I almost lost my phone number of 20 years, and here’s what I learned

Earlier this month, I received a notification to make a chargeable call on my prepaid SIM card to avoid my number being de-activated. The notification comes whenever I’ve almost gone 90 days without making a chargeable transaction on the network and it serves to keep my number alive. I’ve been able to reliably do this since 2017 when I first switched my mobile plan from a contract to prepaid.

But between switching phones and no longer having a copy of the SMS notification, as well as traveling for a launch event, I forgot to make the call in time. When I woke up the following Monday and remembered to make the call, I was greeted with the grim realization that my number had been deactivated.

While I was eventually able to get my number reactivated, the hours I spent panicking over losing access to a number I’ve had for over 20 years made me realize a few things.

At first, when I realized that my number was deactivated, I thought about simply changing my secondary SIM to my main number. After all, I would receive fewer spam calls since this number hadn’t been used during the days of aggressive data harvesting when it was legal to sell lists of phone numbers to marketing services. It’s thanks to a privacy law that went into effect in 2020 in South Africa that the ability for companies to use your number without your consent has been drastically reduced. But by that point, I had been using the same phone number for over 15 years — since I was a teenager.

But then I remembered all the accounts linked to my phone number. It’s easy enough to change your WhatsApp phone number — but then I considered the 2FAs linked to multiple accounts, as well as the logins for multiple services I use. For example, in South Africa, Disney+ is registered to your phone number and requires you to verify sign-ins using a code sent via SMS. My Uber account, as well as various delivery apps, also require my number to log in. Evening switching my Steam Guard device required an SMS one-time password.

It’s one thing when you still have access to the old number to switch over and receive the OTPs you need to transition to a new number. But with my SIM card deactivated, I couldn’t receive any messages or calls. I also quickly realized how many services sent me SMS reminders — messages from my pharmacy to let me know when my medication was ready to collect (as well as the code needed to access my medication in a locker), as well as reminders from the vet when it was time to get my cats vaccinated or when my arthritic cat’s medication was ready to collect.

The initial nonchalance quickly turned into panic, and I contacted the customer service of my mobile network to get my number reactivated as soon as possible.

After a few hours of back-and-forth with customer service via online chat, my number was reactivated. This calmed me, as I knew that my number wouldn’t be reallocated to someone else. But the process wasn’t over.

While my number was active again on the network, I still couldn’t receive messages or calls. I had to register my number to my identity again, despite only being deactivated for a day or two. A local law called RICA requires people to register their SIM card by providing ID and proof of address before they can use it.

Some mobile networks have been trying to make the process easier by allowing users to RICA their SIM card through digital channels. But when I tried to do this on the mobile network’s app, the app delivered an error. I was then told that I would have to register my SIM in person at one of the network’s stores.

It’s because of RICA that I haven’t switched to an eSIM, because with chronic pain, fatigue, and migraines; the busy malls that host these network stores are the last place I want to be. Proof of residence can also be difficult to get if you don’t have water and internet accounts in your own name.

Since the app wasn’t working, and I was stricken with anxiety over the work-related calls and important messages or courier notifications I might be missing, I went to the network store in the closest mall. This disrupted my entire day, pushing back work I had planned to do. But luckily, once I was in the store, the rep helping me was able to re-activate my old SIM card so it would start working again.

I’ve been using a dual-SIM setup for years now, mainly to keep my old number active while also using the more affordable data and voice plan I get from another network on my secondary SIM. Having two SIMs has also been useful in the past when in remote areas where one network may have a signal but not the other. It’s part of why I always get dual-SIM Android phones.

But after nearly losing my number, I’ve realized it’s probably a better idea to get my old number ported to the network I use more actively. This way I don’t risk losing it when missing the recharge notification during a busy week.

At the same time, porting my number also comes with its own challenges. I will need a new SIM card, which again requires RICA registration. There will also be a period where my number is offline on the old network while it is ported to the new network, presenting the same challenges as having my number deactivated. I won’t be able to receive OTPs, receive calls from delivery drivers, or get SMS reminders.

I also don’t trust the process to be as painless as online guides state. For example, the app for my mobile network is frequently touted as the best way to register your number. But when I went into the store to register my SIM again, the rep told me that the app never works for registration. So this also makes me wonder if the process for porting my number will be as seamless as the network’s online resources claim.

I’ve been saying I need to get out more, but rushing to a busy mall when I’m supposed to be doing work is not what I had in mind. I thought that my reliance on my phone number would have diminished over the years due to authenticator apps and the high use of email verification.

But when I was faced with losing the number I’ve had for more than 20 years, I realized I don’t only use it to keep in touch with contacts. It remains an integral part of my life and I think we don’t realize just how much we rely on it until we risk losing it. In fact, the last time I lost access to my number was in university, when my phone was stolen — and I think I was actually less reliant on it then.