When Reddit asks for a phone number
Email is Reddit's default way to verify an account. If you signed up with an email, check that inbox first: a verified email is often what a community means when it says your account must be verified to post.
A phone number is a different path. Depending on your region and app version, Reddit may offer sign-up or login with a phone number, and it may ask for a number when it wants extra confidence that an account belongs to a real person. Exactly when this happens can change, so treat it as something that may come up rather than a fixed step.
If you see a phone prompt, the SMS code is short and usually just a number with a reminder not to share it. Type it into Reddit before it expires.
Why use a virtual phone number for Reddit
Reddit is built around usernames, not real names. Many people value that: they talk about health, money, work or relationships in ways they would not want tied to their identity. Linking a personal mobile number to that account creates a link you may not want.
A virtual phone number for Reddit keeps that link out of the picture. Reddit gets a working number, the code reaches you, and your own number stays private.
Free phone number for verification on Reddit: the trade-off
A free phone number for verification on Reddit is possible with the shared numbers on ASMS.ai. They need no registration and cost nothing. But the inbox is public, so anyone can see the code, and because these numbers are used by many people, Reddit may say the number is already in use.
That is acceptable for a one-off code on an account you do not care much about. It is not acceptable if you log in to Reddit with your phone: anyone reading that public inbox could request a login code and read it. For a Reddit account you plan to keep, use a private number, and for phone login, a rental you keep.
Reddit SMS verification not arriving
If the Reddit SMS verification code does not come, check the country code first. A US number needs +1 selected in the phone field.
Next, the number may already be linked to another account, which is common with shared numbers. Use a fresh private number. And give each request a few minutes before pressing resend, because each new request can replace the previous code.
If Reddit refuses the number type, use the ladder: VoIP High Quality from $0.50 first, since a failed code is refunded, then a real UK number, then a private non-VoIP rental.
Use it for privacy, not to get around rules
Reddit's rules forbid ban evasion and using extra accounts to manipulate votes or discussions. A separate number is for keeping your personal number private on your own account. Do not use one to come back after a suspension or to run accounts that break Reddit's or a community's rules.
If a community needs a verified account, read its rules. Many accept a verified email, and some have their own checks that a phone number does not change.
Step by step
Sign in to ASMS.ai and top up your wallet. On the OTP page, choose Reddit and the US pool, then check the price and stock before paying.
Enter the number in Reddit's phone field, wait for the text, and copy the code from your ASMS.ai inbox. If you use phone login, rent a number on the Numbers page instead, so the number stays yours.