Perplexity now demands phone numbers from Pro subscribers with no warning

Perplexity is now requiring SMS-based two-factor authentication (2FA) for many Pro subscribers. Posts on the Perplexity subreddit explain how they’re getting locked out of their Pro accounts until they verify their phone number.

It’s also happening to people who have 2FA already active, and the replies to the post linked above echo similar frustration. People argue that it serves no real purpose and that it’s intentionally forcing them to share their phone numbers.

A lot of users are considering deleting the app if it’s forcing them to use SMS based 2FA, but Perplexity requires phone number verification just to delete your account.

At present, the rollout appears inconsistent. Some users report being blocked on the web interface while maintaining full access through the mobile app.

Official communication about this is confusing. On one hand, Perplexity has quietly updated its website, mentioning that “some” users may be asked to verify their phone numbers before they can continue using the Perplexity app.

This is apparently done for security reasons. The article was updated around a week ago, suggesting that this change to 2FA is recent.

However, a few people have received responses via email that it’s now a mandatory security requirement for both the Android/iOS apps, as well as the website.

The reason for these issues seems to be a crackdown on people who have obtained Perplexity Pro via coupon codes from other countries. It’s common to sell these accounts at a lower price online, and some people who got an account based in Greece are required to verify a phone number from Greece. It fails to verify numbers from other countries.

This rule seemingly applies to all countries, where you need to verify a phone number from the exact country you’ve got the subscription in.

People have tried creative workarounds such as renting a temporary phone number from another country for verification. However, it doesn’t work for everyone. VoIP-based virtual numbers aren’t compatible with the SMS verification system.

Perplexity has officially mentioned that you need to verify your phone number from the same region where you got the subscription. Additionally, you could also try using a VPN, since that may bypass the new rules.

These verification issues add to a growing list of complications for Perplexity this month, following recent reports of undisclosed promotional campaigns and the reported collapse of a partnership deal with Snapchat.

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