Users can share the same Home or Work phone numbers, but Cell phone (Mobile phone) numbers must be unique and cannot be duplicated or shared on multiple user accounts for security reasons.
However, Home and Work numbers can only be shared if they are verified as being from a landline carrier.
Why Must Cell/Mobile Phone Numbers Be Unique?
Cell/Mobile phone numbers serve as a crucial element in account recovery and verification processes. When a user needs to reset their password or verify their identity, the unique phone number ensures that the system communicates only with the authorized user. It helps maintain a secure and reliable authentication process, protecting your account, identity, and data. If multiple users shared the same cell/mobile phone number – it could compromise the verification process and potentially lead to unauthorized access.
What if the Account is Deactivated?
Deactivating a user account will not alleviate this conflict. A mobile phone number will continue to remain associated with the original user. It will be unusable by a new user account, even if the original user account is deactivated or deleted.
Additionally, mobile phone numbers are subject to a retention period of 7 years, during which they remain associated with the original account even if the account is deactivated or deleted. This ensures that the number cannot be reused by another account during this time.
Handling Conflicts
If multiple users try to use the same cell/mobile phone number, the system will identify it as a conflict and prevent its use on multiple accounts. If the original user wishes to remove their phone number from their account to alleviate the conflict, they must be aware of the following:
Phone Number Requirement: All users must have at least one verified phone number attached to their account at all times. Removing a phone number would require replacing it with a different verified phone number before the conflict can be alleviated.
Reactivating an Account: If the original user's account has been deleted or deactivated by their officiating organization, the original user must ask their officiating organization to reactivate their account. This will allow them to log in and change the phone numbers attached to their profile.
Alternative Option: If the original user is unable or unwilling to remove/change their phone number, then in this case, the new user must use a different phone number for their user account to resolve the conflict.
Family Members: Phone numbers cannot be shared or reused across accounts, even for family members. Each account must have a unique phone number.
How to Edit Phone Numbers
Users can edit the phone numbers attached to their account by following these simple steps:
Log in: Log in to your user account using your credentials.
Personal Profile: Navigate to the Personal Profile page.
Phone Numbers Tab: Choose the Phone Numbers tab to view and manage your phone numbers.
Edit Phone Numbers: Make the necessary changes to your phone numbers as needed.
Verify Phone Numbers: Perform any required verification steps that are requested by the software on the Security Settings tab.
Save Changes: Click the Save Profile button to save your updated phone numbers.
Note: The process of unlinking or replacing a phone number must be initiated by the original account holder.
Conclusion
While users can share Home or Work phone numbers, cell/mobile phone numbers must remain unique to ensure the security and integrity of our system. By adhering to this policy, we strive to protect your account, maintain accurate verification processes, and safeguard your data from unauthorized access.