VKontakte began linking mobile devices to accounts

Registering a new account

It’s easiest for those whose main page was created before 2011, when the link was only to an email address: for such people, they just need to register another account for their current one. But if the page was created later, or a second one was needed after the connection to the phone took place, you will have to work hard.

First of all, you should create a new page. How exactly this is done is easy to find out on the VKontakte service website itself; the instructions there are very detailed and understandable even for beginners on the Internet.
At the stage when you need to enter a phone number to receive an SMS with a code, you need to specify the number linked to the previous page.
The system will display a message indicating that the number is already in use. At this stage, you will be offered several options for further actions, one of which is to unlink the phone number from the previous number and link it to the account you are creating. You should select this item.

The number of possible bindings is limited. So if in the future you need another account, it’s easier to immediately buy a new SIM card.

Linking an email to a new account

So, the new page was linked to the old phone number. In principle, the task is completed. However, if you leave everything like this, there is a high risk of losing one of the accounts: in fact, the user has one login (phone number) with two different passwords - for the old and new page. If one of the passwords is forgotten, only the one linked last will be restored via SMS.

To avoid problems, you should immediately take care of backup recovery methods. Fortunately, Vkontakte is additionally linked to email. You need to do this:

Go to any site that offers to create a free “box”. It’s best to take the one that doesn’t have an email address yet, so you don’t have to enter different passwords every time.
Register there, create an email and get its address.
Enter this address on the new VKontakte page and confirm it by following the link in the automatic letter.

All. From this moment on, the linking took place, and if the password for the new account is lost, it can be recovered through this email. In addition, the site system will consider this email address as a login, and not the phone number.

When choosing an email service, you should make sure that it is real and reliable. If you use something like “Get a temporary address for fifteen minutes,” you will end up losing your account.

Linking to a phone number

We go to our page on the social network “VKontakte”, click on the link “My settings”.
In the “General” section, find the “Your phone number” field and indicate the number in the format +7 (ХХХ)ХХХХХХХ. Important! After saving the settings, the phone will be displayed in the format +7 *** *** ** 18, that is, an attacker who has access to your page will not be able to find out your mobile number.
You can also set up phone alerts about events happening on your social network page. To do this, go to the notifications tab, find the “Alerts via SMS” section and check the “Receive SMS notifications” box.

Interestingly, you can respond to notifications, that is, if a user sends you a personal message on VKontakte, you can reply to him via SMS, but the answer will also be sent to his social network profile. However, remember that alerts are free, but responses will cost you. The tariff is determined by the operator. Information on the cost of SMS for your specific case can be found in the “Mobile Services” tab of the “My Settings” menu of the social network.

Login to your old account with your previous number linked

But this is not the last stage. Since the number was unlinked from the old page, when entering it, almost all actions will have to be confirmed by entering a captcha - this way the system is insured against possible fraud.

Here you need to use the following algorithm:

Log in to your old account by entering your password.
In response to the system’s prompt to link a phone number (it will be displayed for almost any action), you need to enter the old number.
After the message that the number has already been linked, you should select an item in the menu that links this number to the account that is currently in use (that is, to the old one).
After receiving the SMS, you need to enter the sent code. The binding will take place automatically.

If binding is no longer possible (for example, all attempts allowed by the service have been exhausted), all that remains is to run to the nearest communication store for a new SIM card. Fortunately, they cost little more than a couple of trips on public transport, and you can purchase as many numbers as you like with one passport. After this, it is enough to maintain a minimum positive balance on the card and call from it a couple of times a month - and it will be considered active for as long as you like.

You can often find services online that offer to automatically link two pages to one number. All of them are fraudulent at best: you pay for the “service” and get nothing. At worst, if the service requires you to enter a password for the old page, you will simply give it to the service owners. Restoring access to your account will be problematic.

What to do if VKontakte says “This number has been recently used”?

When registering a page or linking a number, VK writes: “This number was recently used” or “A page is already linked to this number. Please enter a different number." What to do? Here are ways to solve the problem.

Do not link the number to the new page, but restore the old one

If you already have a page registered for this number, and you are trying to register a new one, then it is better to restore the old one. The fact is that one issue can only have one page.

If you register a second one, the number will be unlinked from the first page and you will not be able to access it. And restoring access will be difficult (or even impossible).

This is serious, think about it carefully! Do you want to restore your old page by number right now? Click here: Password recovery, VKontakte access.

And if you deleted an old page, then within a certain time it can be restored. And you don't need to register a new one. See: How to recover a deleted VKontakte page.

Use this number anyway (via the full version of the site!)

If no page is currently attached to the number (when restored, it says: User with this phone number not found ), but VK does not give registration, it means that this number recently had a page, and it has not yet become available. VKontakte allows you to link your phone to different pages only a few times. When you tie him to a new one, he gets untied from the old one! You may have one last link left.

If the number is definitely yours and you will still have it, you can remove the error and register the page. Only this should be done not from your phone, but through the full version of the site - from a computer or tablet. It is important that it is through the full version, and not through a mobile phone or an application. If you try to register from your phone, you will only receive an error message and a prompt to enter a different number.

To log into the full version of VK, click here: How to log into the full version of VKontakte. How to use the number, read on.

Attention: if another page is linked to the number and you still need it, do not link the number to the page you are currently on or registering! You risk losing the previous page. Here is the situation you will find yourself in: Two pages for one VKontakte number. Use a different number.

Example: how to remove the error and use the number

So, you need to register the page to the number that was recently linked. Try to do this in the full version of the VK site. Go to the full version, preferably on a computer or laptop, and start registering.

When you enter the number, you will receive a warning: This number has been recently used. The number was recently linked to another VKontakte page. If this is your number and you would like to use it, click here.

This is just a warning, but not an error.

At this point, click on the words “click here.” A window will appear with the last warning: Each phone number can be linked to VKontakte pages a limited number of times.

There are so many bindings left for the number (or the last binding). Make sure you link the number to your own page.

It won't be possible to link it to another page anytime soon.

Here's an example of a warning - people don't read it well and understand it even worse:

Many people think that they can create several pages and link the same number to all of them. But no, it works differently. One number - one page. The number will be unlinked from the previous page.

Read carefully, all this applies to you personally and to your number. Are you sure you want to register a new page for this number and lose access to the old one? Then click the “Yes, use number” button - and then you can continue registration. If you change your mind, click “No, I’ll use another number.”

If the number belonged to someone else (this often happens) and someone else’s page was created for it, look here what to do to unlink the number from it: Someone else’s VKontakte page and my phone number. The problem is solved in the same way when the number you bought is blocked - What to do if the phone number is blocked on VKontakte.

Wait

Perhaps after some time this number can be used again. Wait two weeks and try again. If it doesn’t work out, then maybe you’ll still be able to use the number in one or two months. In the meantime, you can link the page to your other number (of course, if another page that you need is not linked to it).

Unlink a number from another page via support

If all else fails, create a request for support agents:

Request for permission to link a phone number

Indicate your phone number and a link to the page you want to link it to. Promise that this is the last link and that you will not link this number to any other page. Please also keep in mind that you will have to wait for a support response. Perhaps a few days.

Under no circumstances register a second page, temporary or fake, to the number to which your main page is linked. You will be in big trouble. It will be very difficult to restore access to the main page. For such purposes, it is better to use another SIM card. If you don’t have it, go and buy it.

When can I link another new page?

For those who are trying to make money on VKontakte by promoting groups and public pages, they often need not 1-2, but several pages from which they can send messages and subscribe. Is it possible to link a third, fourth or more accounts to a phone number?

Theoretically this is possible, but you need to remember the following:

There is a limit on binding. The exact number of times one phone number can be assigned to different accounts varies (VKontakte technical support is constantly changing the conditions, increasing the security of the service), but it is always finite. Sooner or later it will be exhausted - and creating each new page requires two bindings.
There is also a time limit. If you repeat the operation earlier than a month later, nothing will work: the system will consider such actions a dangerous fraud and will not allow you to complete the registration.
Finally, with each new link, the vulnerability of all pages created by the user increases. Sooner or later it will end with someone taking control.

Therefore, it is better not to repeat this operation. It should be remembered: the rule “one account - one phone number” on VKontakte was not introduced in vain.

You should also remember: if pages are created for commercial activities, then the administration will sooner or later notice advertising and messages from them - itself or at the request of one of the users who decides to complain. In this case, for violating the rules of the service, you can get a ban not only on your accounts, but also on your phone number - after that you will no longer be able to create a single page using it. Therefore, it is recommended not to take risks, but to purchase another SIM card.

VKontakte: I can’t link the page to my phone number