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Apr 12, 2001
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Microsoft Authenticator for iOS will drop support for the Apple Watch companion app from January 2023, the company has revealed.

Microsoft-Authenticator.jpg

Used principally for signing into Microsoft accounts with two-step verification enabled, the Microsoft Authenticator for iOS gained an Apple Watch companion app in 2018.

The watch app supports Microsoft personal, work, and school accounts that are set up with push notifications and lets users bypass the need to pick up their iPhone at all to complete the authentication process.

However, this functionality is being removed at the beginning of next year. Microsoft documented the change to the iOS app in an updated FAQ webpage. In answer to the question "Is Apple Watch supported for Authenticator on iOS?" Microsoft gives the following reply:
In the upcoming Authenticator release in January 2023 for iOS, there will be no companion app for watchOS due to it being incompatible with Authenticator security features. This means you won't be able to install or use Authenticator on Apple Watch. We therefore recommend that you delete Authenticator from your Apple Watch. This change only impacts Apple Watch, so you will still be able to use Authenticator on your other devices.
Microsoft did not specify which security features the watchOS app is incompatible with going forward, and instead simply directs users to the iPhone or iPad app to authenticate login attempts.

The Microsoft Authenticator app for Apple Watch joins a long list of abandoned third-party watchOS apps that have been discontinued over the last few years, either because of perceived redundancy or lack of user uptake. Other notable Apple Watch apps that have got the chop include Twitter, Instagram, Target, Trello, Slack, Hulu, and Uber.

Article Link: Microsoft Authenticator App for Apple Watch to Be Discontinued in January
 

Jme Saunders

macrumors member
Mar 5, 2015
77
116
When it works it works really well on my watch. Except sometimes it didn't, so it was always a gamble. I use Microsoft Authenticator for all my 2FA, but this and the fact that filtering codes requires you to press search and then type means it's not as quick as I'd like.

I have thought about trying something else. I wish Apple did some of its magic and made adding 2FA into iCloud Keychain a lot easier.
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,600
52,358
In a van down by the river
Does it send pushes that approve vs using a code?
No push just the code.

 

jtwurth

macrumors newbie
Jul 29, 2011
19
29
Frustrating that they're dropping support. I and a lot of my colleagues use this feature multiple times every day. It has worked reliably for us and is handy for the multiple MFA checks we go through when accessing business resources from home.

Can we do the same on our phone? Sure. But when my phone is usually in my pocket (or sometimes out of immediate reach) and my watch is always on my wrist I can move my finger a few inches to approve. This may seem like a small thing to some but if you're regularly using the feature this news is a bummer.
 

TheMacDaddy1

macrumors 6502a
Aug 17, 2016
841
1,545
Merica!
No push just the code.

Thanks. I just might ditch Microsoft Authenticator because of this change. I only get the push for Microsoft stuff anyhow.

I need to further de-Microsoft my life.
 

Prince Akeem

macrumors regular
Feb 22, 2012
134
261
The Microsoft Authenticator watchOS app was very unstable and (felt like) being neglected by MS. The iOS app works a lot better but it was sad that the watchOS app was nearly impossible to get working.

Would be nice if Apple made something like this, to start with a dedicated Keychain app for iOS, many people want this! Then adding a universal 2FA key feature to it.
 

msackey

macrumors 68030
Oct 8, 2020
2,857
3,294
We use DuoMobile for second authentication at work and it has a companion Watch app which works very well. Why is Microsoft removing this functionality? Seems like a dumb move. For those who have both Watch and phone, the Watch is generally more accessible than a phone simply because the Watch is worn on the wrist most of the time. At the office, my phone is in my bag which is inside a cabinet.
 
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