How to rename sign-in methods under security-info

Question

How to rename sign-in methods under security-info

fhtino 166

On https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info I can add sign-in methods for MFA.
When I add the official Microsoft Authenticator, a row with "Microsoft Authenticator | mobile device name" is added.

But when I add a generic/third-party authenticator, no description is asked and I cannot find a way to edit the row and add a description.
Also consider that a description is important if I want to remove one of the authenticator. Today I am not able to understand which is the right one.

Is there a way to do that? If not possible, how can I submit a suggestion to the right team?

Justin Huang 30 Reputation points

2023-07-27T21:24:49+00:00

We have the same problem, but with Microsoft Authenticator, which all are shown as "iPhone", and it's becoming an issue when physically replacing the mobile device, as it's difficult to know which "iPhone" sign-in method is corresponding to which physical mobile device.
danlo77 10 Reputation points

2023-10-15T07:16:24.65+00:00

Same here: the device is registered as generic 'iPhone' and we cannot rename it.

I thought it could be the app itself to provide the portal with the phone name, but removing the app and reinstalling doesn't change anything (the device has a proper name in iPhone's own settings)
Ivan Weaver 16 Reputation points

2024-11-30T23:15:40.6+00:00

I have the same problem.
Ivan Weaver 16 Reputation points

2024-11-30T23:18:35.6+00:00

I have the exact same problem. I thought it was jsut the 'Microsoft Account used for Recovery' I even went as far as creating a brand new Microsoft at-Outlook Account to see it was a legacy issue of the new device. Nope. Come One Microsoft - its an app you Basically force us to use, yet make it more than difficult to keep the devices named. In the Authenticator App - Let us Change The Name!
Nick Holford 0 Reputation points

2024-12-20T22:59:16.62+00:00

Why doesn't anyone from Microsoft respond to this common problem? If there is a reason for abandoning the previous ability to give a user-defined name for the device then please tell us so we can understand better why this change has made things more difficult for users to manage their sign-in methods.
Johann Zehner 0 Reputation points

2025-02-05T14:19:12.1366667+00:00

Same problem here, its impossible find the correct mfa device in order to delete a lost device. Please let us choose a simple name for each device.
Nick Holford 0 Reputation points

2025-02-05T20:22:03.15+00:00

On reading this thread I am struck by the absence of any participation from Microsoft that acknowledges this common issue described very clearly by contributors to this thread. Does this mean that Microsoft never reads these comments or has a policy not to contribute? In both cases they are doing a very poor job of understanding and responding to user needs.

Accepted answer

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Justin Huang 30 Reputation points

2023-07-27T21:24:49+00:00

We have the same problem, but with Microsoft Authenticator, which all are shown as "iPhone", and it's becoming an issue when physically replacing the mobile device, as it's difficult to know which "iPhone" sign-in method is corresponding to which physical mobile device.
danlo77 10 Reputation points

2023-10-15T07:16:24.65+00:00

Same here: the device is registered as generic 'iPhone' and we cannot rename it.

I thought it could be the app itself to provide the portal with the phone name, but removing the app and reinstalling doesn't change anything (the device has a proper name in iPhone's own settings)
Ivan Weaver 16 Reputation points

2024-11-30T23:15:40.6+00:00

I have the same problem.
Ivan Weaver 16 Reputation points

2024-11-30T23:18:35.6+00:00

I have the exact same problem. I thought it was jsut the 'Microsoft Account used for Recovery' I even went as far as creating a brand new Microsoft at-Outlook Account to see it was a legacy issue of the new device. Nope. Come One Microsoft - its an app you Basically force us to use, yet make it more than difficult to keep the devices named. In the Authenticator App - Let us Change The Name!
Nick Holford 0 Reputation points

2024-12-20T22:59:16.62+00:00

Why doesn't anyone from Microsoft respond to this common problem? If there is a reason for abandoning the previous ability to give a user-defined name for the device then please tell us so we can understand better why this change has made things more difficult for users to manage their sign-in methods.
Johann Zehner 0 Reputation points

2025-02-05T14:19:12.1366667+00:00

Same problem here, its impossible find the correct mfa device in order to delete a lost device. Please let us choose a simple name for each device.
Nick Holford 0 Reputation points

2025-02-05T20:22:03.15+00:00

On reading this thread I am struck by the absence of any participation from Microsoft that acknowledges this common issue described very clearly by contributors to this thread. Does this mean that Microsoft never reads these comments or has a policy not to contribute? In both cases they are doing a very poor job of understanding and responding to user needs.

Answer 1

Eric Woodruff 266

The reason that the 3rd party/generic authenticator apps do not have a name is because the way they are onboarded - the app does not send any data back to Azure AD so it has no way of knowing anything about the device the authenticator app is installed on.

That being said, Microsoft doesn't offer a way to change the name on those entries within the mysignins / Security info screen.

If you want to submit feedback on this, I suggest submitting to the Azure AD Feedback site, here:

https://feedback.azure.com/d365community/forum/22920db1-ad25-ec11-b6e6-000d3a4f0789

If this answers your question, please make sure to select the Accept Answer.

fhtino 166 Reputation points

2022-06-12T06:16:30.603+00:00

For info, before adding a new feedback on the site you suggested, I did a search and found many some entries suggesting the same. This seems the oldest one, linking all the other:
https://feedback.azure.com/d365community/idea/6878eb32-c025-ec11-b6e6-000d3a4f0789

This one is Under Review by Microsoft:
https://feedback.azure.com/d365community/idea/c94a9298-f725-ec11-b6e6-000d3a4f06a4

Answer 2

Jiri Pavlik 16

yeah, same here, it was possible before (not sure if this portal or previous one), but we were used to tag the method, so you could identify the device. User's image

Answer 3

Same here.

What a shame.

Authenticator app is the worst app ever created and it is the app driving ALL LOGINS.

It is shit.

I just added my iPhone again and it added a new device as "iPhone" although my device name is not that. Now mine device is flooded with a bucnh of other entries also named iPhone.
I am pretty sure most of them are obsolete but I have no way of knowing.

The worst thing about this app is if it is the only way to login to your account and you loose or cannot get access to your phine youre screwed. In order to add your account into Authenticator app on another device it this stupid app sends the notification to itself ... itself is what your trying to configure hence stuck into an infinite loop.

Took 10 calls to Microsoft and a week last year to have my MFA reset !!

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How to rename sign-in methods under security-info

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