How to find accounts and apps linked to your phone number

It’s easy to lose track of all the accounts and apps that asked for your phone number.

The catch is that those forgotten accounts often pose a risk to your privacy—whether it’s weak security, shady privacy policies, or just bad luck.

But you can track them down using your smartphone.

And we’re here to show you how: step-by-step.

Let’s dive in!

How to find accounts linked to your phone number?

Here’s how you can track down accounts and apps that have your phone number:

1. Check your phone’s password manager for saved login details	Jump to the section
2. Review app permissions to see which apps have access to your phone number	Jump to the section
3. Look at social sign-ins for accounts created using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn	Jump to the section
4. Search your inbox with specific terms to find more accounts linked to your email	Jump to the section
5. Use Google to search for your phone number or email address online	Jump to the section
6. Search your browser to find saved accounts	Jump to the section

Keep reading to learn how to do that in detail.

Before we move on

This article will show you how to find accounts linked to your own phone number.

If you’re looking for ways to find someone else’s accounts, you won’t find that here or anywhere else on our site.

Why it’s worth keeping track of accounts using your phone number

It doesn’t take much for a data breach to happen.

Just one compromised WordPress plugin can cause data leaks. It’s no surprise that hackers often target smaller sites with weaker security, rather than the big companies.

So, what does this mean for you?

It’s simple—the more accounts you have, the greater your risk of being caught in a breach.

Here’s why it’s worth checking those old accounts:

• Security: Forgotten accounts with weak protection are vulnerable to breaches.
• Reduce spam: Old accounts might be the source of spam calls or emails.
• Data control: Manage or delete your info to prevent misuse.
• Cleanup: Cleaning up unused accounts reduces risks.
• Prevent identity theft: Knowing which services have your data helps detect fraud.
• Subscription management: Cancel old subscriptions to avoid unwanted charges.

Method 1: Check your phone’s password manager

Both iOS and Android have built-in password managers that store your login details.

If you signed up to an app or an account using your telephone number, you will see it in your password manager.

On Android, the exact steps may vary depending on your device. Below, we’ll walk you through the process on a Samsung Galaxy.

As a general rule, look for “autofill service from Google,” “Google autofill,” or a similar option.

To access passwords on an iPhone:	To access passwords on an Android phone (Samsung Galaxy):
– Go to “passwords” on your home screen – Scroll down and tap “open passwords” – Unlock passwords and tap “all” to access your saved passwords.	– Go to “settings,” scroll down to “Google” and tap on it – Tap “all services,” then scroll down to “autofill & passwords” and tap “autofill with Google” – Tap “Google Password Manager” – Review the passwords and logins saved.

Need more instructions?

To access passwords on an iPhone: 

1. Go to “settings,” then “apps.” Alternatively, look for the “passwords” app in your home screen (and skip to step 3).
2. Scroll down the alphabetical list to “P” and tap “passwords.”
3. Scroll down and tap “open passwords.”
4. Unlock passwords and tap “all” to access your saved passwords.

To access passwords on an Android phone:

1. Go to “settings,” scroll down to “Google” and tap on it.
2. Tap “all services.”
3. Scroll down to “autofill & passwords” and tap “autofill with Google.”

4. Tap “Google Password Manager.”
5. Review the passwords and logins saved.

Method 2: Review app permissions

Another way to find apps linked to your phone number is by checking your app permissions.

The logic here is simple—if an app has access to your contacts, it also knows your number.

You may be surprised how many apps ask for this permission, even if it’s not required for their primary functionality. 

Below are quick instructions for accessing permissions on an iPhone and on a Samsung Galaxy phone—on other Android devices, the exact steps may vary. 

You can also use the search function in your phone’s settings and look for keywords like “permissions manager,” “app permissions,” or similar.

Check app permissions on an iPhone:	Check app permissions on an Android phone:
– Go to “settings” and tap “privacy & security” – Check all apps that can access “contacts.”	– Go to “settings” and tap “security and privacy” – Scroll to the bottom and tap “more privacy settings” – Scroll a bit further down and tap “permission manager” – Review apps with access to your telephone, SMS, contacts, and call logs.

Need more instructions?

Check app permissions on an iPhone: 

1. Go to “settings” and tap “privacy & security.”
2. Check all apps that can access “contacts.”

Check app permissions on an Android phone:

1. Go to “settings” and tap “security and privacy.”
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap “more privacy settings.”
3. Scroll a bit further down and tap “permission manager”
4. Review apps with access to your telephone, SMS, and contacts.

Method 3: Look at social sign-ins 

Increasingly, some websites offer social media profiles as a sign-in option when signing up for a new account. 

It’s an easy one-click solution. There’s a catch, though—

You can’t really control what data you share with the platform and may end up giving your number away.

Find accounts opened with Facebook	Find accounts opened with Instagram
– Open the Facebook app or website and tap the menu (three lines) – Tap the gear icon – Scroll to “your activity and permissions” and select “apps and websites” – View connected and removed apps and websites.	– Open the Instagram app or website and tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner – Tap three horizontal lines to access the “settings and activity” menu – Scroll down and tap “app website permissions” – Tap “apps and websites” to see a list of apps and websites linked to your Instagram account.
Find accounts opened with X (Twitter)	Find accounts opened with LinkedIN
– On Twitter (X), tap your profile picture and under “settings and support” select “settings and privacy” – Tap “security and account access”  – Tap “apps and sessions” to manage app access – Go back to “security and account access”  – Then, select “connected accounts” to view and manage linked social accounts.	– Open LinkedIn web app and log in – Click on your profile picture or “me” icon, then select “settings & privacy” – Go to the “data privacy” section – Click on “permitted services” to view the websites and services that can access your LinkedIn data.

Need more instructions?

How to find accounts you created with Facebook:

1. Open the Facebook app.
2. Tap or click the menu icon (three horizontal lines in the top corner).
3. Tap the gear icon.
4. Scroll to “your activity and permissions” and select “apps and websites” to see the list of apps and websites connected to your Facebook account.

How to find accounts associated with X (Twitter):

1. Open X (Twitter) and tap your profile picture in the upper left corner.
2. Under “settings and support” select “settings and privacy.”
3. Tap “security and account access.”  
4. Select “connected apps” to see and remove apps linked to your account or “connected accounts” to view and manage other social accounts linked to Twitter.

How to find social sign-ins on Instagram:

1. Open the Instagram app or website.
2. Tap/click your profile picture in the bottom right to access your profile page.
3. Tap the three horizontal lines to access the “settings and activity” menu.
4. Scroll down to the section named “your app and media” and tap “app website permissions.”
5. Tap “apps and websites” to see a list of apps and websites that you’ve allowed to access your Instagram account.

How to find accounts linked to LinkedIn:

1. Go to the LinkedIn website or app and log in with your email and password.
2. Click your profile picture or the “me” icon in the top right corner.

3. Then select “settings & privacy” from the drop down menu.

4. Look for the “data privacy” section and click on it.

5. Scroll down to the “other applications” section and click on “permitted services” to see which websites and services can access your LinkedIn information.

Method 4: Search your inbox

Going through your email can help you remember accounts you might have forgotten about. 

By checking your inbox, you can find emails for account verifications, order confirmations, bookings, feedback, and cancellations. 

These emails usually have unique subject lines, so they’re easy to spot. 

Just type some common keywords into your inbox’s search bar to find them.

Here are some examples of what to look for:

• order (e.g., “Your order is on its way!”)
• confirmation
• verify
• welcome
• contact
• cancel
• confirm
• deal
• password

Looking for more?

Orders	Bookings	Accounts
– order – purchase – invoice – delivered	– booked – confirmation – event – reservation	– verify – settings – update – access
Registration	Communication	Cancellations
– welcome – registration – sign up – newsletter – subscription	– feedback – message – contact	– cancel – renewal – miss
Verification	Promotions	Security
– verify – code – confirm – identity – email address	– offer – discount – latest – wish list – deal	– security – alert – unusual activity – password – compromised – authentication – login – activity

Method 5: Use Google

Who would have guessed? 

Sometimes, the simplest ideas can be very effective. 

Just try searching your phone number on Google and see what you find. 

You should also try other search engines because each one has its own way of ranking results.

Some tips when searching:

• Search with your number: Type your phone number, including the area code and any dashes.
• Use quotes: Put your number in quotes to find exact matches (e.g., “123-456-7890”).
• Try different formats: Check your number with and without dashes or spaces.

Method 6: Find clues in your browser

By checking your browser history and browser’s saved accounts, you can easily access all the websites you have visited and the accounts you have created. 

Additionally, browsers store favorites, bookmarks, and other traces of past activity.

• See history: Search for terms like “login,” “account,” “register,” “verification.”
• Check saved accounts: Go to your browser settings to find saved passwords or accounts.
• Look at bookmarks: Check your bookmarks or favorites to see websites you visit often.

Not sure how to check saved accounts?

Google Chrome	Mozilla Firefox
– Open Chrome and click on the vertical three dots in the top right corner – Select “settings” – Click on “autofill and passwords” and then “Google Password Manager” to see saved accounts.	– Open Firefox and click on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner – Select “settings” – Click on “privacy & security” and scroll down to “passwords” – Click “saved passwords” to see saved accounts.
Microsoft Edge	Safari
– Open Edge and click on the three horizontal dots in the top right corner – Select “settings” – Click  “passwords and autofill” and then “Microsoft password manager” to view saved accounts.	– Open Safari and click on “safari” in the top menu – Select “settings” – Click on the “passwords” tab to see saved accounts.

FAQ