Allowing SMS verification for different country

Question

Hi support,

We have opened an office in Malaysia and users are unable to receive SMS to their phones for MFA verification.

This is stopping other application sign ins as well - this is happening for all users.

Thanks,

Answer 1

Hi Jacob Hawkins,

I completely understand how challenging this situation can be, especially when users in a new office location are unable to receive SMS verification codes for MFA. However, It is noted that the delivery of SMS verification codes is not guaranteed. Several factors beyond Microsoft’s control can affect the reliability of SMS delivery, including the destination country or region, the mobile carrier, and signal strength.

If your users experience issues receiving SMS codes, Microsoft generally recommends using the Microsoft Authenticator app or the phone call verification method, as these options are typically more reliable.

For reference: https://docs.azure.cn/en-us/entra/identity/authentication/multi-factor-authentication-faq#my-users-…

You can also reset MFA registration for users in Microsoft Entra ID by following these steps in the Microsoft Entra Admin Center:

• Go to Microsoft Entra Admin Center: https://entra.microsoft.com
• Navigate to Users > All Users.
• Select the affected account.
• Go to Authentication Methods.
• Click "Revoke multifactor authentication sessions" and then select "Require re-register multifactor authentication".
• 

Once completed, the user will be prompted to sign in again and set up MFA, where they can register the Microsoft Authenticator app on their phone.

I hope the information above is helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out.

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