Unable to Recover Microsoft Email Due to Inactive Phone Number

[Anonymous]

Since my old phone number is no longer active, I cannot recover my Microsoft email account via an SMS code. Is there any way to redirect SMS messages to this old Vodafone number, or is it possible to regain ownership of the number?

[ChrisWilson00]

Hi there! I totally understand how frustrating this must be. Unfortunately, once a phone number is inactive for a certain period, Vodafone usually deactivates it, meaning you won’t be able to receive SMS messages sent to that number. However, there are still a few options you can explore to recover your Microsoft email account.

First, if you’ve set up any alternate recovery options, such as a secondary email address or another phone number, you might be able to recover your account through those methods. If not, contacting Microsoft support directly could be your next best step. They might be able to help you regain access by verifying your identity in other ways.

Additionally, while it's unlikely that Vodafone can help you redirect SMS messages to your old number, it might be worth reaching out to their support team to see if they can assist with recovering the number itself, especially if it was deactivated recently.

I hope one of these solutions works for you! Best of luck getting your account back.

[DrewAnderson]

I understand how frustrating that must be! Unfortunately, once a phone number is deactivated, it's generally not possible to redirect SMS messages or recover ownership of the number. However, you can still try recovering your Microsoft account using other methods. If you have a backup email or security questions set up, those might help. If not, you can contact Microsoft Support for assistance in regaining access, and they may be able to offer alternative recovery options.

[Cynric]

Is this 2 AI posts to an OP who has left the forum?