An easy guide to deleting an old phone number from an iPhone
This wikiHow teaches you how to delete a phone number you no longer use from your iPhone. If you've already added your new phone number to your iPhone, you can remove the old phone number by making a quick change in your settings. If the phone number you want to remove is connected to FaceTime or iMessage, you'll need to remove it from those apps first.
Quick Steps
- Open your iPhone's Settings.
- Tap your name.
- Tap Sign-in and Security .
- Tap the phone number you want to remove.
- Tap Remove from Account .
Steps
Section 1 of 4:
Removing a Primary Apple ID Phone Number
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Open your iPhone's Settings. It's the gray gear icon on your Home screen.
- Use this method if you want to change or remove the phone number used for 2-step verification and account recovery for your Apple Account. You will only be able to remove the phone number if it is not linked to iMessage or FaceTime .
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Tap your name. It's at the top of the Settings menu.Advertisement
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Tap Sign-In & Security . It'll be near the top of the list below your name and email address.
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Tap the phone number you want to remove. This displays options for that phone number.
- If you haven't already added a new phone number, you will want to do that first.
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Tap Remove from Account . You will be prompted to select or enter a new phone number. [1] X Research source
- If you don't see this option, the phone number you're trying to remove is in use by Messages and/or FaceTime. Jump down to Removing from Messages & FaceTime to learn how to select a different phone number or email address for those services. After that, you can return to this method to remove your phone number from your Apple account.
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Enter or select a new phone number. Make sure you can currently access the new phone number so you can verify it if necessary.
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Follow the on-screen instructions to verify. If the phone number you select is not already verified, Apple will text a code to that number. If you don't receive a code, this means you've already verified the phone number, and it's ready to use. [2] X Research source
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Section 3 of 4:
Removing from Messages & FaceTime
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Open your iPhone's Settings. It's the gray gear icon on your Home screen.
- Use this method if you want to remove a phone number from the Messages app or FaceTime.
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Scroll down and tap Apps . It's all the way at the bottom of the Settings menu.
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Select FaceTime . This displays your FaceTime settings.
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Remove your phone number from FaceTime. To do so, tap the phone number you want to remove, then tap Remove to confirm.
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Return to Apps menu and select Messages . Tap the back buttons at the top-left corner until you've reached the list of apps, then tap Messages in the list.
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Tap Send & Receive . You'll see this under "iMessage."
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Remove the phone number. Tap the phone number, then tap Remove to delete it from iMessage. [4] X Research source
- If you want to stop using this phone number altogether, you can now also remove it from your Apple ID .
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow can I recover my iPhone when I forgot my Apple ID and password?Sophie WalfordCommunity AnswerIf you've forgotten both your Apple ID login and the password, the best bet is to go to iForgot online, or take the device to an Apple store where they can help you.
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QuestionHow can I remove my phone number in my iCloud?Snakey006550Top AnswererTo remove your phone number from iCloud, go to Settings on your iPhone and tap your name at the top to access your Apple ID settings. Select Name, Phone Numbers, Email. Under the "Contactable At" section, tap Edit next to your phone number. You can then remove the phone number by tapping the red minus button next to it. If your phone number is also linked to iMessage or FaceTime, you may need to sign out of these services first or deactivate them by going to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and Settings > FaceTime.
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QuestionMy iPhone will not allow me to remove my iPhone from my Apple ID.Snakey006550Top AnswererMake sure you're signed in to your Apple ID on your device. Go to Settings, tap your name at the top, and then tap iCloud. Scroll down and select Find My iPhone to be sure it's disabled. If Find My iPhone is enabled, you'll need to turn it off before you can remove the device. You may be asked to enter your Apple ID password or use your fingerprint/Face ID. If the device still can't be removed, visit Settings, iTunes & App Store, sign out, and try removing it from your Apple ID account by going to appleid.apple.com. If the issue persists, contact Apple Support for assistance.
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