According to this article: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/common-questions-about-the-microsoft-authenticator-app-12d283d1-bcef-4875-9ae5-ac360e2945dd The Microsoft Authenticator app is being discontinued on Apple Watch. I find this very disappointing. I used it many times per day. Yes, it was a bit buggy and unreliable, but it sure was better than picking up my phone every time! Please keep supporting the Watch app!

This is one of the most disappointing announcements to come out of Microsoft - it was a killer feature of the AzureAD/Authenticator combo and something I relied on and promoted heavily as part of rolling it out - and was much loved by those who used it! I remain hopeful that this is reconsidered - for those that have deployed such solutions it was a really great way to show how frictionless MFA can be…

Agreed. This is the primary reason I use my Apple Watch. This will be a huge step backwards in my day-to-day. I have to authenticate 30+ times a day, and picking up my phone every time is a huge waste of time.

I’m also replying to this thread to express my anger that Microsoft are removing the best feature of their Authenticator app in the Apple space. The watch-face is the perfect place to see the approve/reject buttons when logging into an MS service - who wants to get their phone out every time?!!Let’s hope they hear their customer voices and relent 🤞

WaynePlummer Yes agreed this is a major step backward for MFA ease of use, and poorly justified based on the little information released. Let's hope it is reconsidered for the benefit of customers.

Extremely bad move on Microsoft's behalf and totally useless. Just fix the issue you have with Face ID and use the standard bypass of this request when the watch is worn and unlocked... Seriously, this is a really bad move.

Microsoft Authenticator on Apple Watch | Microsoft Community Hub

41 Replies

Scout_J
Copper Contributor
Jun 05, 2023
DJTentman84 This choice to discontinue the Authenticator on the Apple Watch is really misguided! It's 2023!
pmaddock
Copper Contributor
Jun 02, 2023
DJTentman84 I agree - really miss the feature. The numeric code entry shouldn't have been an issue - other apps allow entry via the watch keyboard - the numeric keypad is hardly onerous.
vbratok
Copper Contributor
May 09, 2023
+1 to the community replays. I'm very disappointed about removing such a valuable feature. Please bring it back ASAP.

Berno1979

Copper Contributor

Apr 20, 2023

To me this is very disappointing as well. I used it everyday multiple times...

DJTentman84

LFriesenEpic
Copper Contributor
Mar 27, 2023
Agreed. Please bring this back, this is a "daily driver" part of my workflow.
Azure420
Copper Contributor
Mar 16, 2023
PLEASE find a way to add this functionality back. This is one of the most useful features that many people in my organization used on a daily basis.
josegzzv
Copper Contributor
Mar 13, 2023
DJTentman84
This is really bad... I also used a lot the approval button option on my iwatch, yes with some glitches, but it save me a lot of time.... If I grab my phone, it takes a lot more of time...

It's a shame than a billion dollar company, can't figure it out how to make the iwatch "approval" button works again.... If they can't make it work? Then How do Microsoft expect other developers keep using your tools to make hybrid solutions?
Now than we are speaking of.... please REMAKE Microsoft Authenticator.... it needs to be more usable, you need to think like users, not developers
Before:
iWatch - Notification, turn the wrist, click approve.
Now:
Phone: Notification, Unblock phone, go to notifications or open the Microsoft Authenticator App, unblock the Authenticator App, Approve...
Some one knows if other watches work with authenticator to approve as simple as iwatch was?
Deus_Tactix
Copper Contributor
Mar 08, 2023
Agree, I am extremely disappointed about this one, it is literally the only app I use on my watch and it saves me a huge amount of time as I logon many times a day which was easily done using the watch now I have to resort to getting ready to login by finding and opening the phone, and now also run the risk of leaving your phone behind in a classroom.

Come on MS you can do better, give us back this great security tool, its:
good for us
good for you and security
sbadmin
Copper Contributor
Feb 21, 2023
DJTentman84 I'm extremely disappointed with this announcement. Today I went to approve a notification on my watch, to find that only the Dismiss option was available & the app has been removed from my watch.
I used this multiple times a day & is so convenient.

Bad move Microsoft!
Morenison
Copper Contributor
Feb 16, 2023
I also use this Authenticator for almost all my MFA and now I got to know it doesn't work with Apple Watch anymore! That's really sad like a Huge company like such do something like that. This app on Apple Watch make my day by day super easy and over night my access to it was taken.
I hope Microsoft will reconsider soon after seeing so many users unhappy that's really sad.
Now I will need to find another third-party app that does something I was happy using it for couple of years now.

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Microsoft Authenticator on Apple Watch

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