here. |
| Rate Limit/Recently Used: the phone number was recently used and is currently in a timeout period. |
Please wait 24-48hrs before verifying your phone number once more. |
| Existing account: the phone number may be associated to an accidental Discord account. |
If you’re running into this error, you can refer to our How to Remove a Phone Number article for further steps. |
| Captcha: this is an additional security step that you may run into while verifying |
If you’re running into issues while completing the captcha, please reach out to our support team here. |