Setting Up Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)
The following walks you through downloading the Microsoft Authenticator App onto your smartphone. There are some alternatives if you would prefer to not use the Microsoft Authenticator, listed below. If you’d prefer one of these options, and need help setting them up, please let the helpdesk know.
Alternatives:
· Phone Number – You can set your phone number to be the MFA option. The downside is you need to have it call you, and so if you don’t have cell service you may not be able to sign into your account.
· Security Key (experimental) – This option would be a physical device that looks similar to a flash drive. You would plug it into the computer when you need to authenticate. The downside is you could lose the device. At this time, we recommend using this in conjunction with another MFA method, as it has not been fully tested throughout our system.
Microsoft Authenticator App
· Download the Microsoft Authenticator App onto your phone
· On your computer, once you sign in, there should be a screen asking you to setup mulifactor authentication. You want to keep clicking “next” (or whatever it says) to progress until it shows you a QR code.
· On your phone, open the Microsoft Authenticator app. Continue through the screens until it let’s you skip adding an account to the authenticator.
· Now on the main screen in the app, click the “+” in the top right
· Click “Work or school account”
· Click “Scan QR Code”
· Give the app permissions to use your camera and send you notifications
· Scan the QR code that appears on your computer using the Authenticator App
o The phone should bring you back to the app home page once it is done scanning the code
o Note: if you get an error saying the account has already been added, this often means the phone scanned the QR code twice. You can continue down this list if you get that error.
· Now, on your computer, press “next” and it should send you a test authentication to your phone. Type in the number it shows on the computer screen into your phone
· If it goes through successfully, the computer should tell you and you’re all set!