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You sit down to finally publish on Medium, and then that phone verification screen shows up out of nowhere. You don’t really want to hand over your personal SIM, but you also don’t want your account stuck in limbo. Here’s the deal: you canverify Medium without a phone number. The trick is using a virtual SMS number that still receives real OTP codes, without exposing your everyday line. In this guide, we’ll walk through exactly how to do that, how to fix “code not received” errors, how to stay safe, and how to plug it all into PVAPins for fast, private SMS verification that just works.
Short answer: yes, it’s still very possible to keep your personal SIM private. What you can’t skip is the need for some SMS-capable number. So instead of giving Medium the same number your friends and banks use, you route things through a virtual or temporary number that receives texts online.
Think of it like this:
“No personal phone.” ≠ “No phone at all.” Medium still wants a number for risk checks and recovery.
A virtual number is a phone number that lives in the cloud rather than on a physical SIM.
With PVAPins, you grab a temporary or rental number, collect the Medium OTP online, and your genuine SIM never enters the chat.
Most big platforms now rely on phone checks to keep bots and spam in check. Medium’s no different. Using a virtual number doesn’t “trick” the system, it just gives you more control over which number you share and how you manage it over time.
People searching “verify Medium without a phone number” generally want that clear “yes or no” answer. Others ask, “Can I use Medium without a phone number?” when what they really mean is “without my own number.” For both groups, a virtual SMS number is the middle ground that keeps everyone happy.
When you drop a number into Medium, it isn’t just blindly firing off a text. A few things happen quietly in the background:
It checks if the country code and format look valid.
It sends a one-time password (OTP) by SMS.
It may run the number against internal risk signals such as spammy usage or mass sign-ups.
Medium isn’t just confirming that someone typed a number; it’s looking for anything obviously fake or abused. That’s why clean, private, non-VoIP routes behave so much better than a random public inbox that thousands of people have already hammered.
PVAPins numbers are built for verification flows like this. You’re not using a throwaway string from a generator; you’re using a real, SMS-routable number. That tiny detail often decides whether your verification goes smoothly or turns into a headache.
Medium doesn’t always ask for a phone right away, but when it does, it’s pretty serious about it. You’ll usually see that prompt when:
You’re creating a brand-new account.
You log in from a new device or location.
Your behavior suddenly looks odd: lots of logins, new IPs, rapid changes.
In those moments, there’s basically no “skip” option. If you want to keep the account, you need a number.
Where you do get a choice is which number you hand over:
Use your personal SIM simple, but tied to your real identity and long-term number.
Or use a virtual SMS number from PVAPins to verify Medium without giving away your everyday phone.
You’re not dodging verification itself, you're dodging the privacy leak. That's the smart move.

On the surface, Medium phone verification is nothing fancy:
You enter a mobile number.
Medium sends a one-time SMS code.
You type in the code, and that number gets linked to your account.
Underneath, though, that number plays a bigger role. It helps Medium:
Cut down on spam accounts and bots.
Tie the activity back to a specific user.
Give you a backup path for account recovery if something breaks.
Because of all that, Medium will often push back on numbers that look overly disposable or heavily abused. That’s why private, non-VoIP virtual numbers usually do better than free public inboxes; there's less baggage and fewer red flags attached.
You’ll usually see Medium ask for a phone number in three spots:
Sign up: validating a brand-new account so it isn’t just another bot.
Login: especially from a new device, browser, or IP a quick check that it’s still you.
Re-verification: if your patterns change or you update sensitive settings.
In all of these flows, you can use a virtual number instead of your personal SIM. The SMS lands in your PVAPins inbox or Android app, you copy the code into Medium, and you’re done the same verification, less personal exposure.
OTP codes live by three simple rules:
They’re random, short-lived, and valid only once.
They’re delivered over SMS via carrier networks and routing partners.
Medium checks the code instantly when you submit it.
Most OTPs expire within a few minutes. If you’re using a temporary phone number for Medium verification, a few habits really help:
Requesting the code once repeated can trigger filters.
Keep the PVAPins inbox or app open and ready.
Please enter the code as soon as it arrives; don’t let it sit.
If you wait too long or keep mashing “resend”, you’re more likely to run into cooldowns or soft blocks that slow everything down.

To keep your personal SIM out of Medium’s database, you need a real but virtual number that can receive SMS online. PVAPins gives you precisely that: you choose a country, select Medium as the service, get a number, and pull the OTP straight from your PVAPins account.
Let’s walk through the whole process end-to-end so you can set it up once and stop fighting that verification screen.
First job: secure a number you control.
Head over to PVAPins and create your account.
Add a small balance using whatever’s easiest for you Crypto, Binance Pay, Payeer, GCash, AmanPay, QIWI Wallet, DOKU, Nigeria or South Africa cards, Skrill, or Payoneer all work.
Go to the Receive SMS section and choose Medium as the service you want to verify.
Pick a country route that fits your plan, maybe the US for global reach or an EU/Asian route that’s priced better for you.
Now you’ve got a temporary phone number for Medium verification without ever touching your personal SIM.
Next, flip back to Medium:
On the phone verification screen, paste your PVAPins number into the field.
Double-checking the country code this tiny detail causes so many failures.
Hit the button to send the verification code once and give it a moment.
From Medium’s point of view, this is just a normal mobile number. From your side, your personal phone stays completely out of the equation.
Now you’re just waiting on the text:
Keep your PVAPins inbox or Android app open.
When the SMS lands, you’ll see Medium’s OTP right in the message.
Type that code back into Medium and confirm the screen.
Most of the time, this is a quick, painless few seconds. For important profiles like your main writing account it’s an easy way to create a Medium account without phone number exposure while still passing Medium’s security checks.
Sometimes a specific route or range is just having a bad day. If your number isn’t working or the OTP never shows:
Confirm you pasted the entire number and the correct country code.
Please give it a bit of time; don’t rage-click the resend button.
Try a different route or a different country within PVAPins.
For long-term accounts, consider moving from a one-time activation to a rental number that stays attached to you.
If you’ve tested a couple of clean routes and still see issues, it’s worth checking Medium’s help resources in case there’s a broader verification bug or a regional problem.
Again, just to be clear: PVAPins is not affiliated with Medium. Please follow each app’s terms and local regulations when verifying your account.
Hitting “Medium verification code not received” feels annoying, but most issues are fixable with a bit of troubleshooting. Often, the problem isn’t Medium itself, it's something small with the number, the route, or how the request was sent.
If you’re trying to verify Medium without a phone number you personally own, it’s even more important to use clean, non-VoIP routes and run through a simple checklist before you toss a number away.
Here are a few usual suspects when your OTP doesn’t appear:
A wrong or missing country code, or a digit off in the number.
The number comes from a range that’s heavily abused or flagged.
Carrier or route issues delays, filtering, or temporary blocks.
VPNs or proxies that make your traffic look weird or risky.
If you’re using a public free inbox, add “heavily overused” to the list. That’s a big reason many people eventually switch to private PVAPins numbers instead.
Before you scrap a number, try the simple stuff:
Carefully re-check the full number and country on Medium.
Wait out the entire timer and some codes arrive closer to the end.
Refresh your PVAPins inbox or reopen the app.
Make sure nothing in your browser or on your device is blocking notifications or content.
If it still doesn’t show up, then it makes sense to try a fresh route or number. That way, you’re not burning through balance for no reason.
If you keep hitting “Medium OTP not coming” on the same route, that’s your sign:
Switch to another country with better SMS performance.
Pick a non-VoIP, private route instead of anything that’s clearly shared.
For accounts that matter, choose a rental number so you can re-verify months down the line without having to start from scratch.
Rentals give you stability. If Medium asks you to reconfirm your phone number later, you use the same number again no route roulette.

This is the big concern for many people: Am I going to get banned for this?
In general, verifying Medium with a virtual number is safe if the number is private, SMS-capable, and under your control. The risky setups are the sketchy public inboxes you don’t control or short-lived numbers you forget about. Those can make recovery messy later.
Using a virtual number comes with some real perks:
Your personal SIM stays off Medium’s records.
You can separate personal life, writing projects, and client work.
You get to choose routes that make sense for your budget and region.
The trade-offs:
If you lose access to that virtual number, re-verifying later can be tougher.
One-time numbers are significant for quick setups, but they’re not ideal for long-term recovery.
With PVAPins, you can start small, use a one-time activation to see how things work and upgrade to a rental once you decide the account is worth protecting.
Safety isn’t just about technical delivery; it’s also about behavior. To stay within the lines:
Use virtual numbers for legit sign-ups and logins, not to dodge bans or spam the platform.
Avoid automating mass account creation for abusive purposes.
Follow your local regulations around phone numbers, SMS, and data.
Compliance note: PVAPins is not affiliated with Medium. Please follow each app’s terms and local regulations.
Sticking to that guideline keeps your risk low and improves the odds your account stays healthy long term.
Here’s a simple way to decide:
A one-time activation is significant when:
You’re just testing Medium out.
You’re spinning up a small secondary account that isn’t mission-critical.
A rental number makes more sense when:
This is your main writing or brand account.
You want the option to reset or re-verify later without friction.
You manage multiple client accounts and want clear ownership.
Bottom line: if losing the number would genuinely hurt, don’t treat it like a disposable. Go rental.
Geo does matter. Many people specifically want to verify Medium without a phone number in the USA, while others are signing up from India, Southeast Asia, Europe, and beyond.
The nice part about PVAPins is that it supports numbers in 200 countries, so you’re not stuck with a single region. You can mix “local-feeling” routes with international ones and find a setup that works for your use case and your budget.
Compliance note: PVAPins is not affiliated with Medium. Please follow each app’s terms and local regulations.
Plenty of users prefer US virtual numbers for Medium because:
US routes work well on globally focused platforms.
Some people want their profile to look and feel more “US-based.”
Pricing is usually reasonable for single verifications.
With PVAPins, you can grab a US number, receive the OTP in your inbox or app, and verify your account in a few minutes with no US SIM, no roaming, no drama.
Now imagine you’re in India, Indonesia, or the Philippines:
You can go with a local or regional route that’s often cheaper while still being reliable.
Or you can choose a US or EU route if you want better compatibility across multiple apps you use.
A typical pattern: creators in India use a US temporary number to onboard their first Medium account, then switch to a local rental for the long term. It’s a good mix of compatibility and price.
When you’re choosing a route inside PVAPins, think about:
Pricing: Some regions offer cheaper one-time verifications, while others provide better rental deals.
Delivery speed: certain carriers and routes deliver OTPs faster and more consistently.
Audience: if you’re heavily US-focused, a US route might feel more natural; if you’re local-first, a closer region may be better.
You don’t have to guess perfectly on day one. Start with a sensible route, watch how your OTPs behave, and stick with what’s reliably fast for you.

There’s always that voice saying, “Why not just grab a free number off some website?”
Free-style virtual numbers can work once in a while, especially for quick, low-risk experiments. But they come with obvious downsides compared to low-cost private numbers from PVAPins. If you actually care about your Medium account, saving a few cents usually isn’t worth the chaos.
A free-style number might be OK when:
You’re just curious how Medium works before you commit.
You don’t care if that particular account survives long-term.
You’re playing around with formatting, drafts, or layout.
But keep in mind:
Many people often share these numbers.
OTPs can be delayed, inconsistent, or completely blocked.
So yes, they’re fine for disposable tests just not for anything you’d be upset about losing.
Private, non-VoIP routes the type PVAPins focuses on have a few quiet superpowers:
Clean history: fewer spammy sign-ups attached to the same ranges.
Better OTP success: codes are more likely to arrive quickly and consistently.
Absolute privacy: you’re not sharing your inbox with half the internet.
That’s why a virtual phone number for Medium from a private pool usually outperforms generic public inboxes. You’re paying for stability and peace of mind, not just a random string of digits.
On PVAPins, you can generally choose between two flows:
One-time activations
Great for quick sign-ups and short-lived accounts.
You pay once, use that OTP, and move on.
Rental numbers
Ideal for main or professional Medium profiles.
The number stays associated with you for the rental period.
Perfect when Medium later asks for another verification.
You can pay via Crypto, Binance Pay, Payeer, GCash, AmanPay, QIWI Wallet, DOKU, Nigeria/South Africa cards, Skrill, or Payoneer, so you’re covered in most regions. For the price of a coffee (or less), you’re buying privacy, stability, and a smoother verification experience.
Yes, you can run more than one Medium account with virtual numbers. The real question is whether you’re doing it in a way that looks normal or like a spam factory.
The smart strategy is to treat each important account as its own asset and give it a clean, dedicated number, especially when clients are involved.
When people Google “Medium multiple accounts without phone number,” they’re usually trying to avoid two things:
Tying all accounts to a single personal SIM.
Getting flagged for reusing the same number in sketchy ways.
What actually works long-term is:
Assigning one clear number per grave account (rentals shine here).
Keeping simple notes on which number is linked to which profile.
Avoiding heavy automation or obviously abusive behavior.
Medium doesn’t mind reasonable multi-account setups (e.g., personal vs brand) nearly as much as it minds obvious bot farms.
If you run an agency or manage content for clients, structure helps a lot:
Use rental numbers from PVAPins for each client’s Medium profile.
Store account credentials and number details in a secure password manager.
Spread logins out over time and across devices; don’t slam everything from a single IP address in a ten-minute window.
That way, every client has a dedicated, stable number, and you’re not juggling physical SIM cards or random notes.
Once you scale beyond a handful of accounts, the tools start to matter:
Rentals give you long-term numbers that are easier to organize and track.
The PVAPins API (if you decide to integrate it) lets you pull OTPs straight into your own dashboards or internal tools.
You can label numbers per client, project, or use case and avoid spreadsheet chaos.
That’s how you manage multiple Medium accounts like a grown-up operation instead of a DIY mess.

Even if you set everything up with a virtual number, you still want your Medium account to be genuinely safe and recoverable. The phone is just one piece of that security puzzle.
Start with the basics (most people don’t):
Using a strong, unique password as a password manager makes this easy.
Keep your email address active and well-protected.
Fill out available recovery options while you have complete access.
A lot of account-loss stories trace back to password reuse or a dead email inbox, not to the phone number itself.
If you lose access to the number you used on Medium, don’t wait:
Review your recovery settings right away email, backup options, anything you can update.
If Medium still lets you, switch the phone number on file to a PVAPins rental number you can keep long term.
For your main account, assume you’ll be asked to verify again at some point and plan accordingly.
It’s way easier to move to a stable number while things are calm than to firefight during a lockout.
Medium watches behavior patterns more than you might think. Things that can raise eyebrows include:
Logins from a lot of different countries/devices in short bursts.
Aggressive following, clapping, or commenting that feels bot-like.
Multiple accounts, clearly controlled from a single environment, in a spammy way.
Using PVAPins correctly gives you clean, private numbers but you still want to use Medium like a real person. Post your work, usually engage, and treat your account as something worth protecting.
By now, you know how to route Medium verification through a virtual number. Here’s why PVAPins is such a good fit for that job:
Numbers in 200+ countries for SMS verification.
Non-VoIP, private routes tuned for OTP stability.
One-time activations for quick wins and rentals for long-term use.
Flexible payment options and a handy Android app to manage everything.
Compliance note: PVAPins is not affiliated with Medium. Please follow each app’s terms and local regulations.
With PVAPins, you’re not locked into one model. You can:
Use one-time activations to:
Test Medium.
Spin up temporary or side accounts.
Use rental numbers to:
Anchor your main Medium profile to a stable, private line.
Handle future OTP prompts without stress.
Keep client and team accounts clearly separated.
This flexibility means you’re not overpaying for casual experiments, but you’re also not under-protecting accounts that actually matter.
Numbers That Work With Medium:
PVAPins keeps numbers from different countries ready to roll. They work. Here’s a taste of how your inbox would look:
+6282128009583 850390 26/05/25 03:53 +13478642989 9992 13/06/25 12:06 +5548996646717 911399 22/12/24 03:11 +15097705420 829247 03/07/25 03:33 +15752933293 86988 25/10/25 09:43 +14123905726 019507 23/03/25 03:22 +18312438902 7808 04/06/25 08:22 +13438908978 949422 09/05/25 12:05 +447887446080 94205 24/02/25 03:16 +79674455974 4866 11/11/25 05:12🌍 Country 📱 Number 📩 Last Message 🕒 Received
Indonesia
USA
Brazil
USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
UK
Russia
Grab a fresh number if you’re dipping in, or rent one if you’ll be needing repeat access.
PVAPins is built with global users in mind. You can top up using:
Crypto
Binance Pay
Payeer
GCash
AmanPay
QIWI Wallet
DOKU
Nigeria & South Africa credit/debit cards
Skrill
Payoneer
So whether you’re in the US, India, Southeast Asia, or somewhere else entirely, there’s usually a payment option that feels familiar and easy.
If you don’t want to babysit a browser tab, the PVAPins Android app makes life a lot easier:
Install it from Google Play.
Log in with your PVAPins account.
Buy or manage numbers right from your phone.
Get Medium OTPs as notifications and paste them straight into the app or website.
It’s perfect if you’re traveling, switching devices often, or handling multiple accounts on the go.
This quick FAQ hits the questions people ask most when they’re trying to keep their personal SIM off Medium from “do I really need a number?” to safety, multi-account setups, and virtual number rules.
1: Can I use Medium without a phone number?
You can avoid sharing your personal SIM by verifying Medium with a private virtual number that receives SMS online. Medium still needs a real, SMS-capable number for security, but it doesn’t have to be the one you use every day.
2: Why does Medium need my phone number?
Medium uses phone verification to filter out bots, reduce spam, and give you another way to recover your account. A verified number makes it easier for Medium to trust your profile and can reduce the need for additional security checks later.
3: How do I fix it if I don't receive my Medium verification code?
First, check the number and country code, then wait for the timer to finish, and don’t keep hitting resend. If you’re using a virtual number, try a different route or switch to a private, non-VoIP option from PVAPins to improve OTP delivery consistency.
4: Is it safe to use a virtual phone number to verify your Medium account?
It’s generally safe if the number is private, SMS-capable, and under your control. Avoid public inbox sites, keep your email and password strong, and always follow Medium’s terms and your local regulations to keep risk low.
5: Can I create multiple Medium accounts without using my real phone?
Yes, use them responsibly. For serious or client-facing profiles, give each account its own number (ideally a rental) and manage everything through PVAPins so every profile has a stable, non-VoIP route.
6: What happens if I lose access to the virtual number I used on Medium?
You may run into issues if Medium asks you to re-verify that number. For accounts you care about, switch to a long-term rental number and make sure your recovery email and security details are up to date before you run into any problems.
7: Does Medium allow VoIP or disposable numbers for verification?
Many platforms quietly filter some VoIP and disposable ranges, which is why free public numbers fail more often. You’ll usually get better results with clean, non-VoIP, app-ready verification numbers, like the ones available on PVAPins.
You don’t have to choose between using Medium and handing over your everyday phone number. With a virtual SMS number, you can route verification through a private, app-ready line, keep your SIM off the grid, and still pass all the checks Medium throws at you.
PVAPins makes that path straightforward:
Use free-style and low-cost options to test the waters.
Move to instant one-time activations when you’re ready to verify.
Upgrade to rentals for accounts that matter long term.
Manage everything across 200+ countries with private, non-VoIP routes and fast OTP delivery.
If you’re tired of staring at that verification screen, it’s a good time to grab a Medium-ready number on PVAPins, get your OTP in a couple of clicks, and get back to the fun part of publishing your next story.
Compliance note: PVAPins is not affiliated with Medium. Please follow each app’s terms and local regulations.
Get started with PVAPins today and receive SMS online without giving out your real number.
Try Free NumbersGet Private NumberHer writing blends hands-on experience, quick how-tos, and privacy insights that help readers stay one step ahead. When she’s not crafting new guides, Mia’s usually testing new verification tools or digging into ways people can stay private online — without losing convenience.
Last updated: November 15, 2025