Using Microsoft Authenticator will become safer – update your mobile app

Microsoft Authenticator is a mobile application used for multi-factor authentication (MFA). Authenticator has a number matching as a new feature, which will be introduced on Wednesday 12 April 2023 at both the University and Oamk. The change improves the security of MFA verification even further and is also a step towards passwordless login.

If you do not use the Authenticator application, the change will not apply to you. You can still verify your M365 logins by SMS codes or phone calls.

The change applies to you if you have so far received MFA verification notifications through the Authenticator application of your phone. In other words, you have verified your university M365 account sign-ins by the mobile application function Approve/Hyväksy. This feature will be omitted when it is replaced by a number matching function. In the future, you will verify your login by entering the same two-digit code into the app that you see in the service login window.

Update the Authenticator app to the latest version in the app store of your phone by 11 April. The version must be on Android 6.2006.4198 or later and on iOS 6.4.12 or later.

  • The number matching does not work in the older versions, and there will no longer be an Approve/Deny function from 12 April forward. Update the application as soon as possible to avoid a situation where verification is not possible at all.
  • If you use Authenticator to pick up a single-use verification code and enter it in the login window, you can continue after the update as before. This feature remains.
  • Have you previously received push notifications from Authenticator to your watch? For example, WatchOS does not currently support the number matching, so you need to use your phone for verification.

You can change your verification methods

You can change and update your verification methods at any time to your Microsoft account security information (link: https://mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info). Define your default verification method and the secondary methods. In the login window, you can always choose a secondary method if the default method cannot be used at that time. More information on different authentication methods: Multi-factor authentication MFA (UO) (oulu.fi).

Last updated: 4.4.2023