Register using phone number

Max

Well-known member
Current xenforo exclusively built around email address as the exclusive registration method.
So we can not even create a custom addon and enable registering using only the phone number.

Big potion of the new generation signup to social media using only phone number. they don't have an email. But even with social media connect option they can not sign in to xenforo.

When you use facebook connect with a FB account created only with a phone number, xenforo ask for the email address.
And they will not be bothered to create an email just to signup to your forum.

If you are serious about your forum, SMS gateway is no big deal. It will keep 99% of the spammers away and people start to value their account coz they can not create unlimited accounts using only disposable email.
If xenforo developers can't add this full phone registration feature, at least give a method to add phone as an unique registration method so we can create a custom addon using it.
 
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If xenforo developers can't add this full phone registration feature, at least give a method to add phone as an unique registration method so we can create a custom addon using it.
This is already technically possible. Email does not have to be set when creating a user through the admin panel, or with imports from other software, so an add-on could definitely add a new registration process without an email address, it just may not be possible to do by extending the default one, and may require an entirely separate process
 
Registering users via email only is a major problem and lends itself to Spammers & Scammers (especially if you have a Classified-like section in your forum). Blocking scammers via IP address doesn't work because they all use VPN now!

Still searching for a good 2FA via SMS add-on to register new members.
 
I would love to see this myself. Not sure it matters much for my current forum, but it is definitely something that is becoming popular and even expected in the social media world.

Still searching for a good 2FA via SMS add-on to register new members.
Would be nice to have even as a 2FA option for members. Email 2FA really is not that secure but not everyone wants to put in the effort to setup an Authenticator app. I use Google Authenticator myself but I work in IT and use 2FA apps a lot for work so I'm an edge case on that front.
 
Problem is that SMS as a MFA method is not very secure.

There is a reason why you used to see SMS in the past but nowadays authenticators are the default...
 
Problem is that SMS as a MFA method is not very secure.

There is a reason why you used to see SMS in the past but nowadays authenticators are the default...
Better than email which is the only alternative to authenticators that we have now. In a work environment, we can force use of authenticators (and we do in my company for AD accounts used for SSO and for our VPN) but forum admins don't really have that luxury so having a slate of user-friendly, reasonably secure options and then encouraging people to use the best one available is probably the best many of us can do.

Someday, I hope that Google and Apple will make authenticators core to their mobile OSes which will simplify things for non-technical users. Google has it now but only for Google accounts.
 
Registering users via email only is a major problem and lends itself to Spammers & Scammers (especially if you have a Classified-like section in your forum). Blocking scammers via IP address doesn't work because they all use VPN now!

Still searching for a good 2FA via SMS add-on to register new members.

I would love to see this myself. Not sure it matters much for my current forum, but it is definitely something that is becoming popular and even expected in the social media world.


Would be nice to have even as a 2FA option for members. Email 2FA really is not that secure but not everyone wants to put in the effort to setup an Authenticator app. I use Google Authenticator myself but I work in IT and use 2FA apps a lot for work so I'm an edge case on that front.

You're both exactly right.

People who don't run sites with classifieds or other high value targets likely don't realize how difficult it is trying to deal with the overwhelming number of scammers these days. Requiring a valid phone number for registration would be a huge step in the right direction. Also, SMS for 2FA might not be the most secure, but it's far better than people not using 2FA at all because it's a pain.

I'd likely be interested in going in with you guys on a custom add-on, depending on the developer :)
 
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