Apple Inc.

Guozhi Huang

Daniel Ben Pollack

Nicholas Joseph Circosta

Vitalii Kramar

Lauren Elise Tappana

Nelson M Leduc

Robert D Butler

Xudong Liu

Jonathon Sodos

Andrew J Daley

This application sets forth techniques for managing phone number-based user accounts. According to some embodiments, a server computing device can be configured to carry out the steps of (1) receiving, from a first client computing device, a request to create a user account based on a phone number, (2) in response to authenticating that the first client computing device is associated with the phone number: creating the user account based on the phone number, creating a hidden contact address based on the phone number, and assigning the hidden contact address to the user account, and (3) in response to receiving a notification that a second client computing device is associated with the phone number: requiring the user account to be updated to be based on a different phone number, or assigning, to the user account, a visible contact address based on the phone number.

Techniques for implementing phone number-based user accounts with permissions to access varying levels of services utilizing visible and hidden contact addresses

Implementations of the subject technology provide for storing a temporary certificate on a mobile device for accessing services in association with a primary number. A device determines that a first subscriber identity module (SIM) card, previously used by the device, is not available for use by the device. The device determines that a second SIM card is available for use by the first device within a predetermined time period after the first SIM card is determined to be not available for use by the device. The device confirms that a communication identifier of the first SIM card is strongly tied to a user account associated with the device. The device stores a temporary certificate that attests to continued ownership of the communication identifier by the device and allows the device to access at least one service in association with the communication identifier.

Maintaining access to services via SIM card

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San Mateo, CA, United States of America

Guozhi Huang