How to enable/disable Authenticator Lite for Outlook mobile

Microsoft has made it possible for you to enable/disable Microsoft Authenticator Lite for Outlook mobile. The feature was announced a while ago, but now the Redmond-based tech giant released it to the general public.

Microsoft Authenticator Lite is another way for Azure Active Directory users to go through the authentication process. By using push notifications or time-based one-time passcodes on Android or iOS devices, this method comes with added security.

And it seems that it’s needed. According to a study conducted by Microsoft, 71% of authentications made via Microsoft Authenticator are less likely to be compromised compared to those completed via SMS codes.

The Redmond-based tech giant implemented this method before, and recently, Microsoft Authenticator has been updated to feature a number-matching validation. So, it’s safe to say that more security is on the way from Microsoft.

How to enable/disable Authenticator Lite for Outlook mobile

1. In the Azure portal, go to the Azure Active Directory > Security > Authentication methods > Microsoft Authenticator.
   • For Entra admin center, on the sidebar select Azure Active Directory > Protect & Secure > Authentication methods > Microsoft Authenticator.
2. In the Microsoft Authenticator tab go to the Enable and Target tab and select Enable.
   • Go to the Include section, click on All users or Select group, depending on your situation, then set the authentication mode to Any or Push.
3. In the Microsoft Authenticator tab go to the Configure tab and select Enabled.
   • Choose who to include/exclude and then click Save.

You should know that this feature is Microsoft managed by default, until June 9th. On this day, the Microsoft managed value of the feature will change from ‘disabled’ to ‘enabled’.

Once you are enabled for the Authentication, you will receive a prompt message to register your account directly from Outlook mobile.

When you’ve registered, you will get push-up notifications every time you sign in.

There are some prerequisites to be able to access this feature:

• Your organization needs to enable Microsoft Authenticator push notifications for users and groups.
• If your organization is using Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) adapter or Network Policy Server (NPS) extensions, they need to be updated to the latest version.
• Users enabled for shared device mode on Outlook mobile aren’t eligible for Authenticator Lite.
• You must run a minimum Outlook mobile version.

What do you think about this new feature? Let us know in the comments section below.