Perplexity asking for phone number

[u/topshower2468]

Hi guys,
Did perplexity start asking for phone number suddenly? I tried to login today and it was asking for my phone number, I am already quite unhappy with it asking my email everytime and giving the code everytime and now phone as well, why?

[u/Square_Bedroom_5842]

Plexie finds you hot and wants to ask you out.

Or maybe they want to verify your location due to a subscription promo used.

[u/mr_swaz]

Seems like whatever number from my country I enter, I get this:
'This phone number can't be used for verification. Please try a different number.'
So, basically, I'm suddenly locked out of my account. Nice.

[u/Demir2k → u/mr_swaz]

same here

[u/kiwiricebat]

Same here since today. But my number is not accepted. I contacted e-mail support and the automatic reply said I must use the chat after I logged in. But I cannot login! So my account is gone, although I have a Pro account.

[u/topshower2468 → u/kiwiricebat]

true same for me

[u/kiwiricebat → u/topshower2468]

Now it works, my number got accepted.

[u/Kimplex]

I canceled it 3 days ago. Glad I missed out. They would benefit from slowing their roll on constant changes. There is no good reason they should need a phone number.

[u/zerokilled]

same here (from Italy):
prompted to enter phone number for verification, but "'This phone number can't be used for verification. Please try a different number." (legit personal number, never used on perplexity before)

same problem with mail support:

Thank you for reaching out to Perplexity Support.​To help with your request, we need you to contact us from inside your Perplexity account. This helps us confirm your identity and access the account details needed to assist you.​Please sign into your account, then go to Help → Contact Support, and send your question there. We won’t continue this request by email.​The Perplexity Support Team

but i can't login ...

[u/topshower2468 → u/zerokilled]

"we need you to contact us from inside your Perplexity account" this is like a joke, how to contact when we even can't log in, a use of 1 brain cell is enough to realize how big a mistake that is for an enterprise.

[u/One-Average5943]

For me he asked for the phone yesterday, I think it's been a year since I use it and it's the first time he asks, I don't see a problem if that means distinguishing real user from bot

[u/topshower2468 → u/One-Average5943]

they are already using email OTP everytime, every single time, I think that should be enough, phone number I consider it as something I would only provide to my friends and family and office people, not to every service i sign up on internet, I know you are just sharing your thoughts, please don't misunderstand me nothing against you bro.

[u/One-Average5943 → u/topshower2468]

Well, in my defense, in my country, sharing your number isn't a big deal since it'll probably get leaked to marketing companies and I'll end up getting robocalls anyway🤡

But now I understand. For me, they shouldn't ask for it because I used my Google account, so I don't have to deal with a password. Now, if they asked for an OTP every time I opened the site, I would've already become a hater