Prepare Your SIUE Account for Microsoft Authentication Changes

Microsoft is retiring text message (SMS) and phone call authentication as part of an industry-wide effort to strengthen account security.

If you currently use text messages or phone calls to verify your SIUE account, you need to prepare your account to use newer authentication methods.

If you use a mobile device for authentication, complete all three steps below:

1. Set up or verify Microsoft Authenticator. Make sure the Microsoft Authenticator app is installed on your phone, connected to your SIUE account, and working.
2. Register a passkey. Add a passkey to your SIUE account for a faster, phishing-resistant way to sign in.
3. Check your preferred authentication method. Make sure your preferred method is Microsoft Authenticator or a passkey — not text messages or phone calls.

Once you have completed all three steps, your account is ready for SIUE's transition away from text and phone-based authentication.

Prefer not to use a personal mobile device? You can use a FIDO2 security key instead. See If You Prefer Not to Use a Personal Mobile Device below.

Step 1: Set Up or Verify Microsoft Authenticator

Start by checking your phone for the Microsoft Authenticator app.

I Already Have Microsoft Authenticator

1. Open the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone.
2. Look for your SIUE account in the app.
3. If your SIUE account is listed, Microsoft Authenticator is already configured. Continue to Step 2: Register a Passkey.

If you have Microsoft Authenticator installed but your SIUE account is not listed, you have changed phones, or the app no longer works with your SIUE account, follow the setup instructions below to reconnect your account.

I Don't Have Microsoft Authenticator

If you have never installed Microsoft Authenticator, previously removed the app, or need to reconnect your SIUE account, follow our Microsoft Authenticator setup guide:

Microsoft Authenticator - Set Up and Use

The guide walks you through installing Microsoft Authenticator on an iPhone or Android device, adding your SIUE account, and approving your first sign-in request.

Once Microsoft Authenticator is installed and your SIUE account appears in the app, return to this page and continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Register a Passkey

Next, register a passkey for your SIUE account.

A passkey provides a faster, phishing-resistant way to sign in to SIUE Microsoft services. Depending on your device, you can use Face ID, Touch ID, a fingerprint, or your device PIN to sign in instead of entering your SIUE password.

Passkey setup is different depending on whether you use an iPhone, Android device, or Windows PC. Follow the instructions in:

Account Access - Setting Up and Signing In with a Passkey

Choose the instructions for your device and complete the passkey registration. Once your passkey has been successfully registered, return to this page and continue to Step 3.

Important: Please do not skip this step. Having both Microsoft Authenticator and a passkey gives you secure alternatives to text and phone authentication and provides more than one way to access your SIUE account.

Step 3: Check Your Preferred Authentication Method

Finally, make sure your account is set to prefer one of your newer authentication methods instead of a text message or phone call.

1. Go to https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info .
2. Sign in with your SIUE email address, password, and current authentication method.
3. Find your Default sign-in method.
4. If your preferred method is already Microsoft Authenticator or your passkey, no change is needed.
5. If your preferred method is a text message (SMS) or phone call, select Change.
6. Select Microsoft Authenticator or your passkey as your preferred method.
7. Select Confirm.

Your SIUE account should now use your newer authentication method instead of text messages or phone calls whenever possible.

You're Finished!

Your SIUE account is prepared for the upcoming authentication changes when you have completed all three items:

• Microsoft Authenticator is installed, configured, and working with your SIUE account.
• You have registered a passkey with your SIUE account.
• Your preferred authentication method is Microsoft Authenticator or a passkey — not a text message or phone call.

You do not need to remove your phone number from your account. The important thing is that you have Microsoft Authenticator and a passkey configured and that your account no longer prefers text or phone authentication.

Why Set Up Both Microsoft Authenticator and a Passkey?

Microsoft Authenticator and passkeys give you two secure ways to access your SIUE account, and each is useful in different situations.

• Passkeys provide a fast, phishing-resistant sign-in experience using Face ID, Touch ID, a fingerprint, or your device PIN.
• Microsoft Authenticator provides another secure authentication method and is useful when signing in from different or shared devices.

Having both methods configured also gives you an additional option if one method is unavailable.

If You Prefer Not to Use a Personal Mobile Device

Faculty, staff, and students who prefer not to use a personal mobile device may use a FIDO2 security key instead of the Microsoft Authenticator app.

A FIDO2 security key is a small physical device that connects to your computer, typically through USB. It provides passkey support, passwordless sign-in, and phishing-resistant authentication and is fully supported for Microsoft account authentication.

The key you choose must support:

• FIDO2/WebAuthn authentication

• Passkey registration and sign-in

• Microsoft Entra ID (Microsoft 365) compatibility

• User verification using a PIN, touch sensor, or biometric verification

• A connector that matches the devices you use (USB-A, USB-C, NFC, or Lightning, as applicable)

The GoTrust Idem Key is an example of a supported key.

Follow the Security Key instructions in:

Account Access - Setting Up and Signing In with a Passkey

Once your security key is registered, make sure it is set as your preferred authentication method instead of text messages or phone calls.

If you use a FIDO2 security key instead of a personal mobile device, you are prepared for the upcoming authentication changes when:

• Your FIDO2 security key is registered as a passkey with your SIUE account.
• Your security key/passkey is your preferred authentication method instead of a text message or phone call.

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This guide aims to provide useful information, but as technology changes, interfaces or steps might vary. Please use the Comment button to let us know if anything differs from your experience. Your feedback helps us keep this information accurate. Thank you!