How to Change Your Phone Number on iPhone

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By Matthew Simpson

You can’t change your iPhone’s phone number in Settings. The number belongs to your cellular plan, so you get a new one from your carrier, either by asking your current carrier for a number change or by signing up with a new carrier. Once the new number is active on your iPhone, update iMessage, FaceTime, your Apple Account and your other accounts so calls, texts and security codes reach you.

Quick answer:

  1. Before anything changes, add a second trusted phone number to your Apple Account so you can still get sign-in codes.
  2. Ask your carrier for a new number, or get a new SIM or eSIM (a digital SIM built into the iPhone) from a new carrier.
  3. Once the new line works, go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Send & Receive and Settings > Apps > FaceTime and make sure the new number is selected.
  4. Update the number on your Apple Account, your contact card, your bank and any app that texts you codes.

Contents

Applies to: iPhone models running iOS 27 or iOS 26. Settings paths were checked against Apple’s iPhone User Guide and support articles in October 2026. Carrier steps and fees vary by carrier and country.

Where your iPhone number comes from

Your iPhone itself has no phone number. The number is tied to the SIM or eSIM that your carrier activates. That’s why you can move a number between phones, and why a number change happens at the carrier, not in iPhone settings.

There are two kinds of SIM:

  • Physical SIM: a small card in a tray on the side of the iPhone.
  • eSIM: a digital SIM built into the iPhone. Your carrier activates it over the air. Apple notes that a physical SIM isn’t supported on all iPhone models, and some newer models, including many sold in the US, are eSIM-only.

Either way, a new number arrives as a new or updated cellular plan from your carrier.

Before you change your number

A number change can lock you out of accounts that text you sign-in codes. Do these things while your old number still works.

  1. Add a backup trusted number to your Apple Account. Apple’s two-factor authentication needs at least one trusted phone number that can receive codes. Go to Settings, tap your name, tap Sign-In & Security, tap Two-Factor Authentication, then tap Add Trusted Phone Number. Use a number you’ll keep, such as a family member’s phone or a landline.
  2. List the accounts that use your number. Think about your bank, email recovery, work sign-in apps, messaging apps, delivery services and doctor’s office. Many of them send security codes by text.
  3. Check your carrier’s terms. Ask whether a number change costs anything and whether your iPhone is locked to your carrier. To use a different carrier, your iPhone must be unlocked.
  4. Back up your iPhone. A number change doesn’t erase data, but a backup protects you if you also switch phones or SIMs.

Step 1: Get a new number from your carrier

Pick the option that fits your situation.

Option A: Stay with your current carrier and change the number.

  1. Contact your carrier through its app, website, phone support or a store. Ask for a phone number change on your line.
  2. Choose a new number if the carrier offers a list. Some carriers charge a fee, and policies vary.
  3. Follow the carrier’s instructions. Often the new number is applied to your existing SIM or eSIM, and you may only need to restart your iPhone.

Option B: Move to a new carrier and get a new number.

  1. Sign up with the new carrier and say that you want a new number, not to transfer your old one.
  2. Activate the new plan:
    • eSIM: When you see Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed in Settings, tap it and follow the prompts. If the carrier gave you a QR code, open the Camera app, scan it, and tap Cellular Plan Detected, then Continue and Add Cellular Plan. You can also go to Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM and choose to use a QR code.
    • Physical SIM: Turn off the iPhone, open the SIM tray with a SIM tool, swap in the new card, and turn the iPhone back on.
  3. Wait for the carrier name and signal bars to appear at the top of the screen.
  4. Cancel your old service only after the new line works, unless you plan to keep both. See “Keep your old number as a second line” below.

Step 2: Confirm the new number on your iPhone

  1. Open Settings, tap Apps, then tap Phone. On many carriers, My Number shows the number on your active line.
  2. Call or text another phone and confirm the new number shows up.

If My Number still shows the old number, restart the iPhone. If it’s still wrong, contact your carrier, because the number comes from the carrier’s records.

Step 3: Update iMessage and FaceTime

iMessage and FaceTime register your phone number separately from the cellular plan. Apple’s support steps:

  1. Go to Settings, tap Apps, then tap Messages. Make sure iMessage is on. It can take a moment to activate.
  2. Tap Send & Receive. Under “You can receive iMessages to and reply from,” make sure your new number and your Apple Account are checked.
  3. Under Start New Conversations From, choose your new number so people see it when you text them.
  4. Go back to Settings > Apps > FaceTime. Under “You can be reached by FaceTime at,” check your new number.

If your old number still appears, tap your Apple Account at the bottom of Send & Receive, tap Sign Out, then sign back in. Do the same in FaceTime. Apple suggests this when a number is unchecked or can’t be selected.

On a Mac or iPad that uses your iPhone number, open Messages and FaceTime settings there and select the new number too.

Step 4: Update your Apple Account phone numbers

Your Apple Account can hold several numbers: trusted numbers for two-factor codes, and in some regions a phone number used to sign in.

  1. Go to Settings, tap your name, then tap Sign-In & Security.
  2. Tap Two-Factor Authentication, then tap Add Trusted Phone Number and add your new number. Apple sends a code to confirm it.
  3. Remove the old number once the new one is confirmed. Apple says you can add and remove trusted numbers in the Account Security section at account.apple.com.

Never remove your only trusted number. If you lose access to every trusted number and device, Apple’s account recovery can take days or longer.

If you created your Apple Account with a phone number instead of an email address, which is an option in China mainland and India, the sign-in number is changed under Sign-In & Security by tapping your primary phone number. Apple’s article on using a phone number for your Apple Account covers that case.

Step 5: Update your contact card, apps and accounts

Your contact card. iPhone uses your card, called My Card, to fill in forms and share your details.

  1. Open the Contacts app.
  2. Tap My Card at the top, then tap Edit.
  3. Change the phone number and tap Done.

Messaging and social apps. Apps that sign you in with your phone number usually have their own change-number tool in their account settings. Use that tool instead of deleting the app or account, so your chats and contacts carry over. Check each app’s help center for its steps.

Banks and important accounts. Sign in to each account on your list and update the phone number, especially anywhere that texts you codes. Do this while you can still receive codes at the old number, if possible.

People who contact you. Send your new number to family, friends, work, your doctor and your child’s school.

Keep your old number as a second line

If you want both numbers for a while, use Dual SIM. An iPhone can hold two active lines, such as one physical SIM and one eSIM, or two eSIMs on iPhone 13 and later. Our guide to adding an eSIM on iPhone 13 covers QR codes, carrier activation, and transfers from another iPhone.

  1. Add the new line as described in Step 1.
  2. Go to Settings > Cellular and make sure both lines appear under SIMs. Tap a line and tap Turn On This Line if needed.
  3. Tap Default Voice Line and choose the number you want to call from.
  4. Tap Cellular Data and choose which line uses data.

This gives you time to move accounts over before you cancel the old line. Our guide on adding another phone number to your iPhone covers more on running two lines.

Troubleshooting

iMessage says “Waiting for activation.” Make sure you have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection, then turn iMessage off and on. See what to do when iMessage activation is unsuccessful for more fixes.

The new number is grayed out in Send & Receive. Sign out of your Apple Account in Messages and FaceTime, then sign back in, as described in Step 3. Apple notes that you need an active SIM or eSIM for that number.

Friends’ iPhones still text your old number. Their contact card for you still has the old number. Ask them to update it.

The new SIM shows “No Service” or isn’t accepted. Your iPhone may be locked to your old carrier. Contact the old carrier to ask about unlocking.

You’re not getting security codes. The service is still sending codes to the old number. Sign in another way, such as with a backup code or email, and update the number. If you can’t, contact that service’s support.

FAQ

Can I change my phone number in iPhone Settings?

No. Settings shows the number but can’t assign a new one. A new number has to come from your carrier.

Will changing my number delete anything on my iPhone?

No. Your photos, apps and messages stay. Your old message threads stay on the iPhone, but new messages to your old number won’t reach you once that line is cancelled.

Do I need a new SIM card to change my number?

Not always. Many carriers can change the number on your current SIM or eSIM. If you switch carriers, you’ll get a new SIM or eSIM.

Does changing my number change my Apple Account?

Only if you update it. Your Apple Account stays the same, but you should add the new number as a trusted number and remove the old one, as shown in Step 4.

Can someone else get my old number?

Yes. Carriers eventually reassign numbers. That’s why you should remove the old number from your Apple Account, bank and other accounts.

How do I keep my number instead of changing it?

Ask your new carrier to transfer, or “port,” your existing number. Don’t cancel your old service first, because cancelling can release the number.

Next step

Start with the backup trusted number on your Apple Account, then contact your carrier. When the new line works, go through Steps 3 to 5 in one sitting so nothing is missed. For Apple’s own instructions, see Add or remove your phone number in Messages or FaceTime and trusted devices and trusted phone numbers.

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