Manage authentication methods - Azure Active Directory - Microsoft Entra (2023)

Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) allows the use of a range of authentication methods to support a wide variety of sign-in scenarios. Administrators can specifically configure each method to meet their goals for user experience and security. This topic explains how to manage authentication methods for Azure AD, and how configuration options affect user sign-in and password reset scenarios.

Authentication methods policy

The Authentication methods policy is the recommended way to manage authentication methods, including modern methods like passwordless authentication. Authentication Policy Administrators can edit this policy to enable authentication methods for all users or specific groups.

Methods enabled in the Authentication methods policy can typically be used anywhere in Azure AD - for both authentication and password reset scenarios. The exception is that some methods are inherently limited to use in authentication, such as FIDO2 and Windows Hello for Business, and others are limited to use in password reset, such as security questions. For more control over which methods are usable in a given authentication scenario, consider using the Authentication Strengths feature.

Most methods also have configuration parameters to more precisely control how that method can be used. For example, if you enable Voice calls, you can also specify whether an office phone can be used in addition to a mobile phone.

Or let's say you want to enable passwordless authentication with Microsoft Authenticator. You can set extra parameters like showing the user sign-in location or the name of the app being signed into. These options provide more context for users when they sign-in and help prevent accidental MFA approvals.

To manage the Authentication methods policy, click Security > Authentication methods > Policies.

Only the converged registration experience is aware of the Authentication methods policy. Users in scope of the Authentication methods policy but not the converged registration experience won't see the correct methods to register.

Legacy MFA and SSPR policies

Two other policies, located in Multifactor authentication settings and Password reset settings, provide a legacy way to manage some authentication methods for all users in the tenant. You can't control who uses an enabled authentication method, or how the method can be used. A Global Administrator is needed to manage these policies.

To manage the legacy MFA policy, click Security > Multifactor Authentication > Additional cloud-based multifactor authentication settings.

To manage authentication methods for self-service password reset (SSPR), click Password reset > Authentication methods. The Mobile phone option in this policy allows either voice calls or SMS to be sent to a mobile phone. The Office phone option allows only voice calls.

How policies work together

Settings aren't synchronized between the policies, which allows administrators to manage each policy independently. Azure AD respects the settings in all of the policies so a user who is enabled for an authentication method in any policy can register and use that method. To prevent users from using a method, it must be disabled in all policies.

Let's walk through an example where a user who belongs to the Accounting group wants to register Microsoft Authenticator. The registration process first checks the Authentication methods policy. If the Accounting group is enabled for Microsoft Authenticator, the user can register it.

If not, the registration process checks the legacy MFA policy. In that policy, any user can register Microsoft Authenticator if one of these settings is enabled for MFA:

• Notification through mobile app
• Verification code from mobile app or hardware token

If the user can't register Microsoft Authenticator based on either of those policies, the registration process checks the legacy SSPR policy. In that policy too, a user can register Microsoft Authenticator if the user is enabled for SSPR and any of these settings are enabled:

• Mobile app notification
• Mobile app code

For users who are enabled for Mobile phone for SSPR, the independent control between policies can impact sign-in behavior. Where the other policies have separate options for SMS and voice calls, the Mobile phone for SSPR enables both options. As a result, anyone who uses Mobile phone for SSPR can also use voice calls for password reset, even if the other policies don't allow voice calls.

Similarly, let's suppose you enable Voice calls for a group. After you enable it, you find that even users who aren't group members can sign-in with a voice call. In this case, it's likely those users are enabled for Mobile phone in the legacy SSPR policy or Call to phone in the legacy MFA policy.

Migration between policies (preview)

The Authentication methods policy provides a migration path toward unified administration of all authentication methods. All desired methods can be enabled in the Authentication methods policy. Methods in the legacy MFA and SSPR policies can be disabled. Migration has three settings to let you move at your own pace, and avoid problems with sign-in or SSPR during the transition. After migration is complete, you'll centralize control over authentication methods for both sign-in and SSPR in a single place, and the legacy MFA and SSPR policies will be disabled.

To view the migration options, open the Authentication methods policy and click Manage migration.

The following table describes each option.

Tenants are set to either Pre-migration or Migration in Progress by default, depending on their tenant's current state. At any time, you can change to another option. If you move to Migration Complete, and then choose to roll back to an earlier state, we'll ask why so we can evaluate performance of the product.

Known issues and limitations

• Some customers may see the control to enable Voice call grayed out due to a licensing requirement, despite having a premium license. This is a known issue that we are actively working to fix.
• As a part of the public preview we removed the ability to target individual users. Previously targeted users will remain in the policy but we recommend moving them to a targeted group.

Next steps

• How to migrate MFA and SSPR policy settings to the Authentication methods policy
• What authentication and verification methods are available in Azure Active Directory?
• How Azure AD Multi-Factor Authentication works
• Microsoft Graph REST API