Your phone number and the verification of that number are two separate saves, and Verify later only does the first one. It writes the number to your account so you never have to type it again. It does not send a code, and it does not mark the number as verified. That is why the number is sitting there and the status still reads unverified. Nothing failed and nothing was lost.
To move the status, you have to finish the code.
The code is six digits and it lasts 24 hours
Select Verify next to the number. A six digit code is sent by SMS to the number exactly as you typed it, dial code included. If the SMS cannot be delivered, the same code is emailed to the address on your account instead, so check your inbox before deciding the send failed.
The code is valid for 24 hours from the moment it is sent. Asking for it again inside that window resends the code you already have rather than issuing a new one, so any of the messages you received that day will be accepted.
Two limits, and they count separately
- Five sends per number per 24 hours. Past that you get "Too many OTP requests. Please try again tomorrow." The window is rolling, so the allowance comes back as the older sends age out.
- Five wrong entries per code. Each wrong entry tells you how many attempts are left. After the fifth, that code is spent and you request a new one.
Neither limit locks your account. They only pause that one number.
Editing the number sets it back to unverified
Verification is attached to one exact number. Change the digits or change the dial code, even by one character, and the account goes back to unverified and needs a fresh code. That is deliberate: the old code proved the old number, not the new one. Re-saving the same number does not un-verify it.
Nothing on UNI is locked behind a verified phone
A phone number is optional across the platform, and a verified one unlocks nothing on its own. Very few accounts on UNI carry a phone number at all.
Where it is actually used is the award closure form you fill in after winning a competition, so the team can reach you while a payout is being arranged. Even there, Verify later is accepted: it lets you move past the personal details step with the number saved and the verification still outstanding, and you can finish the code afterwards.
Where the number lives
Your number and its status sit in your account settings under personal information. That is the same record the award closure form reads, so a number verified in settings shows as verified in the form.