URGENT: Unable to Access Codex Because It Requires a Deactivated Old Phone Number

ChatGPT Support
, ,
1

Hello, I’m very sorry if this is not in the correct place, but this is the best I could find.but I urgently need help with Support Case 11465182. I have been a devoted OpenAI user since the GPT-3 era and a deeply devoted, long-time fan. Codex is extremely important to me and central to my work.

I am a paid ChatGPT Pro/Codex user, but I am completely blocked from using Codex because it requires verification of an old phone number that I no longer have access to.

I currently live in Boston, Massachusetts. My former Japanese +81 phone number was permanently deactivated, while my current U.S. +1 number is active and already configured in my ChatGPT MFA settings.

During Codex sign-in, my password is accepted successfully, followed by successful verification with the device-bound passkey/security key registered on my computer. Only afterward does Codex require an additional SMS or WhatsApp code through the inaccessible old Japanese number.

I am not requesting a general account phone-number change. I only need Codex to stop depending on the deactivated +81 number so I can access my long-standing account normally.

This account and Codex access are truly essential to my work.

I would be deeply grateful for your help. Thank you very much.

My situation:

I can successfully log in to my OpenAI account.I can access ChatGPT normally.I can prove account ownership through my email and Apple subscription/payment history.The problem only happens when trying to access Codex.Codex redirects me to verify this phone number: +81 ending in 5682

The biggest issue is that there is no recovery path:

No option to replace the old phone number.No option to verify ownership through existing authentication methods.No option to use my active session, billing information, or MFA as an alternative.A phone number should not become a permanent lock preventing a legitimate account owner from accessing a paid product.

Please consider adding an account recovery flow that allows verified users to replace inaccessible legacy phone numbers after additional security checks.

This issue is especially serious for paid users because we can lose access to a product we already subscribed to.

Thank you.

@OpenAI_Support

2

Hello @OpenAI_Support,

I am very sorry to follow up again, but I have now received a response on Case 11465182 stating that there is no recovery path and that I must create a new account.

I respectfully ask that my case not be treated as a general phone-number change request or closed on that basis. My password and device-bound passkey are both verified successfully. Only afterward does Codex require a separate SMS or WhatsApp code through my permanently deactivated Japanese +81 number, while my current U.S. +1 number is already active in ChatGPT MFA.

This is my long-standing primary OpenAI account, which I have used since the GPT-3 era. It has an active paid subscription, account history, settings, and ongoing work that cannot simply be replaced by creating a new account.

OpenAI Support has publicly acknowledged in the OpenAI Developer Community that multiple users are experiencing this same Codex phone-verification issue, has requested affected users’ case numbers, and has indicated that cases are being reviewed with the internal team:

Could you please keep Case 11465182 open, link it to the Codex legacy phone-verification issue, and have it reviewed by the appropriate Codex authentication, identity, or engineering team for any available account-specific mitigation or reset?

I can fully verify account ownership through my existing authentication methods, email, and billing history. This is genuinely urgent and is currently preventing me from continuing my work.

I would be deeply grateful for your help. Thank you very much.