Issue with Account Duplication and Phone Number Mapping Across Multiple Login Methods in Auth0

Dear Auth0 Community,

I am currently using Auth0 for user authentication and verification in my web application, which allows users to access and manage their assets. However, I’m encountering the following critical issues related to user identity management:

  1. Account Duplication Across Login Methods:
    My system supports multiple login options, including Google Auth, Facebook Auth, Email/Password, and Passwordless via Phone. When a user tries to log in using different methods (e.g., Google and then Email/Password), Auth0 treats each as a separate user, resulting in multiple accounts for the same individual. This behavior fragments user identity and creates a poor experience, especially since all accounts belong to the same real-world user.
  2. Phone Number as Primary Identifier:
    In my system, the phone number is the primary identifier for user records. However, when users sign up via Email/Password, I am unable to update the phone number field in Auth0’s user profile. This limitation prevents me from maintaining a unified user profile and breaks core functionality in my application.

These issues are significantly impacting the consistency and reliability of our user management flow. Ideally, I would like to:

  • Merge or link accounts created through different login providers into a single unified user identity.
  • Have the ability to set or update the phone number (even as a primary identifier) after account creation via any login method.

Hi @ankititsignups,

Welcome to the Auth0 Community and thank you for your post!

You are correct when mentioning that Auth0 treats users signing in from a different connection as individual users. However you can achieve a unified user profile by implementing one of the options presented under our Link User Accounts documentation.

You also have the option of enabling the phone number as a Primary Identifier. You can check out the Flexible Identifiers feature, which allows you to choose from email, username, phone, or a combination of two or more to uniquely identify your users.

Best regards,
Remus