Google prompts are sent to eligible devices signed in to your account. Changing your recovery phone number or SMS verification number does not necessarily remove an old phone from that group.
Check the new phone first
Confirm that the new phone is signed in to the correct Google Account, connected to the internet, and eligible for prompts. On iPhone, check the signed-in Google app used for this purpose; on Android, check the device’s Google account and current Google Play services.
Keep another working verification method available before removing the old phone. A new device or sign-in method may need additional trust checks.
Sign the old device out
- On a trusted accessible device, open Google Account.
- Select Security & sign-in → Manage all devices.
- Identify the old phone and inspect its sessions.
- Sign out the relevant sessions for that phone.
- Check that the entries now show the appropriate signed-out status.
Google’s prompt guide says signing the account out of a device stops prompts there. If there are multiple relevant sessions, review them all. A historical signed-out entry can remain visible afterward.
Distinguish three controls
- Prompt device: an eligible phone signed in to the account.
- SMS number: the destination for a text-based verification method.
- Recovery phone: information used in recovery and security checks.
Updating one does not establish that the other two were updated. Inspect each setting that applies to your account.
Review a retired phone’s other access
If the old device was lost, sold, or shared, also inspect passkeys associated with it. Follow Google’s instructions for manually created passkeys and automatically registered Android passkeys.
Remote sign-out does not erase downloaded files or prepare a phone fully for resale. Follow the manufacturer’s supported removal and reset process when disposing of a device, after preserving needed local information.
Verify a new request
Start a legitimate sign-in and confirm that an available trusted method works. Reject prompts you did not initiate. If you cannot access any method, use official account recovery or the organization’s administrator rather than approving an old-phone request through an unknown intermediary.
Official references
- Sign in with Google prompts
- See devices with account access
- Sign in with a passkey instead of a password
- Turn on 2-Step Verification
Reviewed against Google’s official guidance on October 27, 2026. Available options and screen labels can vary by account, device, region, and organization policy.