Setting up Microsoft Authenticator App with Office 365
The Microsoft Authenticator app allows you to perform multi-factor authentication with Office365 using your mobile phone and its fingerprint/facial recognition technology to prove you are real user, this drastically reduces the chance of hackers gaining access to your Office365 which contains sensitive data.
Many of you have registered for the method whereby a text message is sent to your phone, this is a slow process and using the authenticator app allows you to sign in much quicker by comparison...
Setting up.
You'll be asked to install the Microsoft Authenticator app from your respective App Store, it's released on Android and Apple devices, make sure you allow it to notify you otherwise MFA will not work correctly, the wizard process will walk you through installing it and once installed, the app will have the below icon.
- Choose the Authenticator App from the add method dialogue box.
- Now you'll be presented with a dialogue that asks you to scan a unique QR code with the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone.
- Leaving that on screen, back on your phone, in the Authenticator app, tap the plus icon in the top left.
- Choose 'Work or School Account' from the available options...
- Hold your phone up to the screen targeting the QR Code with its camera,
It should add the account.
- Click next on the dialogue box presented on your computer and it will perform a test where you'll be asked on your phone to approve the sign-in.
-If you missed the approval window, click resend code on your computer.
- Now on your mobile, tap approve dialogue box that's presented and you're setup.
- Back on your computer, you should return to the 'My Sign-ins' screen.
- Click the 'Set default sign-in method'
- Change it to 'Microsoft Authenticator - Notification' and confirm.
You are now setup, consider adding other methods such as personal email in case you lose access your device, if all else fails contact IT and we can temporarily remove MFA from your account.
Also, you can use this app to add security to other 3rd party services such as Google, Amazon, Outlook/Hotmail, LinkedIn etc... the process prevents hackers getting into your accounts even if they know your password.
This video demonstrates the process as part of a recovery procedure for a lost or damaged phone - How to set up authenticator on a new phone | Azure Active Directory - YouTube