How to register Facebook on a virtual number
Updated 2026-07-29
The steps, the identity check by video, and what to do about a lock-out right after sign-up
Facebook, like Instagram, allows sign-up by e-mail — a number is not always needed. It has the same quirk too: a new profile is often asked for a video selfie, which checks a person rather than a phone. The difference is that Facebook locks new accounts noticeably more often, and sooner.
The steps
- Get the number. Coverage and prices are on the Facebook page.
- Fill in the sign-up form, giving a phone rather than an e-mail.
- Enter the number with its country code and wait for the SMS.
- Add an e-mail in settings and behave like an ordinary new user for the first days: no mass friend requests or group joins.
Which country to pick
Facebook’s coverage is good — up to eight providers of ten, widest in Bulgaria, Vietnam, Indonesia and Romania. As usual the slack is there for a second attempt, and the cheapest destinations are what make one necessary.
| What to look at | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The provider count on the row | Eight of ten at best — there is slack, and it gets used |
| A country that matches where you sign in from | A profile made on one country’s number and used from another is checked more often |
| Not the floor of the price range | Small pools are recycled more often |
When the code does not arrive, or the account is locked
| Symptom | Cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No SMS after 2–3 minutes | The number belongs to a pool Meta does not accept | Wait for the automatic refund and change country |
| Account locked immediately after creation | An automated new-user check | Unlocking needs identity confirmation; the number does not help |
| A video selfie or a document is requested | An identity check, not a phone check | Changing the number does not answer it; this is a separate barrier |
| "This number is already in use" | A previous holder’s account sits on the number | Take a different number |
What happens once the number returns to the pool
Facebook ties account recovery to the number, so replace it with your own or remove it right after signing up, having added an e-mail. Otherwise whoever gets the number next gets a route into your account.
In short
- A number is optional: e-mail sign-up works here too.
- A locked new account is a common outcome, and it is lifted by an identity check.
- Video selfies and documents cannot be worked around with a number.
- Swap the number out of recovery settings straight after signing up.