External user access to SharePoint - Disable Microsoft Authenticator for MFA

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External user access to SharePoint - Disable Microsoft Authenticator for MFA

Emily Paul 0

I have a SharePoint site that is accessed by internal and external users. I used the "share site only" option in SharePoint to add the external users with View Only access.

We currently have MFA set up for external users but have been having LOTS of issues with Microsoft Authenticator getting stuck in a neverending authentication loop, especially for users that utilize multiple emails/accounts on their computers.

Would like to keep the MFA (email one-time passcode) but ditch Authenticator. I've been round and round in Entra and have been unable to accomplish this.

Thanks for assistance!

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Answer 1

Hi,

Based on my understanding, if your external users are Azure AD B2B guest accounts, the ability to use Email One-Time Passcode (OTP) instead of Microsoft Authenticator is controlled through Microsoft Entra External Identities authentication settings.

If your goal is to keep MFA while avoiding Microsoft Authenticator, consider:

Verify that Email One-Time Passcode (OTP) is enabled for external collaboration users.
Review any Conditional Access policies that explicitly require Microsoft Authenticator or Authentication Strength policies.
If Authentication Strength is enforced, modify the policy to allow other MFA methods or exclude guest users as appropriate.
Test with a newly invited guest account to confirm the sign-in experience before making broader changes.

As an independent advisor, I would also recommend reviewing your Conditional Access and External Identity configuration carefully, as tenant-wide MFA requirements may override the preferred Email OTP experience.

If the issue persists, please engage a Microsoft Support Engineer to review your tenant's authentication policies and sign-in logs, as the actual authentication method presented to guest users is often determined by multiple Entra ID security settings working together.