How to sign up for Uber on a virtual number
Updated 2026-07-29
The steps, the day-long cooldown on changing it, and why the driver calls that number
Uber has a wrinkle the messengers do not: the number is not only for getting in. Drivers reach you on it, and some checks send a code during the ride itself. A one-time number is fine for creating the account, but riding on it is awkward and sometimes impossible.
The steps
- Get the number. Coverage and prices are on the Uber page.
- Enter the number with its country code in the app.
- Wait for the SMS code.
- Add an e-mail address: it survives the number going back into the pool.
- Swap the number for your permanent one as soon as you can — mind the cooldown below.
Changing the number: a day of waiting
Uber limits how often the number can change — after one change the next is available roughly a day later. Plan for it: if the temporary number has gone back into the pool while the cooldown is still running, you end up between two numbers, neither of which can receive a code.
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Changing right after sign-up | Works while you are signed in and the code reaches the new number |
| A second change the same day | A cooldown of roughly a day — you wait |
| Changing after the temporary number is returned | If a code to the old number is required, the change cannot complete |
When the code does not arrive
| Symptom | Cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Number not eligible" as you type | The destination is refused by the platform | Change country — usually the cheap destinations |
| No SMS after 2–3 minutes | No code was sent, for the same reason | Wait for the automatic refund and change country |
| "Phone or e-mail already in use" | A previous holder’s account sits on the number | Take a different number |
| It will not let you change the number | The daily cooldown, or two-factor is on | Wait a day; the code goes to the current number, not the new one |
What happens once the number returns to the pool
The account remains, but SMS sign-in and driver contact stop working, and the cooldown may block a re-binding exactly when you need it. That makes swapping in a permanent number part of signing up, not a task for later.
In short
- A one-time number is fine to create the account, not to ride on.
- Drivers call the profile number, and such a number takes no calls.
- Changing the number has a cooldown of about a day — plan ahead.
- Add an e-mail immediately and a permanent number before the first ride.