I removed a phone number, who do I add it again?

[The Baron]

Hi! Long story short:
-I registered Steam Mobile Authenticator on my phone. It worked, until I reset my phone.
-Can't remove the Authenticator as I don't have the recovery code
-Made a ticket on Steam Support, and got a reply saying they could help me if I gave them the phone number tied to my account
-Gave them the phone number, but they have not replied yet
-Today I started to search help.steampowered.com to see if there was any way i could fix this issue by myself (because Steam Support is slow)
-I managed to remove my phone number from the account

Can they still see what my phone number was before I removed it?
Can I add it again so that they can see it and confirm that I am the owner of the account?
Can they see the phone number I typed in when I bought games? (It's the same number)

What should I do? Register the phone number again (if you can), send an email to them saying I removed it from my account or just wait for them to reply?
Any help here?

[Satoru]

You don't have the recovery code (despite teh fact that it YELLS at you to write it down)

Contact Support to recover your account. You cant do anything since you lost the only thing that would alow you to recover your account

NEXT TIME WRITE THE RECOVERY CODE DOWN

[Tev]

Had you left the phone number, you could've actually used the SMS Restore via Retrieve a Lost Account in the login prompt.

Now it's only the Steam Support that can help you.

You basically threw a key you had in the sink.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Teutep:

Had you left the phone number, you could've actually used the SMS Restore via Retrieve a Lost Account in the login prompt.

DOes that actually work? I've tried that on my alt and if you need to revmove the authenticator then you need the R-code. I've not seen a way to do wit without that?

[Tev]

I didn't go all the way through the process, but here's two windows I did go through just as means of a test.

1. http://i.imgur.com/ckXImA6.png
   
2. http://i.imgur.com/ObgZpe2.png

Either way, OP removed the phone number, so possible or not, that key is in the sink now.

[The Baron]

Originally posted by Teutep:

I didn't go all the way through the process, but here's two windows I did go through just as means of a test.

1. http://i.imgur.com/ckXImA6.png
   
2. http://i.imgur.com/ObgZpe2.png

Either way, OP removed the phone number, so possible or not, that key is in the sink now.

I tried. You need the R-code.

Originally posted by Satoru:

You don't have the recovery code (despite teh fact that it YELLS at you to write it down)

Contact Support to recover your account. You cant do anything since you lost the only thing that would alow you to recover your account

NEXT TIME WRITE THE RECOVERY CODE DOWN

I know, I know. I screenshotted it, and a week later when going through my pictures I deleted the screenshot which had the R code on it. I should have taken a closer look before deleting most of my screenshots......

But anyway, my question is what I do with Steam Support. Here is the short story of the conversation:
Me: Hi, i lost my authenticator and recovery code please help
Steam: Ok tell me your phone number tied to the account and I'll remove the authenticator for you
Me: Okay here it is along with my email and account name

3 days later I accidentally removed my phone number, woopsie. Should I tell them that I removed it in a new message, or wait until they reply and see what they say?

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Teutep:

I didn't go all the way through the process, but here's two windows I did go through just as means of a test.

1. http://i.imgur.com/ckXImA6.png
   
2. http://i.imgur.com/ObgZpe2.png

Either way, OP removed the phone number, so possible or not, that key is in the sink now.

Interesting in the STeam beta they reveamped the process and it's all 'online' rather than being client driven. The way to remove the autehticator online is purely vai the R-code. They will send you a temp recovery via SMS, but to remove the authenticator entirely you have to use the Rcode

[Tev]

Just tested it, I did NOT need a Recovery Code.

1. http://i.imgur.com/8pQePNL.png
   
2. http://i.imgur.com/LCBrvcG.png

Next login SteamGuard code was sent to my e-mail as if without the Mobile Guard, my account page suggests e-mail verification again.

Trade & Market restricted for 7 days, naturally!

Thus I have no idea why OP says it didn't work.

SMS came from the same number as the verification for it in the first place.

[The Baron]

Originally posted by Teutep:

Just tested it, I did NOT need a Recovery Code.

It swapped it to my e-mail.

1. http://i.imgur.com/8pQePNL.png
   
2. http://i.imgur.com/LCBrvcG.png

Thus I have no idea why OP says it doesn't work.

When i tried it in browser I needed the recovery code. I'll try it on another computer; losing access to all my games for weeks just for testing a solution that most likely won't work is not a risk I'm willing to take. Strange that you need a recovery code in-browser, but you don't have to have it if you just use the Steam client...

[Tev]

That's because what I did was on the client's login prompt > Retrieve a Lost Account.

This cannot be accessed on the web-browser.

[The Baron]

Originally posted by Teutep:

That's because what I did was on the client's login prompt > Retrieve a Lost Account.

This cannot be accessed on the web-browser.

I tried the same thing you did, but it didnt' work:
1. http://bildr.no/image/c2REbmpD.jpeg
2. http://bildr.no/image/aWNwVXQ5.jpeg
3. http://bildr.no/image/MlZQWjUy.jpeg

Weird.

[Tev]

Because I chose the latter (SECOND) option here:
http://i.imgur.com/ObgZpe2.png
I chose

Send an SMS code to my phone.

I just hadn't checked the bubble yet in the picture. (Apparently a mistake.)

If you can't see the option, it's likely due to this

Originally posted by BaronSwitched:

-I managed to remove my phone number from the account

Which is why my first response.

Sorry I couldn't be of use.

EDIT: While knowing it likely bears no fruit, resetting phone number requires Mobile Guard Auth -key, so that's a no go for you unfortunately.

Thus, since the number is gone and you don't have the recovery code.

-> http://support.steampowered.com

[The Baron]

Steam Support fixed for me. Thanks for the tip though, will try not to delete the recovery code this time..

[Tev]

Originally posted by BaronSwitched:

Steam Support fixed for me. Thanks for the tip though, will try not to delete the recovery code this time..

Should you lose it next time, don't delete the phone number; and recover via the login prompt's Retrieve a Lost Account. :)

It hasn't been made the most clear an option, but now you know.

[Jercouzen]

I finally figured out why some are required to use BOTH the Rxxxxx code and SMS, while some are using SMS only for recovery.

The ones with beta participation active get a web-based recovery (help.steampowered.com in a Steam-wrapped browser), while non-beta users get a client-based recovery interface that requires SMS only.

For those still locked out by the mobile authenticator, and still have a phone number attached, you can just clean uninstall Steam to remove the beta settings. Install Steam again, then use the client-based recovery.