How to add your accounts to Microsoft Authenticator – aka.ms/authapp

You can link your Microsoft Authenticator account in three different ways:

• To make sure you’re logged in, add Authenticator. You can still log in even if you forget your password.
• Add Authenticator as a way always to sign in. Using a one-time login code makes your account safer. Two-step identification is the name for this.
• You should only be able to sign in with Authenticator. To sign in, just tap an approval on your phone. Going without a password is what this means.

Microsoft personal account

Choose how you’d like to add Authenticator:

Add Authenticator as a way to verify sign-in

1. Log in to your Microsoft account on your computer and go to Advanced Security Choices in the dashboard.
2. Select Add a new way to confirm or sign in.
3. Pick “Use an app.”
4. On your phone, open Authenticator and tap the plus sign.
5. Pick out your account, then tap Scan a QR Code.

Add Authenticator as a way to sign in every time

1. Log in to your Microsoft account on your computer and go to Advanced Security Choices in the dashboard.
2. To turn on two-step verification, scroll down and click on the “On” button.
3. Just follow the steps that are shown on the screen.

Note: As part of setting up this account, you’ll be given a QR code to scan with your device; this is one way we ensure you are in physical possession of the device you are installing the Authenticator app on.

Add Authenticator as the only way to sign in

1. Log in to your Microsoft account on your computer and go to Advanced Security Choices in the dashboard.
2. Scroll down until you see “Passwordless account,” and then click “On” to turn it on.
3. Just do what it says to do to confirm your account.
4. OK, the request that was sent to the authenticator.

Work or school accounts

Your company supports two-factor or multi-factor authentication sign-in. You can use Authenticator as one of the verification ways on your work or school accounts.

Pick one of these:

Add a work or school account using a QR code

1. To read a QR code and add an account, do the following:
2. You can find this information on your computer by going to the Security screen of your account.
3. Click on “Add sign-in method.”
4. From the list, pick the Authenticator app and click “Add.”
5. You can see a QR code by pressing Next if you already have Authenticator on your phone.
6. To add an account, open Authenticator on your phone, tap the plus sign, and then tap Add account.
7. Tap Scan a QR Code after choosing Work or School Account.

Notes: 

• If you can’t use your camera to scan a QR Code, click Can’t scan the image on your PC and tap Enter code manually on your mobile.
• If you are allowed by your admin to use phone sign-in using Authenticator, you’ll be able to go through device registration to get set up for passwordless phone sign-in and Azure AD Multi-Factor Authentication.
• 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 above.

Add a work or school account using your credentials

Note: This function can only be used by users whose administrators have allowed Authenticator phone sign-in.

To add an account, use your passwords to sign in to your work or school account:

• To add a user, open Authenticator and click on the + sign in the menu bar at the top.
• Click on Work or School account. Select Log in.
• Sign in to your account at work or school.

Note: You can sign in with a Temporary Access Pass (TAP) if you have one.

• On your phone, tap the account and make sure it’s right in the full-screen view.

Non-Microsoft accounts

You can use two-step verification with accounts from sites other than Microsoft, like Amazon, Facebook, or Google, by adding them to Authenticator. If the site or service lets you add an account with a QR code, you can also use Authenticator as a way to sign in.

For most of your accounts, you need to:

• Two-step verification needs to turn on after logging in to the account.
• Follow these steps to add the account to Authenticator. As part of this process, you may ask to scan a QR code.

If you’re setting up Authenticator for the first time, you may ask if you want to let the app use your camera (iOS) or take pictures and videos (Android). You can take a picture of a QR code in one step if you let the app use the camera.