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Microsoft Authenticator App for Apple Watch to Be Discontinued in January

ArtOfWarfare said:
What? I want sideloading so I can develop and distribute free apps.

There's an endless world of awesome free apps on literally every platform, except one - iOS.

Apps on iOS are never awesome and free. They're either scams, adware, or they cost money, or they suck. The reason why is because of Apple's whole gatekeeper process - they lack any system for putting FOSS on the app store. Because they have no interest in FOSS. They want to collect money on literally every little thing that happens on iOS.

TinkerTool is one such awesome free app (although it's not open source - not sure why). What about that is "copyright infringement"?
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Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up. It’s just a distraction from what we were talking about. Pet peeve of mine. Basic idea is that modifying the OS (tweaking) involves creating a derivative work.

But we were discussing watch notifications. Hopefully, we can get back to that part.
 
BaldiMac said:
Basic idea is that modifying the OS (tweaking) involves creating a derivative work.
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Not really? In the case of Tinker Tool, it's just exposing hidden settings. Somebody at Apple wrote all the code to implement a setting. Then somebody else at Apple decided to not surface that setting via the Settings app.

Any user could easily change the settings by just going to the appropriate plist file and changing it manually - there's thousands of such settings throughout the OS. But TinkerTool makes it easier by providing a purpose built GUI and picking out the interesting settings that people might actually want to change.
 
This never worked for me on my Apple Watch anyway... Every time I tried to authenticate from my wrist, I ultimately had to re-open the same app on my iPhone to do it from there instead. I didn't realise I was an isolated case, though. It seems like it worked just fine for others here... I wish Microsoft could have gotten it working.
 
Gmc8538 said:
This is likely due to Microsoft introducing number matching to ward off MFA fatigue attacks:

petri.com

Microsoft Authenticator Gets Number Matching and Other Security Features

Microsoft has announced the general availability of several new security capabilities in its Microsoft Authenticator app. The first new feature that the company highlighted today is number matching support, which prompts users to enter a number displayed on the sign-in screen to verify their ide ...
petri.com petri.com

Probably not worth the dev time or finding a suitable way for this to work on the watch app - not not enough take up to be worth it I guess.
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This is exactly the reason why. They will be enforcing this on all tenants starting early next year. It requires the user to type in a number instead of just hitting Approve. We've been testing it at work (it's been rolled out as optional since last month).
 
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MattG said:
Same, and I agree...when I got my Apple Watch, I actually told our security guy at work that being able to answer Authenticator prompts on the watch was almost worth the price of admission. Bummed to see this feature go.
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Exactly. Being a person of a certain age, my phone is not glued to my hand or always on my person. My Watch, however is. And being able to approve access multiple times (10+) a day from my wrist was a godsend. I really notice on the few days I don't have my watch on. I didn't realize how disruptive it is to stop and grab my phone to authenticate; even if the phone is right next to me.
 
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Gmc8538 said:
This is likely due to Microsoft introducing number matching to ward off MFA fatigue attacks:

petri.com

Microsoft Authenticator Gets Number Matching and Other Security Features

Microsoft has announced the general availability of several new security capabilities in its Microsoft Authenticator app. The first new feature that the company highlighted today is number matching support, which prompts users to enter a number displayed on the sign-in screen to verify their ide ...
petri.com petri.com

Probably not worth the dev time or finding a suitable way for this to work on the watch app - not not enough take up to be worth it I guess.
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I would bet that the perceived "uptake on Apple Watch" being low is more from looking at only authentication lookups initiated on Watch vs authorization requests approved on Watch. I can see the former being an edge use case vs the latter being a common use case. Most authentication needs anymore are Push vs manual code lookup and entry.

As for Number Match, it really would not be hard to include on Watch. Today when I have seen this it is a list of four numbers and respond with the identified number. On Watch instead of one Approve Button, present four numbered buttons. Even number entry for a two digit number off a numbered on the watch would be easy to support.

IMO, this is not really an issue of not being able to support Number Matching, but rather MS just doesn't want to support the Watch anymore.

Only half joking here, but perhaps it is more that there has never been an Android Watch app, and dropping Apple Watch will appease the Android users as we won't get the good stuff they don't and there is no need actually build an Android Watch app.
 
BaldiMac said:
I never said it was federal government. And you never specified federal government.


A quick web search reveals GSA approved password managers.


So to be clear, your original claim that "No government organization allows the use of a password manager, period." is obviously wrong based on my experience is a state government organization, common sense, and a quick web search.

And your revised claim that US federal government policy "is that you cannot use password managers" is also easily refuted by a quick web search.
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Just out of curiosity I clicked the link provided. GSA approved Google Sheets as a password manager????? At least the KeePass database is encrypted for when you back it up to Google Drive like the GSA recommends.
 
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It worked for me all the time and it was so convenient to not have to pull out my phone to approve authentication. This will be missed for me. Hate it that it didn't work for the rest.
 
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If you have the Authenticator app installed on your phone, doesn't it send a push notification to your watch anyway where you can just press the "Approve" button so that you can approve the request without needing to take your phone out of your pocket? I thought the point of the WatchOS apps was so that you can use some apps without your phone being connected to your watch. But if you phone is always connected, then maybe this isn't that big of a deal as you will still get the notification on your Watch which you can respond to? To be honest, I didn't even know there was a WatchOS Authenticator app...I thought that it was just push notifications from the app on the Phone.
 
That's unfortunate, I use this feature all the time.

otakuon said:
If you have the Authenticator app installed on your phone, doesn't it send a push notification to your watch anyway where you can just press the "Approve" button so that you can approve the request without needing to take your phone out of your pocket? I thought the point of the WatchOS apps was so that you can use some apps without your phone being connected to your watch. But if you phone is always connected, then maybe this isn't that big of a deal as you will still get the notification on your Watch which you can respond to? To be honest, I didn't even know there was a WatchOS Authenticator app...I thought that it was just push notifications from the app on the Phone.
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Depends on the type of authentication your company has setup - certain authentications have a challenge response - i.e. you need to type in a number, other times, you have to select one of three choices (numbers), in other cases, it's just a yes/no.
 
DVDxR said:
This is exactly the reason why. They will be enforcing this on all tenants starting early next year. It requires the user to type in a number instead of just hitting Approve. We've been testing it at work (it's been rolled out as optional since last month).
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Hmm, now wondering if it is just easier to obtain the code from the Microsoft app on iOS and enter it...
 
circatee said:
Hmm, now wondering if it is just easier to obtain the code from the Microsoft app on iOS and enter it...
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Or even easier to use a password manager like 1Password where you have it integrated as part of the app/service and thus don't have to look at other devices and retype on another screen :)
 
I am very disappointed with this news. At the beginning, I had a bit of trouble getting it to work but since I configured my Authenticator app correctly, it has been invaluable. I guess I won’t be updating Authenticator in January. Maybe that will allow me to keep using the Watch app for the foreseeable future.
 
I used the Apple Watch app all the time to approve my login via Push notification. Really annoyed it's been dropped :(
 
My firm has switched to PingID for approvals. That too has a Apple Watch app that does seems to work (although the display formatting is all over the place). Still use MS Authenticator for personal accounts, shame the watch app is being put out to pasture.
 
cyb3rdud3 said:
Or even easier to use a password manager like 1Password where you have it integrated as part of the app/service and thus don't have to look at other devices and retype on another screen :)
Click to expand...

Hang on, are you saying the likes of 1Password has the option of adding MFA, like the Authentication app?

Sorry, confused…
 
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