Riot accounts (Valorant, League of Legends) often require phone verification to unlock ranked or curb smurfs — and Riot is strict about virtual numbers. If your local number can’t receive the code, or you want to verify on an overseas region, you can finish with a number that receives SMS. Follow the steps below.

Why Riot asks for phone verification
- Anti-smurf / anti-cheat: ranked requires a verified phone to cut down on throwaway accounts.
- Virtual / VOIP numbers get rejected: Riot blocks these hard — see Real SIM vs virtual numbers.
- One number, one account: a number is usually tied to a single Riot account.
Verify your Riot account with SimSmsBox
Step 1: Pick a country close to your game region
Step 2: Order a number
curl -X POST https://api.simsmsbox.com/api/sms/orders/purchase -H "X-API-Key: psk_xxx" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"service":"riot","country":"US","cardKind":"physical","rentDays":30}'
# -> { "orderId": 140, "phone": "+1xxxxxxxxxx", ... }
Step 3: Enter the number in account settings and request the code
Step 4: Poll to retrieve the code
curl https://api.simsmsbox.com/api/sms/orders/140 -H "X-API-Key: psk_xxx"
# -> { "status": "received", "latestCode": "805392" }
For cadence, see Automated ordering and polling — query every few seconds after ordering, don’t hammer it.
Step 5: Enter the code to finish
Put latestCode back into Riot to finish and unlock the gated feature.
Common issues and fixes
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No SMS at all | Range risk-flagged / no upstream stock | Cancel and swap, see SMS code not arriving |
| ”Number can’t be used for verification” | Virtual / VOIP number rejected | Switch to a real SIM |
| ”Number already in use” | That number is tied to another Riot account | Use a fresh number |
| ”Try again later” | Too many requests | Wait, or switch numbers |
Wrap-up
Riot’s phone gate usually clears with a clean real SIM whose country matches your game region. Request via SMS and poll patiently. Further reading: How to choose an SMS platform.