Why is Authenticator App not working with Apple Watch?

Michael Antonelli 21

I am having an issue with the Authenticator App working on my Apple Watch. I am enabling the app on my iphone then go to my watch and enable the app there. My watch then shows the message “Keep the app open on your phone and respond to any prompts.” No prompts appear on my phone to respond to. When I shut down the app on the watch and restart I am being told I am required to set up my accounts and to open the Authenticator App on my phone and the message screen described above appears and no prompts appear on my phone. I have tried rebooting both the watch and the phone. I have also removed the app from the watch and reinstalled. What am I doing wrong here?

Alfredo Revilla - Upwork Top Talent | IAM SWE SWA 27,461 Reputation points

2020-11-27T17:44:50.057+00:00

Hello @Michael Antonelli , I'm reaching within the product team and will come back to you.
Scott MacLellan 21 Reputation points

2021-05-14T22:07:03.433+00:00

I’m still having this same issue after several watch updates. May of 2021. It used to work just fine.
Vish Bagathur-Natarajan 21 Reputation points

2022-06-15T21:32:41.537+00:00

Any updates on this guys? The Duo Security app works seamlessly with Apple Watch 7 which is what I have. How come this is taking so long for you guys to get it working?
Rotary Transformer 16 Reputation points

2022-08-30T14:05:25.49+00:00

Checked in 8/30/2022, the problem still exists.

6 answers

Marco Aurélio 61 Reputation points

2021-02-05T21:09:00.09+00:00

Try open authenticatior in your iphone, go to settings in authenticator application and disable application lock in security. Authentication stay waiting unlock by face id in iphone, by it the error in apple watch.
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12 people found this answer helpful.
Chris 36 Reputation points

2021-02-18T09:19:32.943+00:00

It works, you deactivate the application lock in the app and the approval on the clock works again, can not believe it... thanks

Gong, Roland 16 Reputation points

2021-10-17T15:17:43.933+00:00

It works as well, cannot believe the setting is such a confuse to other users.

Melissa 16 Reputation points

2021-10-28T16:44:19.38+00:00

Just wanted to come on and say this is what fixed my issue. Thank you! Please note that it's called "App Lock" in the settings (I had a duh half a second and didn't see it at first, so figured I'd help out others like me ;))

John Howell (AP) 16 Reputation points

2021-11-10T19:33:53.023+00:00

The problem is this is actually.a security feature that I think must have worked at some point, and now doesn't. I started having problems since my last iOS and watchOS updates. Turned off app lock and it now authenticates OK, but it also means the app isn't using FaceID to approve token requests now.

Scott Nichols 21 Reputation points

2021-11-15T13:37:21.893+00:00

Thank you, this fixed my issue. Come on Microsoft... this is in no way a design feature.

Ronald M 1 Reputation point

2022-01-12T15:59:40.31+00:00

Thanks, was looking for this for months after upgrading to Iphone with face recognition. Seems to me that the security level is lower now it does not use face recognition anymore. Strange that the watch app cannot overrule the face recognition.

Matheus Prescinotti 1 Reputation point

2022-04-18T20:49:24.973+00:00

Hello how are you?

I'm new here, but I have the same problems.

I disabled the application lock in the app as mentioned but even so I can't release my access to enter Outlook through Apple Watch, I always need to authorize directly through the iPhone.

Now in the month of April still with this same problem?

EDub 1 Reputation point

2022-08-07T19:08:30.933+00:00

I think it's designed this way and you won't have to unlock the device and then unlock the app. (I'm assuming it's to save time. Those notifications time out fast.)

To use your device, you have to unlock it. So maybe that feature is built to open as your device unlocks.

For example, in order to use your apple watch, even with wrist detection, you will have to put in your passcode. On your phone with Face ID, when the notification comes up on your lock screen, your device has to be unlocked first. If it pops up on your phone screen, while it's already unlocked then you have already passed the security part by unlocking your device to use it.

Let me know if I sound crazy.
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Jonathan Bartkowiak 31 Reputation points

2022-04-20T19:43:04.833+00:00

Any updates on this working with the "App Lock" enabled?
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5 people found this answer helpful.
John Howell 5 Reputation points

2024-03-24T21:59:57.8566667+00:00

It's like, How hard is it to have an app on the phone display a number on the watch and have you enter or select it and report it back to the phone. Is it simply the trust issue? Couldn't I just enter my pin again to confirm its me? This just seems like that MS just can't be bothered. Sad.

Rotary Transformer 16 Reputation points

2024-03-26T21:10:55.95+00:00

The bug had been removed forever. So did the watch app. No more complaints! Perfect job, MS! LOL
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YEGdad 21 Reputation points

2022-11-22T19:28:37.737+00:00

Microsoft has withdrawn support for Microsoft Authenticator on Apple Watch.

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Q: Is Apple Watch supported for Authenticator on iOS?

A: In the upcoming Authenticator release in January 2023 for iOS, there will be no companion app for watchOS due to it being incompatible with Authenticator security features. This means you won't be able to install or use Authenticator on Apple Watch. We therefore recommend that you delete Authenticator from your Apple Watch. This change only impacts Apple Watch, so you will still be able to use Authenticator on your other devices.

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For more information, see:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/common-questions-about-the-microsoft-authenticator-app-12d283d1-bcef-4875-9ae5-ac360e2945dd

and scroll down to Apple Watch Support
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4 people found this answer helpful.
Jakub Raduszewski 6 Reputation points

2022-12-10T10:53:22.693+00:00

That's one way to solve app connection problems.

David Milette 36 Reputation points

2022-12-28T16:37:05.11+00:00

Well that's a load of CRAP. Seriously, so it's safe for credit card handling and such yet Microsoft can't fix the Face ID scan bypass when watch is validated so.... the fix is remove the app all together. What a joke... Microsoft, seriously try reconsidering this decision its a step backwards and NOT forwards.

Fitzgerald, Ryan 6 Reputation points

2023-01-06T11:47:05.447+00:00

I'm also saddened to see this go as once everything was working it worked without issue. I have to use it quite frequently for my work account and it was extremely handy to simply click the approve on my watch vice grabbing my phone. I've only just found out this morning that support is gone when it stopped working.
One can only hope that maybe this feature may return once any issues or bugs have been remedied or is this now gone for good...

Edit/Update: After I posted, later that day noticed that since I had not deleted the app from my watch, it is actually still working....hmm

viswanath natarajan 0 Reputation points

2023-01-12T14:16:45.05+00:00

This is still working for me.

Luke Powell 0 Reputation points

2023-02-26T23:36:10.5433333+00:00

Standard Microsoft. 🤬

Jay Otto 0 Reputation points

2024-03-24T21:27:13.2166667+00:00

Please give the entire salary of everyone involved in the decision to break the Authenticator Apple Watch app to whichever of Microsoft's 220,000 employees that fixes this problem. This is the kind of usability problem that should be your top priority.
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Henri Van Wesemael 21 Reputation points

2022-12-20T14:56:43.697+00:00

This is so sad. It was very handy to aithenticate on apple watch.
Please reconsider.
Thanks.
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4 people found this answer helpful.

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Chris Snyder 11 Reputation points

2023-02-16T17:00:45.0633333+00:00

I used the authentication approval on my Apple watch multiple times a day. Using the phone for approval is nowhere near as convenient. I hope Microsoft and Apple can get this working again.
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2 people found this answer helpful.
Ricknfli 0 Reputation points

2023-05-13T17:02:57.83+00:00

I agree. That is one reason I purchased the watch. I use it for DUO, why can the authenticator app not work on the Apple Watch 8?
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Why is Authenticator App not working with Apple Watch?

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