Why you need to verify your email or phone
After you post your care request, we ask you to prove we can reach you — and this step matters more than it looks. Your request is only sent to matching providers after you verify. Until then, no provider can see or reply to it, and your Messages page shows the verify screen until you do.
Two ways to verify — pick whichever is easier
Both happen right on the verify screen; you don't have to go anywhere else.
By text: if you shared a US or Canadian (+1) phone number, the screen says "One last step: prove we can reach you". Click Text me a code and we text a 6-digit code to your phone; the button turns into code boxes ("Enter the code we texted to …"). Type the code and click Verify, and your request goes out right away. Text codes work for 10 minutes — Text a new code sends another.
By email: look for an email with the subject "Your Bornbir verification code is [code]". Type the 6-digit code into the boxes on the verify screen and click Verify. The code works for 24 hours and you get five tries; if it has expired or you've mistyped it, click Email a new code (or Resend code) for a fresh one — we send at most three an hour, so use the latest.
Either one is enough. As soon as you verify, your request goes out to matching providers and you land in Messages with "Email verified! Your request is on its way to matching providers." (or, by text, "Phone verified. Your request is now visible to providers.").
One note: if you verified by text only, we still hold off on emailing you about provider replies until your email address is confirmed too — you'll see them in Messages either way, and if a provider sends you an invoice, we text you the link instead. To confirm your email later, log in and go to https://bornbir.com/email_verifications/new, then enter the code we email you.
Sending a message before you've verified
If you write to a provider from Search before verifying, we hold your message and show "Verify your email to send your message to [provider]" (or "One last step: prove we can reach you" if you shared a phone number). Enter your emailed code (or click Text me a code) and the message goes out the moment you verify.
Made a typo?
Click Update email address (or Wrong address? Update it) under the code boxes to correct your address — a new code goes to the right place. You can fix your phone number under Account → Phone number.
Reminders
We'll nudge you: up to three reminder emails ("Your request isn't visible to providers yet") over the first three days, each with a fresh code, plus one text message a few hours after you post if you shared a phone number. Reminders go out at any time of day, so the text may arrive in the evening or overnight.
What happens if you don't verify
Providers never see your request, so no one can reply — and after 7 days, unverified requests are closed automatically. If your request was closed before you verified, it's easy to fix: verify first, then open Care requests and click Re-open — re-opening sends it out to matching providers. If you get stuck, email support@bornbir.com and we'll get it in front of providers for you.