Sign Up Without a Phone Number: Which Services Take Email

Updated October 13, 2026 · 6 min read

"Can I sign up without a phone number?" has a different answer for every service. Some sign-ups run entirely on email, some lead with a phone field but keep an email route beside it, and some need a phone however you start. This page sorts 20 popular services into those groups, using what each one does at sign-up, so you can see in advance where an email address is enough.

One thing up front: OTPGmail handles email only. It does not rent phone numbers or receive SMS, so where a service insists on a phone, you need your own.

Three ways sign-up forms treat the phone

Email-first. The form asks for an email, sends a code or a link, and the account exists. A phone may be suggested later as a security option.
Phone-first, with an email route. The form opens on a phone field, and a link such as "Use email instead" switches it to email. Choose it before you continue, or the code goes out by SMS.
Phone required. Email may be part of the flow, but a phone number has to be verified too, or the account is created with a phone only.

Service table: email or phone at sign-up

Service	Email route at sign-up	Phone number
GitHub	Email only; 8-digit launch code	Optional later, for account security
Cursor	Email code or sign-in link	Not normally asked at sign-up
CapCut	Email code (web, desktop or app)	No phone sign-up on the web
Reddit	6-digit code or a verify button	The phone route sends an SMS instead
ChatGPT	6-digit email code	Sometimes, mostly when creating an API key
Amazon	6-digit email OTP	Sometimes asked after the email code
Microsoft	Email security code	May be asked if a session looks unusual
Discord	Verify link by email	May be asked if a sign-up looks unusual
Snapchat	"Sign up with email instead"	Suggested later for two-factor or recovery
TikTok	Email tab under "Use phone or email"	Suggested later for recovery
Instagram	Email instead of phone number	Sometimes required after sign-up
Facebook	Email in "Mobile number or email"	Sometimes asked as an extra check
X (Twitter)	"Use email instead"	New accounts may be asked for one
Twitch	"Use email instead"	Your own phone or app for two-factor
Claude	Email code (sign-in without a password)	Often required after the email step, by region
Shopee	Email OTP for the account email or Seller Centre	Usually asked for new accounts
AWS	Email code	Required: SMS or call, plus a card
Apple ID	Email code	Required: a trusted phone by SMS or call
Telegram	No: accounts are created with a phone	Always; email only for recovery or login
WeChat	No: registration is by phone	Always, usually with an existing user's confirmation

Labels change with app versions and regions, and services can change their rules at any time. Treat the table as where things stand on our service pages, and check the form in front of you.

Phone-first apps: switch to email before you continue

In the middle group the email route exists, but it is usually a small link under a large phone field:

Snapchat shows "Sign up with email instead" below the phone field; Snapchat sign-up with email covers what it changes.
TikTok puts email behind "Use phone or email", then an Email tab.
X and Twitch show "Use email instead" when the form asks for a phone.
Facebook takes either in the same "Mobile number or email" field.

If you miss the switch and enter a number, the code goes out by SMS and nothing reaches any inbox. Getting past sign-up with email is also not a promise that the service will never ask for a phone: the last column shows which ones may ask later.

Where a phone number is still required

For the last group, no email address of any kind replaces the phone step:

Telegram creates every account with a phone number; email appears only as a recovery address or, in some app versions and regions, a login email.
WeChat registers by phone and usually wants an existing user to confirm you.
AWS and Apple ID send an email code first and then verify a phone by SMS or call.
Claude often asks for a phone after the email step, depending on region; Shopee usually asks new accounts for one.

Use your own number there. If you would rather not, the honest choice is not to use that service, not to keep retrying the email step.

What OTPGmail provides, and what it does not

OTPGmail rents real @gmail.com and @icloud.com inboxes for the email step of a sign-up. You pick the service, paste the address into the form, and the code or link appears on your order page. If no code arrives within 25 minutes, the order cancels itself and you get 100% back. Extra codes cost nothing within the order period when the service sends more than one; the limit and time window are shown before you rent.

It does not provide phone numbers, receive SMS or send email: rented inboxes are receive-only. If the code you need goes to a phone, phone number or email inbox explains the difference, and creating a Gmail account itself without a phone is covered in Gmail account without a phone number.

Use email sign-up for legitimate reasons, such as keeping a personal number private, separating work or client accounts, or signing up for a service abroad, and follow each platform's terms.

Checking a service that is not in the table

Open the sign-up page and look before you rent anything. An email field with no phone field, or a visible "use email instead" link, means the email route is there. A phone field with no alternative usually means SMS.

If the service is not in our service list, the "Any other service" option covers sites that are not listed and costs more; the Gmail version receives one code per inbox. You can also ask for a service to be added with the Add service button on the rent page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I remove my phone number after signing up with email?

That depends on the service and is set in its own security settings. Keep at least one recovery method you control, or a forgotten password can lock you out.

Is signing up without a phone number against a platform's rules?

Using a sign-up route the platform itself offers is normal. What matters is its rules on accounts and their use, which you should read directly.

Does an iCloud address work as well as Gmail for these sign-ups?

Both are real mailboxes. OTPGmail offers @icloud.com for almost every service, Apple ID being the exception, and iCloud inboxes are usually cheaper than Gmail, depending on the service.

Ready for the email step? Rent an inbox, compare prices and stock, or use the API docs for scripted sign-ups.