Google is silently linking your phone number across all signed-in accounts

Google has implemented a new feature that automatically links users' phone numbers across all signed-in accounts. This change affects Android users who have signed in to their Google accounts on their devices. The feature is intended to simplify the process of setting up and using Google services such as Google Drive, Google Photos, and Google Maps. When users sign in to their Google account on a new device, the system now prompts them to verify their phone number, which is then linked to all their signed-in accounts. This process can be bypassed by disabling the 'Auto-complete phone number' option in the Google account settings. Users can also opt out of this feature by disabling the 'Auto-complete phone number' option in the Google account settings. This change aims to reduce the number of times users need to enter their phone number when signing in to Google services. The feature is not enabled by default, and users can choose to disable it if they prefer not to link their phone number across accounts.