Google’s Firebase Phone Number Verification (PNV) now supports Pakistan. In fact, Firebase announced the expansion on September 28 in a blog post. PTML joined as the country’s first supported carrier in a ten-carrier global update. As a result, Pakistani developers can now use carrier-based phone verification instead of traditional SMS OTP codes.
Firebase PNV works differently from standard SMS verification. Instead of sending a text message with a one-time code, the service contacts the carrier directly. It then pulls the phone number through the device’s SIM. This process typically completes within one to three seconds after the user gives consent with a single tap. Therefore, it removes the friction of waiting for and manually entering SMS codes.
Google first made PNV generally available in May 2026 with seven carriers in six countries. The September 28 update added ten new carriers, bringing the total to seventeen across twelve countries. For instance, Vodafone joined across six markets, including Germany, Greece, and the United Kingdom. In addition, Malaysia gained two new carriers, while Spain added MasOrange.
The feature also offers clear security advantages over SMS-based methods. Since PNV sends no text messages, attackers cannot phish for one-time passcodes. In addition, verification works even with mobile data turned off, as long as the device has an internet connection. Firebase describes PNV as the “third generation” of number verification, after SMS and Silent Network Authentication.
On the pricing side, Pakistan falls at the higher end of Firebase’s PNV rate card. Each successful verification costs $0.108 at Tier 1, which covers up to 99,999 verifications per month. Meanwhile, higher volume tiers bring the cost down slightly to $0.104 and $0.100. Notably, Pakistan and Indonesia share the highest pricing among all twelve listed regions.
The service still carries some limitations for Pakistani developers. Only PTML (Telenor) subscribers can use PNV-based verification for now. Furthermore, PNV currently works only on Android devices. Also, Firebase Authentication does not yet accept PNV tokens directly for sign-in. Still, Firebase notes that new carriers join without requiring any app changes. This means Jazz, Zong, and Ufone users could gain support in future updates.
