Related topics
×
Sign in with Microsoft
Sign in or create an account.
Hello,
Select a different account.
You have multiple accounts
Choose the account you want to sign in with.

If your organization uses two-factor verification, you can set up your work or school account to use the Microsoft Authenticator app as one of the verification methods.

Important: Before you can add your account, you must download and install the Microsoft Authenticator app. If you haven't done that yet, follow the steps in the Download and install the app article.

Add your work or school account

You can add your work or school account to the Authenticator app by doing one of the following:

  • Sign in with your work or school account credentials (preview)

  • Scan a QR Code

  • Sign in with your credentials

 Sign in with your credentials

Note: This feature is usable only by users whose admins have enabled phone sign-in using the Authenticator app for them.

To add an account by signing into your work or school account using your credentials:

  1. Open the Authenticator app and select to the + button and tap Add work or school account. Select Sign in.

  2. Enter your work or school account credentials. If you have a Temporary Access Pass (TAP) you can use that to sign in. At this point, you could potentially be blocked from proceeding by one of the following conditions:

    • If you don’t have enough authentication methods on your account to get a strong authentication token, you can't add an account. You’ll see an error in the Authenticator app that says “To set up Microsoft Authenticator, you'll need to go to aka.ms/mfasetup on a web browser.”

    • If you receive the message "You might be signing in from a location that is restricted by your admin," your admin hasn't enabled this feature for you and probably set up a Security Information Registration Conditional Access policy. You might also receive messages that block registration of the Authenticator app because your admin has Conditional Access policies set up. In these cases, contact the administrator for your work or school account to use this authentication method.

    • If you are allowed by your admin to use phone sign-in using the Authenticator app, you'll be able to go through device registration to get set up for passwordless phone sign-in and two-step verification. However, you'll still be able to set up two-step verification whether or not you are enabled for phone sign-in.

  3. At this point, you could be asked to scan a QR code provided by your organization to set up an on-premises multi-factor authentication account in the app. You're required to do this only if your organization uses on-premises MFA Server.

  4. On your device, tap the account and verify in the full-screen view that your account is correct. For additional security, the verification code changes every 30 seconds preventing someone from using a code multiple times.

Sign in with a QR code

To add an account by scanning a QR Code, do the following:

  1. On your computer, go to the Additional security verification page.

    Note: If you don't see the Additional security verification page, it's possible that your administrator has turned on the security info (preview) experience. If that's the case, you should follow the instructions in the Set up security info to use an authenticator app section. If that's not the case, you will need to contact your organization's Help Desk for assistance. For more information about security info, see Set up your Security info from a sign-in prompt.

  2. Select the checkbox next to Authenticator app, and then select Configure.

    Screen that provides the QR code

  3. Open the Authenticator app, select the plus icon  and select Add account, and then select Work or school account, followed by Scan a QR Code. If you don't have an account set up in the Authenticator app, you'll see a large blue button that says Add account.

If you aren't prompted to use your camera to scan a QR Code, in your phone's settings, ensure that the Authenticator app has access to the phone camera. After you add your account using a QR code, you can set up phone sign-in. If you receive the message "You might be signing in from a location that is restricted by your admin," your admin hasn't enabled this feature for you and probably set up a Security Information Registration Conditional Access policy. Contact the administrator for your work or school account to use this authentication method. If you are allowed by your admin to use phone sign-in using the Authenticator app, you'll be able to go through device registration to get set up for passwordless phone sign-in and Azure AD Multi-Factor Authentication.

Note: For US government organizations, the only way that you can add a phone sign-in account is by adding it using the Sign in with your credentials option, instead of upgrading from a QR-code based account.

Sign in on a remote computer

Many apps allow you to authenticate by entering a code on another device such as a PC. If you want to sign in on a remote computer to install the Authenticator app, follow these steps.

  1. Open the Authenticator app, and then select  > Add work or school account > Sign in.

  2. Select Sign in from another device.

  3. On the remote screen, open the Sign in to your account page and enter the code that you see in your Authenticator app.

  4. On your remote screen, sign in using your work or school account credentials. If you have a Temporary Access Pass (TAP), you can use that to sign in.

  5. After you complete your authentication on the remote screen, return to the Authenticator app to complete setup.

Next steps

Need more help?

Want more options?

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Was this information helpful?

What affected your experience?
By pressing submit, your feedback will be used to improve Microsoft products and services. Your IT admin will be able to collect this data. Privacy Statement.

Thank you for your feedback!

×