If you see "phone number already in use," do not rush to register again with that same number. One attempt can trigger risk control on the old account. Worse, one phone number can only be linked to one Binance account. There is no "merge" or "overwrite" option. Let us walk through both paths — recovery and starting fresh — before you decide.
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Wrong idea: thinking "registering again" can overwrite the old number
Some people see the message and think, "Can I just register again and push the old number out?"
No. Binance rules are clear: one phone number can only be linked to one account at a time. If you try to register again with the same number, the system will simply say "this phone number is already registered." You will not get past that step. If you force a new registration through other means, the old account may be flagged as abnormal, making recovery even harder later.
Step 1: First confirm what this "in use" actually means
What to do: open the Binance app, enter your phone number on the login page, and tap Next.
What you should see: one of the following three situations.
"This phone number is not registered" — this means the number is not actually taken. You may have entered the wrong number earlier.
"Please enter your password" — this means there is indeed an account linked to this phone number.
"Account frozen or locked" — this means the old account has triggered risk control.
Situation 1 is the most awkward — you typed the wrong phone number when registering. Just go back and enter the correct number. Do not tap "Forgot password" just because of a typo. That will only interfere with the account you actually want to register.
Step 2: Situation 2 — if you remember the password, log in directly
This is the easiest path. Since the phone number is linked to an account, try to log in.
What to do: enter your phone number → tap Next → enter your password. If you can log in, you are in. Nothing else needed.
Done when: after logging in, the homepage shows your assets or a welcome page.
If you forgot the password: on the login page tap Forgot password → enter your phone number → reset the password using the SMS code → log in.
Done when: after resetting the password, you can log in normally.
Risk reminder:
If this account was registered years ago, it may still hold assets. After logging in, go to the Assets page and check the balance. If there is almost nothing left or the account is empty, you can decide whether to keep using this number. If there are still coins in it, do not hesitate — keep the account and use a new phone number to register a new account.
Step 3: Situation 3 — you cannot remember ever having this account
Then do not struggle. Use the "forgot account" appeal process.
What to do: on the Binance login page, tap Need help logging in? or Forgot account. The system will guide you into the appeal process.
Materials you need to prepare:
ID document — ideally the same document you used for KYC.
Record a video — hold your ID and face the camera, then say: "Today is (year month day). I forgot my Binance account for personal reasons. Please help me recover my account information." The video must be recorded in one take. No editing.
Deposit record (optional but recommended) — a deposit record from the past 3 months proving you were the sender of those funds.
Done when: after submitting, the page shows "appeal submitted." Review usually takes 1 business day, excluding weekends.
Common failure reasons: face not fully visible in the video, ID number unclear, wrong date read aloud. Check everything before submitting. Passing on the first try is much faster than fixing a rejected submission.
Step 4: After recovery, can you still use this phone number to register a new account?
No. After recovering the account, this phone number is already linked to the old account. If you want to use this number to register a brand new account, you need to unbind the phone number first.
What to do: log in to the old account → Security → Phone number → tap the edit icon → the system will ask for the SMS code sent to your current phone number → unbind it and link a new number.
But note: after unbinding, withdrawals, internal transfers, and C2C trading will be disabled for up to 48 hours. So if the account is empty, unbinding is painless. If there are assets inside, arrange those funds before unbinding.
After unbinding is complete, this phone number can be used to register a new account. And after linking it to a new account, the old account's withdrawal function will still be restricted for 24 hours.
How to verify that the process is complete
Recovery successful: after entering phone number + password on the login page, you can enter the account homepage normally. If you recovered through an appeal, after receiving the approval email, reset your password and log in following the instructions in the email.
New registration successful: you receive the SMS code, enter it, and the page shows "registration successful," then jumps to the beginner guide page.
The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume,leading in security and liquidity.
New user benefit: Enjoy 20% off trading fees upon registration!
FAQ
Q: I appealed for "forgot account," but my KYC used someone else's ID. What should I do?
A: There is no solution. Binance's appeal process requires the ID document to match the KYC information on the account. You cannot bypass this rule. If the account has no assets, it is better to give it up and register again with a brand new phone number and your own ID.
Q: My old phone number is already canceled and I cannot receive SMS codes. Can I still recover the account?
A: Yes. On the login page, tap Need help logging in? and follow the self-service appeal process. Submit your ID document and video. If you cannot access the email or Google Authenticator either, you need to go through the full reset process for "security verification unavailable." Review may take up to 48 hours.
Q: After recovering the old account, will the assets still be there?
A: Yes. You are recovering the same account. Assets will not be lost because of the recovery process. But if you triggered risk control before, such as a freeze, after recovery the account functions will return to normal and the assets will remain untouched.
