GoKawiil
Tech News
Google has been automatically attaching a verified phone number to every Google account signed into the same Android device since a September 2025 Play services update, without notifying users first. The behavior came to light only recently as users noticed it, and it ties together accounts a person may have intended to keep separate, such as work and personal profiles.
Google's support documentation confirms that any verified phone number on an Android device is now automatically linked to every Google account signed into that device, including accounts added later or numbers from new SIM cards. The company and carriers periodically re-verify these numbers, a process that can incur carrier charges, and the linkage can only be adjusted from the phone itself. Verification also enables features like phone number sign-in, lost device location, emergency services, Quick Share, and a newer account-recovery tool launched in October 2025.
Google's Inactive Account Manager, launched in 2013, lets users set their account to delete or forward data to up to 10 trusted contacts after three, six or 12 months of inactivity. Without this setup, Google automatically flags accounts for deletion after two years of inactivity, detected via sign-ins or app usage. Family members can also contact Google directly to request deactivation of a deceased relative's account early, though they won't receive any of the account's data.
A reviewer testing new Android-powered Googlebooks from Asus and HP describes setup as fast and simple, taking just minutes to register biometrics, sign into a Google account, and import apps from a phone. But after setup, connecting the laptop to a phone for features like file sharing and app casting proved unreliable, often requiring repeated toggling of settings, restarts, and reconnecting after switching Wi-Fi networks.
Google has published guidance on configuring Android phones so they can be tracked if lost, including keeping software updated, verifying the linked Google account, and enabling Location services. Users are directed to enable settings under Security such as Find Hub or Find My Mobile, along with an Offline Finding option that requires a device PIN, pattern, or password.
Code found in Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 references an 'Unlock with Google Account' feature that would let users regain access to a locked phone using their linked Google credentials instead of performing a factory reset. Google offered a similar pattern-unlock recovery option through Android 4.4 before removing it, leaving users locked out of forgotten PINs with no option but a full wipe. The feature appears unreleased and possibly optional, suggesting Google is still testing how to implement it.
Samsung is rolling out a new option letting Gallery app users sync photos and videos directly to Google Photos, replacing the native Microsoft OneDrive integration that shuts down September 30. The feature requires a compatible Samsung phone running Android 13 or later and a personal (non-Workspace, non-supervised) Google account, and is rolling out gradually with availability varying by device, region and account type.
A Hacker News user described being locked out of Google, banking, email and Drive accounts after their phone was stolen, since 2FA and account recovery relied on that device and an old email they could no longer access. The poster noted Google's automated recovery flow offers only options tied to the lost phone or an outdated backup email, leaving no clear path to a human for help.
A man identified as Dave says his 9-year-old son unknowingly spent $118,000 on YouTube ad campaigns promoting his Minecraft and Roblox gameplay videos over roughly three weeks. The charges went through a company credit card Dave had saved to a Google account shared with his son, after he had shown the boy how to run a small $20 promotion. Some of the promoted videos gained hundreds of thousands of views before finance staff flagged the spending.