Google is the golden standard for online services. With more than 3.5 billion searches a day (that’s around half the population of Earth!) and its suite of tools made for the office, school, entertainment, and everyday use; Google is certainly present somewhere in your life. With so many users and services available, you better believe that Google takes its business seriously.

A huge amount of computational power and money goes to Google’s servers, which stores data from some 4 billion users. Google has continuously updated its privacy features to Account for its growth. However, with the rise of social media and controversies over data leaks, a lot of people understandably question whether their data is truly safe with these tech giants.

“Degoogling” is a recent movement whose followers try to get rid of Google from their lives. If you try to follow their steps, you will notice that it’s almost impossible to completely dispose of Google. For starters, Gmail holds the majority of the email market. YouTube is unparalleled in terms of content. Most of Google’s services stand at the top of the competition.

Regardless of your opinion on Google, you don’t need to become a digital saint to protect your data. Being a bit more mindful of the information you share on the internet is plenty. For an even greater degree of protection, using tools like virtual numbers goes a long way to keep your data safe.

It’s a great time to start using these tools, as Google is now asking for phone number verification to create new accounts. If you don’t want to give your number away or if you don’t have one, then the best option is to create your account with a virtual phone.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to create and verify a Google account with a virtual phone number to protect your privacy. With a single Google account, you can access plenty of useful services like Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Android Play Store, Google Pay, Google Workspace, among many others.

What you need

Creating a Google account is easy. For this guide, you only need a browser and a virtual number.

• Any browser will do, but for privacy purposes, Firefox is the best option. Firefox comes from Mozilla, which is a non-profit organization. This means that they don’t have the same incentive to collect personal data as other browsers from companies like Google, Microsoft, or Apple.
• There are many great virtual numbers providers. If you don’t currently have one, you can get one with us – Major Phones.
• This guide is made for US users, but if you want to follow along to create a Google US account, you can do so by using a residential proxy.

Step 1: Go to Google

Look up any Google page. This includes Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Maps, and so on. Here’s the Google Search home page:

On all these pages you’ll find a Sign In button on the upper right corner.

Click on it and you’ll be taken to the next page:

Step 2: Click on “create account” and choose an account type

This is where you’ll log in if you have an account. To create an account, click on the “Create account” button:

You’ll be given three options: to create an account for yourself, a child, or a business.

• A business account is suited for companies. It includes features like managing how your business appears in Maps and searches.
• You can create an account for a minor and manage the content they’re allowed to watch or see.
• A personal account gives you access to all Google services, and it’s exclusively managed by you. To follow along with this guide, choose “For myself”.

Step 3: Enter your details

You’ll be asked for your personal details. Enter your first and last name, how you want your account to be named, create a safe password, and fill in any additional data, then click on the blue “Next” button.

Step 4: Enter your number

Google asks for your number to verify your identity, prevent spamming, and for two-factor authentication. Enter your virtual number into the input field, then click on “Next”:

Step 5: Verify your number

After you enter your number, you’ll receive an SMS with a six-digit code. Check the code and enter it into the input field, then click on “Verify”:

What to do if you don’t get a code or if your number is not accepted

If you haven’t received a code after a bit of waiting, then try clicking on “Back” and entering your number again. If that doesn’t work, try out the following steps:

• Clear your browser’s data. On Firefox, click on the three-bar menu at the top right corner of the screen:

• Click on “Settings”. On the settings tab, click on “Find in Settings” and write “cache”, then click on the “Clear Data” button.

• Click on “Clear” in the pop up window.

• Now, try clicking on “Back” and then enter your number again.
• If you are using a proxy to enter Google, then check if you’re using a bad IP. To do this, go to IPHub. IPHub is a proxy detector which tells how legitimate your connection looks to the web server you’re connecting to. A bad IP will create problems for the web page when sending verification codes. You can find out if you’re using a bad IP by getting into IPHub and checking the info that appears on the page. A bad IP looks like this:

• If this is happening, you should consider checking your proxy settings. If you have a residential IP, it should show up like this:

• If all of the above didn’t work, then report your virtual number to our customer support. You should then get another number to verify Google.

Step 6: Add more details

Google will ask for additional details here. You’re free to check their privacy policy in “Why we ask for this information”. If you have another email address, you can use it here to make your Google account more secure. Fill in the fields and click on “Next”.

Step 7: Accept terms of service and privacy policy

The last step is to accept Google’s terms of service and privacy policy. It’s recommended for you to check these out instead of skipping to the end. Once you’re done, click on “I agree”.

Step 8: Log into your account

Congrats! You have created your Google account and verified it with a virtual number. If you’re not logged in already, click on the “Sign in” button, enter your account name or your phone and your password. Once you’re done, you’re ready to start using Google services!