My Chinese phone number got recycled and I lost access to EVERYTHING
So I left China for 3 months. Didn't top up my phone. Came back. Tried to log into Alipay."Please verify with SMS code."
No problem, I'll just... wait. The number doesn't work anymore.
Called China Mobile. "Your number was deactivated after 90 days of no use. It has been reassigned to a new customer."
What I lost access to:
• Alipay (tied to that number)
• WeChat (same)
• My bank app
• Didi
• Meituan
• Basically my entire digital life in China
The recovery process:
1. Bought a NEW SIM card with a NEW number
2. Went to Alipay with passport + new number + old account info
3. After 3 days of back-and-forth, they transferred my account to the new number
4. WeChat was easier — just changed number in settings
5. Bank app required a branch visit
6. Everything else had to be re-linked manually
Total time to fix: 5 days
Stress level: 9/10
How to prevent this:
• Top up your phone EVERY month, even if you're not in China
• Minimum top-up is like ¥10. Just do it.
• Or port your number to a plan that keeps it active longer
• Write down ALL your account recovery info before you leave
I knew this could happen. I just... forgot. Don't be me.
Anyone else lost a number? Was your recovery easier or harder?
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