Follow these steps to set up your security info for your work or school account from the prompt.
Important:
This is only an example of the process. Depending on your organization's requirements, your administrator might have set up different verification methods that you'll need to set up during this process. For this example, we're requiring two methods, the Microsoft Authenticator app and a mobile phone number for verification calls or text messages.
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After you select Next from the prompt, a Keep your account secure wizard appears, showing the first method your administrator and organization require you to set up.
Note:
If you want to use an authenticator app other than the Microsoft Authenticator app, select the I want to use a different authenticator app link.
If your organization lets you choose a different method besides the authenticator app, you can select the I want to set up a different method link.
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Select Download now to download and install the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile device, and then select Next.
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Remain on the Set up your account page while you set up the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile device.
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Open the Microsoft Authenticator app, select to allow notifications (if prompted), select Add account from the Customize and control icon on the upper-right, and then select Work or school account.
Note:
If this is the first time you're setting up the Microsoft Authenticator app, you might receive a prompt asking whether to allow the app to access your camera (iOS) or to allow the app to take pictures and record video (Android). You must select Allow so the authenticator app can access your camera to take a picture of the QR code in the next step. If you don't allow the camera, you can still set up the authenticator app, but you'll need to add the code information manually.
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Return to the Set up your account page on your computer, and then select Next.
The Scan the QR code page appears.
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Scan the provided code with the Microsoft Authenticator app QR code reader, which appeared on your mobile device after you created your work or school account in Step 5.
The authenticator app should successfully add your work or school account without requiring any additional information from you. However, if the QR code reader can't read the code, you can select the Can't scan the QR image and manually enter the code and URL into the Microsoft Authenticator app.
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Select Next on the Scan the QR code page on your computer.
A notification is sent to the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile device, to test your account.
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Approve the notification in the Microsoft Authenticator app, and then select Next.
Your security info is updated to use the Microsoft Authenticator app by default to verify your identity when using two-step verification or password reset.
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On the Phone set up page, choose whether you want to receive a text message or a phone call, and then select Next. For the purposes of this example, we're using text messages, so you must use a phone number for a device that can accept text messages.
A text message is sent to your phone number. If would prefer to get a phone call, the process is the same. However, you'll receive a phone call with instructions, instead of a text message.
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Enter the code provided by the text message sent to your mobile device, and then select Next.
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Review the success notification, and then select Done.
Your security info is updated to use text messaging as a backup method to verify your identity when using two-step verification or password reset.
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Review the Success page to verify that you've successfully set up both the Microsoft Authenticator app and a phone (either text message or phone call) method for your security info, and then select Done.
Note
If your organization requires you to use app passwords, you might see an additional section in this wizard, where you can set it up. If you see a third section, called App passwords, you must fill it out before you will be able to complete the wizard.
Note:
If you want to use an authenticator app other than the Microsoft Authenticator app, select the I want to use a different authenticator app link.
If your organization lets you choose a different method besides the authenticator app, you can select the I want to set up a different method link.
Note:
If this is the first time you're setting up the Microsoft Authenticator app, you might receive a prompt asking whether to allow the app to access your camera (iOS) or to allow the app to take pictures and record video (Android). You must select Allow so the authenticator app can access your camera to take a picture of the QR code in the next step. If you don't allow the camera, you can still set up the authenticator app, but you'll need to add the code information manually.
Note
If your organization requires you to use app passwords, you might see an additional section in this wizard, where you can set it up. If you see a third section, called App passwords, you must fill it out before you will be able to complete the wizard.