SMS verification
SMS verification is the check where a service sends a code by text message and only proceeds once you type that code back.
In detail
It survives because a phone number is expensive to obtain at scale and instant to check. For the service it is a rate limit on new accounts; for you it is a step that requires a number in the right country. Median delivery here is under nine seconds, but the failure that actually costs you time is a silent rejection of the range before any message is generated.
Also known as
- phone verification
- sms otp
- number confirmation
Related terms
- OTP, one-time passwordAn OTP is a short code, valid once and for a few minutes, that a service sends to prove you control a phone number.
- ActivationAn activation is one order for a single verification code: one number, one service, one SMS, charged only when the code arrives.
- Delivery rateThe delivery rate is the share of orders on one service and country that actually received a code in the last 24 hours.