SimSmsBox Short answer: Free public numbers mostly don’t work — they are shared inboxes, so the number was registered years ago and your code is readable by strangers. An overseas number can register a Bilibili account fine. The wall further in is real-name verification.
Two questions get tangled together here: whether free numbers work, and whether overseas numbers work. The first is mostly no. The second is yes, up to a point.
Bilibili has three tiers
| Tier | Requirement | What it unlocks | Overseas number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not registered | Nothing | Watching most videos | Not needed |
| Phone bound | SMS code | Login, likes, coins, favourites | Works |
| Full member | Quiz or invite code | Comments and on-screen danmaku | Works, unrelated to the number |
| Real-name verified | Mainland Chinese ID | Livestream, shop, tipping, payouts | Blocked |
Most “I can’t register” complaints are really “I’m stuck at a tier”. If you only want to watch, you don’t need an account at all. If you want to post danmaku, the blocker is the membership quiz, not your number. Only the paid and broadcast features are genuinely out of reach.
Why free receive-SMS numbers fail
“Free virtual number” usually means one of two things, and both have a structural flaw:
- Public inbox sites. The number is listed on a web page and anyone can read every message it receives. So your verification code is public — and the number was almost certainly used to register Bilibili long before you found it, which is why you hit “this number is already registered”.
- Free tiers on paid platforms. These tend to be the worst-scoring ranges, and delivery is often refused upstream.
The full picture is in free SMS platforms: what still works, and the security angle in are SMS receive platforms safe. Registering on a public inbox hands account recovery to the entire internet.
What happens to an account registered on a public number
Even if signup succeeds, you inherit three problems:
- Anyone can start a recovery. Type the number on the login page, request a code, read it off the public page. The account is theirs.
- The number gets reassigned. Free pools rotate constantly — see recycled phone numbers.
- A device change locks you out. Unusual logins prompt an SMS check you can’t receive.
Fine for an account you use once. Not fine once you have favourites, coins spent, or anything attached to payment.
The membership quiz is not a number problem
Overseas users often assume they can’t comment because of their phone number. They can’t comment because full membership requires passing a quiz or using an invite code. That is a community gate, identical for everyone regardless of country. The phone number governs login; membership governs speech.
What real-name verification blocks
- Livestreaming, tipping, the merch shop, payouts — mainland ID required.
- Watching, liking, coins, favourites, danmaku — no identity check, overseas numbers are fine.
The line is the same one Douyin and RedNote draw: money and public broadcast require identity. Compare can you register Douyin with a foreign number and can you register RedNote with a foreign number.
Choosing a number that actually works
A paid per-code number. A tier above free ranges, and the inbox is yours alone. Good for accounts you won’t need to recover — process in the overseas SMS verification tutorial.
A number you keep. Real SIM, eSIM, or a dedicated rental. Worth it the moment the account matters — routes compared in how to get a foreign phone number.
If you specifically want a +86 number. Availability is its own topic — see China (+86) numbers on SMS platforms.
When the code doesn’t arrive
- Check the country selector and number format — see international phone number format.
- Assume the number is already registered and try a different one rather than retrying.
- Consider range reputation — see phone number reputation.
- Wait out rate limiting — see “too many verification attempts”.
- Full checklist: SMS not arriving on the platform.
In short
The problem with free numbers isn’t the price, it’s that they are public and already used. A code anyone can read is not a credential, and a number registered years ago won’t clear step one. Overseas numbers register Bilibili accounts perfectly well and reach the danmaku tier; livestreaming and shopping need mainland identity, which no number solves. For judging range quality, see how to identify a virtual number.