Authenticator help

To set up an account in Microsoft Authenticator and to delete one you no longer use, follow these steps.

Set up an account with Microsoft Authenticator (personal Microsoft account)

1. Go to the Microsoft account Security page: https://account.microsoft.com/security and sign in.
2. Select Manage how I sign in to see your sign-in methods.
3. Select Add a new way to sign in or verify.
4. Choose Use an app.
   • If Authenticator is not installed yet, select Get it now and install the app.
   • If Authenticator is already installed, select Set up a different Authenticator app, then Next to show the QR code.
5. On the Authenticator app on the phone, tap the + icon.
6. Select Personal account, then Scan a QR code, and scan the QR code shown on the PC.
   • If the camera cannot be used, on the PC select I can't scan the bar code, and on the phone choose Enter code manually and follow the prompts.

After this, Authenticator will be added as a verification method. If desired, two-step verification can be turned on so Authenticator is used every time:

1. On the same Security page, select Manage how I sign in.
2. Scroll to Two-step verification and turn it On.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

To make Authenticator the only way to sign in (passwordless):

1. On the Security page, select Manage how I sign in.
2. Scroll to Passwordless account and turn it On.
3. Follow the prompts and approve the request in Authenticator.

Delete/remove an account from Microsoft Authenticator

To remove a single account from the app:

1. Open the Microsoft Authenticator app.
2. Select the account to remove.
3. Tap the Settings gear for that account.
4. Tap Remove account.
   • After removal, that device can no longer be used to verify sign-in for that account.

To remove all accounts from Authenticator (sign out completely):

• On Android
  1. Open the device Settings app and select Apps.
  2. Select Authenticator from the app list.
  3. Select Storage or Storage & cache.
  4. Tap Clear data, then OK.
     • This permanently removes all accounts and data from Authenticator on that device.
• On iOS
  1. Open the device Settings app.
  2. Select General > Storage.
  3. Select Authenticator from the app list.
  4. Tap Offload App.
     • This removes all accounts from Authenticator on that device.

After deleting accounts from Authenticator, make sure alternative sign-in or recovery methods (such as another authenticator app, SMS, email, or security keys) are configured on the account’s security page so access is not lost.

References:

• How to add your accounts to Microsoft Authenticator
• How to sign out from Authenticator