How to Use Microsoft Authenticator App

What Microsoft Authenticator Does

Microsoft Authenticator helps confirm that the person signing in is really you. After you enter an account name and password, the app may display a notification asking you to approve or deny the sign-in.

Some sign-ins use number matching. The sign-in screen shows a number, and you enter or select that number in Authenticator. The app may then ask for your fingerprint, face, or device passcode.

Authenticator can also generate verification codes that change regularly. These codes can work when push notifications or mobile data are unavailable. For certain accounts, the app can support passwordless sign-in, allowing an app approval and device confirmation to replace the account password.

The choices you see depend on the account and its security settings. A workplace or school administrator may require particular methods. A personal Microsoft account or an account from another provider may offer different options.

Install and Open the App

1. Open the app store provided with your phone.
2. Search for Microsoft Authenticator.
3. Check that the app name and Microsoft as the publisher match the official listing. Avoid download pages, copied apps, and installation files from other sources.
4. Confirm that the store marks the app as compatible with your phone, then install it.
5. Open Authenticator and follow the introductory prompts. Allow notifications if you want to receive sign-in approval requests.

Keep the account setup page open on a computer or another device if possible. You may need to scan a QR code displayed there. Also keep your phone unlocked and have the account password or another approved verification method ready.

Add an Account

In Authenticator, select the option to add an account, often shown as a plus sign. Choose the category that matches the account:

• Choose work or school account for an account managed by an employer, school, or other organization.
• Choose personal Microsoft account for your own Microsoft account.
• Choose the option for another account when a supported service provides a standard authenticator QR code or setup key.

On the account’s official security or sign-in settings page, begin the process for adding an authenticator app. The page should display a QR code. In Authenticator, choose to scan a QR code, allow camera access if requested, and place the code inside the frame.

If scanning is not possible, look for an option such as entering a code manually. Carefully type the account name and secret key shown by the service. Do not share the QR code or secret key; either one may let another person generate verification codes.

Complete the test requested by the account. This may be an approval notification or a verification code. Do not close the setup page until it confirms that Authenticator was registered successfully.

Approve a Sign-In Request

After starting a sign-in, open the Authenticator notification or open the app directly. Check the account name and any details shown. If number matching appears, enter or select the number displayed on the sign-in screen.

Approve the request, then complete any fingerprint, face, PIN, or device-passcode check required by your phone or account. Return to the original screen and wait for the sign-in to finish.

Reject any request you did not initiate. Do not approve repeated prompts just to make them stop. If unexpected requests continue, review the account’s security activity through its official account settings, change the password if appropriate, and notify the organization’s administrator when it is a work or school account.

Use a Verification Code

If a sign-in notification does not arrive, choose the sign-in option to use a verification code or another method. Open Authenticator and select or locate the correct account. A temporary code should appear when that account supports code verification.

Enter the current code before it changes. Use only the code for the account named on the sign-in screen. A code may continue to work without mobile data or Wi-Fi because it is generated on the phone, but the phone’s date and time must be correct.

If the code changes while you are typing, wait for the next code and enter the new one. Never give an Authenticator code to someone who contacts you unexpectedly.

Recover Access or Move to a New Phone

Before changing or erasing the old phone, turn on Authenticator’s available backup option and confirm that the backup has completed. Keep another approved sign-in or recovery method on the account. Do not remove the old device until the new one works.

Install the official app on the new phone and use its recovery or restore option when available. Restored entries may not all be ready for sign-in. Work or school accounts and some other accounts can require re-registration, a fresh QR code, or another confirmation from the provider.

If the old phone is unavailable, select another approved verification method on the sign-in screen. For a managed account, contact the organization’s help desk or administrator and ask to reset or re-register the authentication method. For a personal account, use the recovery choices provided through the official account sign-in process. Authenticator cannot bypass the account provider’s identity checks.

Fix Common Authenticator Problems

• Notifications are missing: Open Authenticator directly, check the phone’s internet connection, and confirm that notifications and background activity are allowed. Then start a new sign-in request.

• A code is rejected: Confirm that you selected the correct account and entered the newest code without extra characters. If it has nearly expired, use the next one.

• Codes keep failing: Set the phone’s date, time, and time zone to update automatically, then try again. Incorrect device time can make temporary codes invalid.

• An account is missing or unavailable: Restore from an existing backup if appropriate, or return to the account’s official security settings and register Authenticator again.

• You cannot complete registration: Use another verification method if one is offered. Contact the workplace or school administrator for a managed account. For a personal account or app problem, find Microsoft’s official support page and choose the Authenticator or account sign-in topic.