Multi Factor Authenticator makes people to pick authentication app as a method

Question

Hi,

We're working with premium licenses of 365 , and the "default security" in the Entra is off.

The MFA is set per user.

In the past last weeks , people is enforced to insert a new authentication method , and the only method they can choose is authenticator app.

I have 5 employees that don't have a Smartphone so they cant use any authenticator app.

In the past it works with the methods of :

1. phone number

2 . app password

What is the cause of this problem?

Is there any solution?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Microsoft is currently running a campaign to get users to move to the Authenticator app as their primary method, you can control this behavior via the portal UI as detailed for example here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/authentication/how-to-mfa-registration-campaign#enable-the-registration-campaign-policy-using-the-microsoft-entra-admin-center

You can either exclude select users/groups, or disable the feature altogether.