Account Access - Troubleshoot SIUE Sign-In and Authentication Problems

If you do not see Use your face, fingerprint, PIN, or security key instead on the sign-in page:

• Check your browser. Passkeys work best in Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. Safari on macOS supports passkeys but may not show the option for all Microsoft services. Avoid Firefox for passkey sign-in.
• Make sure you entered your full SIUE email address. The passkey option appears after Microsoft detects your account supports passkeys. An incomplete or mistyped address may suppress the option.
• Try a different device or browser. If the device you are on does not support passkeys, select Sign in another way and follow the QR code prompt to sign in with your phone instead.
• Check the Security Info page. Go to https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info and confirm a passkey is still listed. If it has been removed, register a new one. See Account Access - Register a Passkey for Your SIUE Account

When signing in on a different device, a QR code should appear on the screen. If it does not, or your phone will not scan it:

• Update your browser. Older browser versions may not generate the QR code correctly. Update, or switch to Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
• Turn on Bluetooth on your phone before starting. The cross-device flow uses Bluetooth to verify your phone is near the sign-in device. If Bluetooth is off when you begin, the QR code may not appear or may not complete the sign-in.
• Use your phone's built-in camera app. Do not use a third-party QR scanner. The built-in camera handles the passkey handoff correctly. Tap the screen to focus if the code does not scan immediately.

Cross-device sign-in uses Bluetooth to confirm your phone is physically near the computer you are signing in on. No data is transferred over Bluetooth. It is proximity detection only.

• Turn on Bluetooth in your phone's settings before starting the sign-in process.
• If Bluetooth is on but the connection fails, toggle Bluetooth off and back on on both devices, then try again.
• Keep your phone within a few feet of the computer during the sign-in process.
• If the computer does not have Bluetooth, the cross-device flow cannot work on that machine — see Passkey Does Not Work on This Computer below

Cross-device passkey sign-in requires Bluetooth on both devices. Most campus lab computers, classroom podiums, and kiosks do not have Bluetooth, so this method cannot work on them even if a QR code appears.

• Use Microsoft Authenticator instead. Authenticator push approvals do not require Bluetooth and work on any shared or public computer. See Account Access - Set Up Microsoft Authenticator for Your SIUE Account if you need to set it up.
• If you have a passkey registered on the computer itself (for example, with Windows Hello), that same-device passkey will still work without Bluetooth.
• If you have a FIDO2 hardware security key, plug it into the USB port on that machine. The key works without Bluetooth on any computer. See Account Access - Set Up a FIDO2 Security Key for Your SIUE Account

If passkey registration stops before completing:

• Check your device and OS version. iPhone requires iOS 16 or later with iCloud Keychain enabled. Android requires Android 14 or later with a secure screen lock set. Windows requires Windows 10 (22H2) or Windows 11 with Windows Hello PIN configured. See Account Access - Register a Passkey for Your SIUE Account for full prerequisites.
• Switch to a supported browser. Use Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. Firefox has limited support for passkey registration.
• Check whether you are at a passkey limit. Microsoft allows multiple passkeys but some devices cap how many can be stored. Go to https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info, remove an old or unused passkey, then try registering again.

If you see a generic error during sign-in or registration:

• Refresh the page and try again. Temporary errors often resolve on a second attempt.
• Clear your browser cache and cookies for Microsoft sites (microsoft.com, microsoftonline.com), then try again.
• Open a private or incognito browser window and try from there.
• Switch to a different browser (Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome) or a different device.

If a passkey that previously worked no longer signs you in:

• Check whether it is still registered. Go to https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info and sign in with Authenticator or another method. If the passkey is no longer listed, it has been removed. Register a new one. See Account Access - Register a Passkey for Your SIUE Account
• Check whether the passkey still exists on your device. It may still show on Security Info but have been deleted from the device. This can happen after a device reset, an iCloud or Google account change, or clearing browser data. Register a new passkey on the device to restore it.
• Got a new phone? Passkeys on iPhone sync via iCloud Keychain and on Android via Google Password Manager to other devices on the same account. If they did not carry over, register a new passkey on the new device. See Account Access - Manage Your SIUE Sign-In Methods and Security Info

• Check your internet connection. Authenticator requires a Wi-Fi or cellular connection to receive push notifications.
• Check notification permissions. On iPhone: Settings > Notifications > Microsoft Authenticator — confirm notifications are on. On Android: Settings > Apps > Microsoft Authenticator > Notifications — confirm they are enabled.
• Open the Authenticator app. Confirm your SIUE account is still listed and the app is signed in. If the account is missing, re-add it. See Account Access - Set Up Microsoft Authenticator for Your SIUE Account
• Use a verification code instead. Open Authenticator, select your SIUE account, and use the six-digit code shown. On the sign-in screen, select Sign in another way and choose the verification code option. The code refreshes every 30 seconds.