How long does a verification code take? What 56 codes showed
In short
- Half of all codes came within 35 seconds, and 53 of 56 within 3 minutes.
- If nothing has come after 3 minutes, ask the app once more, then try a new number.
- A code that never comes is rarely just slow: usually the app didn’t send it.
We timed every verification code our numbers received from our launch on 16 October to 5 November 2026: 56 codes from 17 apps, including Whatnot, Discord, Vinted, TikTok and WhatsApp. The clock starts when the number is issued and stops when the SMS reaches us.
Most codes come fast
- Half arrived within 35 seconds.
- 41 of the 56 arrived within a minute.
- 49 arrived within 2 minutes, and 53 within 3 minutes.
- The slowest took 14 minutes.
Those times include typing the number into the app and asking for the code, so the text itself often took only seconds.
After 3 minutes, a code probably isn’t coming
Only 3 of the 56 codes came after the 3-minute mark. If nothing has arrived by then, ask the app to send the code once more with its resend button. If that doesn’t bring it, the app most likely isn’t sending to that number, and a new number is the better bet.
Why a code doesn’t come at all
A code that never arrives is rarely just slow. More often the app decided not to send it: the number is already linked to another account, the app doesn’t send to that kind of number or that country, or it sent the code by voice call or email instead. Our guide to codes that don’t arrive goes through each one.
Some apps also pause verification after several numbers in a row. Vinted’s help centre, for example, says it switches off phone verification for 2 hours if you enter the wrong number too many times.
Not every number gets a code, so try again
Not every number gets a code, so it can take a few tries. On ReserveSMS, a number that doesn’t get a code costs you nothing: cancel it, or let the 20-minute window run out, and the money goes straight back to your balance for another number. After 3 minutes with nothing, the order page says so, and a new number in the same country is two taps away.
How we counted
Every order on ReserveSMS from 16 October to 5 November 2026 that received a code, timed from the moment the number was issued to the first SMS. Orders that never got a code aren’t in the timings. The figures are as of 5 November 2026.
Common questions
How long should I wait for a verification code?
A minute or two for most codes. In our timings, 53 of 56 arrived within 3 minutes, and the slowest took 14.
Should I keep asking for a new code?
Ask once, with the app’s resend button, then wait. Asking again and again can cancel the earlier code or make the app pause sending.
Why did my verification code never arrive?
Usually the app didn’t send it: the number was already linked to another account, the app doesn’t send to that kind of number or country, or it sent the code by call or email instead.