Microsoft Urges Entra ID Admins to Migrate Users From SMS and Voice Authentication
Summary
Microsoft will retire its SMS and voice authentication for Entra ID workforce tenants starting February 1, 2027, and urges admins to migrate users to phishing-resistant methods such as passkeys to avoid sign-in disruptions.
Key points
- Microsoft-provided SMS and voice authentication for Entra ID workforce tenants will retire starting February 1, 2027; Azure AD B2C and Entra External ID customer identity scenarios are excluded.
- Microsoft says affected users will no longer be able to use SMS or voice to complete multifactor authentication after retirement.
- Microsoft recommends passkeys; other supported options include QR code authentication and FIDO2 security keys.
- Microsoft says passkeys will roll out as Entra ID’s default authentication experience, prompting users enabled for SMS or voice to register a passkey during MFA.
- Admins can use the Entra SMS/Voice Policy Scanner PowerShell script to find users relying on SMS or voice authentication.
- Organizations that need phone-based authentication can configure a customer-managed telecom provider through the Microsoft Security Store.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Microsoft announced the retirement of its SMS and voice authentication services for Microsoft Entra ID workforce tenants, urging administrators to migrate users to phishing-resistant sign-in methods.
- Impact
- Starting February 1, 2027, users will no longer be able to use Microsoft-provided SMS or voice authentication for multifactor authentication in covered workforce tenants. Organizations that do not migrate users risk sign-in disruptions; organizations that must retain phone-based authentication can configure a customer-managed telecom provider.