Microsoft Commercially Releases Password Management Capabilities in Authenticator App -- Redmondmag.com

Microsoft Commercially Releases Password Management Capabilities in Authenticator App

By Kurt Mackie
02/16/2021

Microsoft this month announced the "general availability" commercial release of the "password management and autofill capability" in the Microsoft Authenticator app for mobile devices.

The Microsoft Authenticator app is used to add two-factor identity verification to Android and iOS devices, such as requiring a password and a personal identification number (PIN) to gain access to apps and resources. It can also be used without passwords via a fingerprint or face scan. Using the app without passwords, though, is at the preview stage right now and requires using the Azure Active Directory service with push notifications, per a Microsoft document.

The ability to use the Microsoft Authenticator app to save passwords and automatically populate sign-in fields is new, and was at the preview stage back in December. Back then, Microsoft had explained that the password management aspects of the Microsoft Authenticator app were mostly just available for users with Microsoft accounts, such as consumers. Organizations using Active Directory-based work or school accounts could only get those capabilities by special request.

With general availability of the app's password management and autofill capability, organizations and schools can now use it, although it still requires sending a special request. Microsoft expressed that notion in a FAQ document in the following manner:

Autofill now works for most enterprise users even when a work or school account is added to the Authenticator app. You can fill out a form to configure (allow or deny) Autofill for your organization and send it to the Authenticator team.

Additionally, organizations and schools can only enable the password management and autofill capability for either all of their users or for none of them. An "allow list" middle-ground approach isn't supported.

The password management and autofill capability works on the Microsoft Edge browser. It'll also work on the Google Chrome browser when using an extension. The app works on Android devices from version 6.0 or greater, as well iOS devices running version 12.0 or greater.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

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