What Happens to Location Sharing
When Your Phone Number Changes
A new SIM, a ported number, or a lost connection to an old one — since your account identity is the number you signed in with, a number change needs one deliberate step, not a fresh start.
July 2026 · 5 min read
Why This Is Different From Just Getting a New Phone
Switching to a new phone but keeping the same number is simple — logging in with that number brings back the same account automatically. A number change is a different situation: the account's identity is the number itself, so signing in with a new one, without recovering the old account first, creates a fresh account with no circle, no history, and no subscription attached.
The Right Order of Steps
Recover access to the existing account first
Before signing in fresh with the new number, use account recovery to link the new number to the existing account — this preserves circle membership, history, and subscription status.
Let family circle members know the number changed
Other members may have the old number saved for calls or WhatsApp separate from the app — worth a heads-up so contact details stay in sync outside the app too.
Double-check the circle still shows the right membership after the switch
A quick look at the circle screen confirms the recovery worked as expected before relying on it.
What Happens If the Old Number Is Simply Lost
If access to the old number is genuinely gone — the SIM is deactivated and can't receive an OTP — recovery still starts from the account recovery flow rather than a fresh signup, since a fresh account starts completely empty. If recovery itself needs the old number for verification and it's unavailable, that's the specific case worth reaching out to support about directly, rather than working around it by creating a new account.
Number Porting (Same Number, New Carrier) Needs Nothing Extra
Porting a number to a different carrier while keeping the number itself doesn't affect the account at all — the account is tied to the number, not the carrier behind it. There's no action needed here beyond the porting process itself.