why do i have to keep logging in and have to get a text code multiple times per day

Question

I'm sick of this Office 365.

My IT guy has spent way to many hours trying to get office 365 to work like it did a year ago.

now i have to tell it my log in, then tell it business, they put in my password then have to get a text they put in that code. multiple times per day! for outlook, for excell, for word.

what had microsoft done to screw up all this log in even to where my IT guy can't get it to work properly

Answer 1

Hi @Don Hibbert, 

Thank you for taking the time to explain what is happening and how frequently it interrupts your work.  

Based on your description, you are being prompted to sign in and enter a text verification code several times per day across Outlook, Word, and Excel. 

This behavior is usually tied to how your organization’s multi factor authentication and session lifetime settings are configured. If the sign in session is not allowed to persist for trusted devices, Microsoft 365 may require reauthentication more often to confirm account security. In addition, the “Don’t ask again for X days” option works by setting a persistent cookie in the browser, so it primarily reduces prompts for browser based sign ins rather than every desktop app sign in experience.  

Below are some workable option that might be the most appropriate for your current situation:  

Step 1: Enable “remember multifactor authentication on trusted device” (IT admin action) 

• Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center with an account that has the required permissions. 
• Go to the Multifactor authentication > service settings for per user MFA, then select the option to allow users to remember multifactor authentication on devices they trust. 
• Set the number of days for trusted devices, then save the changes. 

Note: You can enter a value between 1 and 365 days, but it’s recommended to keep it under 90 days for added security on sensitive resources. However, Microsoft recommends not setting it to less than 30 days if you want to minimize MFA prompts from known devices. 

By following these steps, you allow users to remember their multi-factor authentication on trusted devices, which improves security while simplifying the authentication process. 

Step 2: Mark the device as trusted during a browser sign in (user action) 

• Sign in to Microsoft 365 in a web browser and complete the MFA prompt once. 
• When the option appears, select “Don’t ask again for X days” to mark that browser on that device as trusted. 
• Keep in mind that if you switch browsers or clear browser cookies, the prompt can return because the trusted status is stored as a browser cookie.

Step 3: Reduce repeated prompts for desktop apps by reviewing session settings (IT admin action) 

• Confirm whether Conditional Access session controls, such as sign in frequency, are set to a short interval that would force repeated reauthentication during the day. 
• Review whether “remember multifactor authentication” is being used together with Conditional Access sign in frequency, because Microsoft notes that combining these settings can lead to increased or unexpected authentication prompts. 
• Consider Microsoft guidance that the “Don’t ask again for X days” option is not shown in non-browser applications, and that changing the remember MFA duration can affect how often modern authentication clients are required to reauthenticate. 

I hope this response has helped address your question and clarify the behavior you're experiencing. Please feel free to reply if you have any further questions, I would be happy to assist further.   

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. I look forward to continuing the conversation. 

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Answer 2

The local admin in your organization should be able to adjust the security settings.