Microsoft updates Outlook Stable to include Authenticator functionality
Microsoft previewed Authenticator Lite in its Outlook mobile application last month after having announced the planned feature in March 2o23.
Today, Microsoft announced the general availability of the Authenticator functionality in the Outlook applications for Android and iOS. Once enabled, Outlook mobile users may use the app as a two-factor authentication tool to verify sign-ins.
Microsoft notes that accounts are "71% less likely to be compromised" than accounts that use SMS codes for two-factor authentication. While any form of multi-factor authentication improves security over accounts that use none, using apps is more secure than using SMS, as codes as transmitted in clear text if the latter option is used.
Microsoft Authenticator Lite is limited to commercial partners. Microsoft reveals that it allows organizations to enable multi-factor authentication for work or school accounts by using the Outlook app.
The decision to use the Outlook app, and not Microsoft's main Authenticator app, may look strange on first glance. Why integrate authenticator functionality into another app? The answer lies in usage statistics. Outlook is installed on more devices than Microsoft's Authenticator app. The Outlook app for Android was downloaded over 500 million times as of March 2023, while Microsoft's Authenticator app only 50 million times.
System administrators do not have to install another app on user devices and get users to use them. Instead, they enable Authenticator Lite functionality in Outlook and users get sign-in approval prompts directly in Outlook.
While that may require some form of technical training as well, it is not as extensive as teaching an entirely new app to users.
Microsoft notes that the following happens when the feature is enabled: "Users are prompted in Outlook on their mobile devices to register for multifactor authentication (MFA). Now, after they enter their password at sign in, they’ll have the option to send a push notification to their Android or iOS device."
Users may approve or deny sign-in requests directly in the Outlook application, or copy the code manually as well.
System administrator may enable the Microsoft Authenticator feature setting in the Microsoft Entra portal and via MS Graph. Technical guidance is available on the Microsoft Learn website, which provides step-by-step instructions on enabling the feature. The support page lists prerequisites as well.
Microsoft work and school users will soon be able to authorize sign-in requests using the company's Outlook application. IT administrators need to enable the feature for users and the Outlook app needs to be installed on user devices as well.
Two-factor authentication is an important security feature at the time of writing. The upcoming passkeys feature will reduce the importance of it in the long run, but it will take years before passkeys support is firmly established.
Now You: passwords, two-factor authentication, passkeys, which do you prefer, and why?
You said that Outlook isn’t your main email client, so which is your main one?
I think its thunderbird
It is Mozilla Thunderbird.
Awesome! This actually solved my problem… what a stupid bug.
If this is the same bug that I’ve encountered, there may be another fix: (1) hover over open Outlook item in Taskbar, cursor up to hover over Outlook window item, and right-click; (2) this should give you Restore / Move / Size / Minimize / Maximize — choose Move or Size; (3) use your cursor keys, going arbitrarily N/S/E/W, to try to move or size the Outlook window back into view. Basically, the app behaves as though it were open in a 0x0 window, or at a location that’s offscreen, and this will frequently work to resize and/or move the window. Don’t forget to close while resized/moved, so that Outlook remembers the size/position for next time.
THANK YOU Claude!!! I could get the main window to launch but could not get any other message window to show on the desktop. You are my hero!!!!
Solved my issue! 6 years later and this is still problem…
Fantastic. Thank you. Size did the trick.
This solved my Outlook problem, too. Thank you. :)
Thank you so much, this started happening to me today and was causing big problems. You are a life saver, I hope I can help you in some way some day.
You are a god – thank you!
thanks a lot…. work like charm.. :-)
Yah…thanks Claude. I’ve been having the same problem and tried all the suggestions…your solution was the answer. It had resized itself to a 0/0 box. Cheers
Excellent post. This had me baffled even trying to accurately describe the problem. This fixed it for me.
Thank you
Thanks a lot for the article. Don’t know why it happenend, don’t know how it got fixed, but it was really annoying and now it works :-)
Thanks a lot. I was facing this issue from past 3 week. I tried everything but no resolution. The issue was happening intermittently and mainly when I was changing the display of screen ( as i use 2 monitors). The only option i had was to do system restore. But thanks to you.
I’ve been tried to sole this problem for 12hours. Your comment about changing the display of screen helped me a lot!! Thanks!!
Thank you…don’t know why this happened but your instructions helped me fix it. Running Windows 10 and office pro 2007
Great tip! Thanks!
Worked for me, too – thank you!!!
It’s Worked for me, too
thank you very much!
I had a similar issue with Outlook 2013 on Windows 10 and this helped me to fix it. Thank you very much!
Thank you so much. Solved!
Considering you published this in 2012, incredible not been debugged by Microsoft.
Thank you again. M
This problem was faced by only one user logging to TS 2008 r2 using outlook 2010.The issue was resolved.
Thanks.
Great tip. Thank you!!!! If it helps, I had to use the Control Key and the arrow keys at the same time to bring my window back into view. Worked like a charm.
Thank you, this worked !!!!
Man, you are a fucking god. Thanks a lot, what an annoying bug!!
Awesome, this post solved the issue. Many thanks!