Techniques for implementing phone number-based user accounts with permissions to access varying levels of services utilizing visible and hidden contact addresses

1. A method for managing phone number-based user accounts, the method comprising, at a server computing device:

receiving, from a first client computing device, a request to create a user account based on a phone number;

authenticating that the first client computing device is associated with the phone number;

creating the user account based on the phone number;

creating a hidden contact address based on the phone number, wherein the hidden contact address permits the first client computing device to access only a subset of services that otherwise are accessible using a counterpart visible contact address that is based on the phone number;

assigning the hidden contact address to the user account; and

in response to receiving a notification that a second client computing device is associated with the phone number:

requiring the user account to be updated to be based on a different phone number, or assigning, to the user account, the counterpart visible contact address.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein requiring the user account to be based on the different phone number comprises:

disassociating the phone number from the user account;

associating the different phone number with the user account;

creating a second hidden contact address based on the different phone number; and

assigning the second hidden contact address to the user account.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the user account to the counterpart visible contact address comprises:

creating the counterpart visible contact address based on the phone number; and

assigning the counterpart visible contact address to the user account.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of services:

includes client computing device recovery services and/or cloud sharing services, and excludes both messaging-based communication services and audio/video-based communication services.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the counterpart visible contact address enables the first client computing device to access services that include one or more of:

client computing device recovery services,

cloud sharing services,

messaging-based communication services, or

audio/video-based communication services.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein authenticating that the first client computing device is tied to the phone number comprises:

receiving, from the first client computing device, a first verification that a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) accessible to the first client computing device is associated with the phone number; and/or

receiving, from the first client computing device, a second verification that the first client computing device received a Short Message Service (SMS) code.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification that the second client computing device is authentically tied to the phone number is received in response to:

receiving, from the second client computing device, a first verification that a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) accessible to the second client computing device is associated with the phone number; and/or

receiving, from the second client computing device, a second verification that the second client computing device received a Short Message Service (SMS) code.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor included in a computing device, cause the computing device to manage phone number-based user accounts, by carrying out steps that include:

receiving, from a first client computing device, a request to create a user account based on a phone number;

authenticating that the first client computing device is associated with the phone number;

creating the user account based on the phone numberl

creating a hidden contact address based on the phone number, wherein the hidden contact address permits the first client computing device to access only a subset of services that otherwise are accessible using a counterpart visible contact address that is based on the phone number;

assigning the hidden contact address to the user account; and

in response to receiving a notification that a second client computing device is associated with the phone number:

requiring the user account to be updated to be based on a different phone number, or assigning, to the user account, the counterpart visible contact address.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein requiring the user account to be based on the different phone number comprises:

disassociating the phone number from the user account;

associating the different phone number with the user account;

creating a second hidden contact address based on the different phone number; and

assigning the second hidden contact address to the user account.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein assigning the user account to the counterpart visible contact address comprises:

creating the counterpart visible contact address based on the phone number; and

assigning the counterpart visible contact address to the user account.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the subset of services:

includes client computing device recovery services and/or cloud sharing services, and

excludes both messaging-based communication services and audio/video-based communication services.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the counterpart visible contact address enables the first client computing device to access services that include one or more of:

client computing device recovery services,

cloud sharing services,

messaging-based communication services, or

audio/video-based communication services.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein authenticating that the first client computing device is tied to the phone number comprises:

receiving, from the first client computing device, a first verification that a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) accessible to the first client computing device is associated with the phone number; and/or

receiving, from the first client computing device, a second verification that the first client computing device received a Short Message Service (SMS) code.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the notification that the second client computing device is authentically tied to the phone number is received in response to:

receiving, from the second client computing device, a first verification that a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) accessible to the second client computing device is associated with the phone number; and/or

receiving, from the second client computing device, a second verification that the second client computing device received a Short Message Service (SMS) code.

15. A computing device configured to manage phone number-based user accounts, the computing device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory; storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to carry out steps that include:

receiving, from a first client computing device, a request to create a user account based on a phone number;

authenticating that the first client computing device is associated with the phone number;

creating the user account based on the phone number;

creating a hidden contact address based on the phone number, wherein the hidden contact address permits the first client computing device to access only a subset of services that otherwise are accessible using a counterpart visible contact address that is based on the phone number;

assigning the hidden contact address to the user account; and

in response to receiving a notification that a second client computing device is associated with the phone number:

requiring the user account to be updated to be based on a different phone number, or

assigning, to the user account, the counterpart visible contact address.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein requiring the user account to be based on the different phone number comprises:

disassociating the phone number from the user account;

associating the different phone number with the user account;

creating a second hidden contact address based on the different phone number; and

assigning the second hidden contact address to the user account.

17. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein assigning the user account to the counterpart visible contact address comprises:

creating the counterpart visible contact address based on the phone number; and

assigning the counterpart visible contact address to the user account.

18. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the subset of services:

includes client computing device recovery services and/or cloud sharing services, and

excludes both messaging-based communication services and audio/video-based communication services.

19. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the counterpart visible contact address enables the first client computing device to access services that include one or more of:

client computing device recovery services,

cloud sharing services,

messaging-based communication services, or

audio/video-based communication services.

20. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein authenticating that the first client computing device is tied to the phone number comprises:

receiving, from the first client computing device, a first verification that a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) accessible to the first client computing device is associated with the phone number; and/or

receiving, from the first client computing device, a second verification that the first client computing device received a Short Message Service (SMS) code.